[It's bad when they both get to the point of threatening the police on each other, but it's not often that Power claims Aki is the ultimate culprit. It's so uncommon because it never succeeds - especially not with the withering look he gives her, his eyes pinned on her as Power starts to instinctively shrink back to avoid a slap.]
You're the one who fed me this shit - And I bet it was you who came up with this! [Power immediately begins to insist that Denji put her up to this, but Aki knows that's not the case, because - ] Denji never wastes food! Look at this mess of a kitchen, you wasted a whole week's worth of groceries on this! [More sputtering about how she learned this recipe years ago and that they simply aren't trained enough to accept it.] You can't even make an omelet, let alone cook meat properly! Where did you even get this meat, I hadn't bought any ground beef recently at all...!
[After scoffing and telling him that she is occasionally offered sacrifices from the village and that this was one such offer, Aki goes from furious to confused to outright stumped. Someone from the building gave her spoiled meat? Did she take it from a trash can? Did Meowy or Pochita find it while outside? ...But he told them not to go outside today, and Denji was watching her, so surely she was inside. How the hell...]
[For now, he ignores her continued lecturing about the serfdom of the apartment complex they live in (she's the landlord apparently) and forces her into the kitchen to clean up or else she doesn't get any food at all. And when he unveils his purchases from the convenience store and Power realizes exactly what she might be missing out on... She deflates impressively, grumbling something under her breath about how his serf payments are being doubled this month. Aki ignores her and moves over to Denji, kneeling down next to him and setting a hand on his side.]
Where'd she get that meat from...? Did you guys go out today? [A bit of a warning tone in his voice as he asks that, even with the gentle hand on his side.]
[ With much effort, Pochita squeezes his head through the crook of Denji's arm to nudge his cheek against the hand Aki has set on the younger boy's side. It's the thumping of his cable-tail against Denji's face that prompts his eyelids to thinly slide open, a pout forming at his lips. He doesn't shift to look back at Aki, instead staring ahead at their ajar balcony. Before the disastrous welcome, they'd opened the door and few windows to help vent out the apartment of the sizzling oils and aromatics and… whatever witch's brew Power polluted their mouths with. They'll have to close everything up soon, it's starting to get chilly, but for now, he's glad just to have some fresh air to help cleanse his mind, body, and soul of all that bad juju. ]
Not me. Or her, probably. [ He kept an eye on Power, of course, but he can't discount the possibility that she managed to creep outside his notice, what with all his excitement over the news today. It's unfortunate, but she can be quite the sneakster when she isn't loudly spinning her tales. ] She said — [ He winces at a cramp in his abdomen. ] Mnngh, somethin' about gettin' it from a lowly peddler and keeping it in her bag while we were out yesterday. So maybe she was tryin' to get revenge on us…? Ugh…
[ He's probably going to need to go to the bathroom eventually, but his stomach's still figuring out which bodily system it wants this strange invader to come out. But before that, there's something else pressing on him. ]
Didja really mean it? That Power won't be coming with us? She always goes where we go, y'know.
[ When it comes to big trips and transitions, that's always been the case. The three of them, together. Sure, he wants her arrested, but that doesn't mean he won't feel the teensiest bit bad if she gets left out of going to the beach. ]
[Pochita starts nudging at Aki's hand and he very nearly swats the devil away, still uneasy around him. It would be one thing if he only acted like a dog, but the massive powertool sticking out of his head and the way he's seen it spin to life has him always a little unnerved by the thing. Especially when he's squeezing through Denji's arms.]
Revenge for... Ugh, she's such a brat... [He raises his eyes to glower at her across the room where she's dumping things into the trash while muttering curse spells under her breath. She better not get rid of any of their cookware...]
[But when Denji asks if he was serious, he looks down, brow pinching. Yes, he was, in the moment, but now he recognizes he was just angry. Which, obviously, but... Should he really make her stay home for their first non-grave visit trip in a year? He frowns and sits down on the floor, still mindlessly rubbing his hand over Denji's side.]
...I'll figure something out, but she still needs to be punished somehow. And you can't arrest your sibling for feeding you bad food. [So that idea is out. Keeping his voice low, he mutters,] Maybe I won't get her an ekiben. Or make her sleep in the hall tonight. It has to be something she'll remember.
[But when he says the bit about the hall, he looks up and around, realizing the windows and sliding door have been left open. No wonder it feels so cold in here. He frowns and adds, mostly to himself,] Guess I'll turn on the heater...
Seriously, one night in the slammer would definitely do the trick…
[ The endless motion of Aki's hand actually does help to soothe his unsettled insides. His throat bobs as pockets of gas exit and pop in another series of burps, and that really feels nice as some of the discomfort in his stomach alleviates. ]
If we can't put her in real jail, what about fake jail? You know how psycho she is. It's gotta be by her made-up rules, or else she won't even see it as a punishment. So if Powy put a spell on our food, that makes her a witch. And what happens to bad witches?
[ He sneaks a look at Power, who appears to be tying the the opening of their trash into a knot, then pitches his voice down into a whisper. ]
They get burned at the stake!
[ Or at least that's what remembers happening in a western movie he watched once. ]
Basically, it's just playin' with her. But she'll treat it like it's the real deal, 'cause she's a weirdo.
[Aki doesn't love playing along with her delusions, but unfortunately he knows Denji is right. If they don't play by her tune, she won't actually internalize anything he tries to teach her. And this is kind of a big deal. You can't feed people rotten meat.]
How do you suggest we burn her at the stake, then? [He's also keeping his voice low, leaning down to talk to him. Like this is some secret meeting.] Make her put her ankles up to the floor heater...? I don't want her to actually get burned. [She can't be arrested for feeding them bad food but Aki can probably be arrested for hurting her. Double standards.] Maybe we can hang her upside down for a few minutes.
Yeah. [ He furiously nods, his enthusiasm seeming to catch Power's attention, earning them a suspicious look from over the kitchen counter. ] Upside down, and we gotta sneak up on her and tie her up. We'll probably have to pretend we're like villagers and stuff.
[ Denji's not one to get into character for the roles Power tends to arbitrarily assign him to. He's not an actor. Doesn't really know how to be anyone other than himself. But if it's to wreak justice on his mischievous little sister, then, sure, that's as worthy a cause as any. ]
I think if we tape a flashlight to Pochita and make him spin in a circle, that should look fire-like enough, right?
[So they are burning her at the stake. This isn't really how he planned to spend his evening, but he also thought he'd be eating dinner right now.]
[Speaking of. Passing a look at Power (which she responds to with her own pout), Aki gets up to grab his bag and find the convenience store food he bought. He definitely doesn't trust her with that, and instead brings it back over to Denji, offering them out to let him pick what flavor of ramen he wants to eat.]
We can do it after she finishes cleaning up. I read something about how you're supposed to do something neutral after you punish someone, so she can eat dinner afterwards. [He read that in a book about problem children that he found maybe five years ago, but it probably works for Power.] I think if we tie up her ankles and I flip her over, you can grab the rope and pull it over the top of the door. [So long as Denji doesn't let go, this will work fine. No concussions.] ...And let's leave Pochita out of it, in case he does something weird.
He wouldn't… [ He starts to argue, but he casts another look at the dog, who's wandered toward the screen door and started trying to lick at the glass. If his chainsaw weren't bumping into it, he'd probably be more successful. Denji crawls over to the door to push it closed before Pochita thinks to escape out into the balcony, returning to Aki and the bag of instant ramen in short order. ]
'kay.
[ The different flavors peel out of the bag as Denji sets each cup aside. Any of them would work usually, but he settles on one that has "original" printed on its packaging. Something boring that hopefully won't unsettle his stomach any further. ]
But I'll hafta find somethin' long and sturdy enough to wrap her up. You gotta keep her distracted until then. Remember: You gotta play her screwed up games to make it work. Didn'tcha act in a play that one time? Just pretend you're doin' that again.
[Denji brings up Aki's time as an actor and the blood rushing to his face at the memory colors his cheeks bright red. He has half a mind to smack him for even bringing up that stupid class play. It had been a mortifying experience for him, up in front of so many people reciting lines as best as he could remember, speaking loudly enough so everyone could hear him, and when he went backstage the girl manning the curtains, unable to suppress her giggles and snorts, told him, "You seriously sound like you have no emotion out there!"]
[He had been so embarrassed as he did his next scene that he tripped over his lines and said butthole instead of burglary and the whole audience had chuckled lightly at the flub. Except for his classmate in the wings, smothering her face in the curtains to try and quiet her laughter.]
[Needless to say, he refused to act on stage again after that.]
...Just try and find some kind of rope in the storage bin. I'll bring out the trash with her.
[He gets up to do just that, approaching Power and offering to bring down the trash with her if she promises not to throw it at the bin this time. She hums over this and seems doubtful that not hurling the bag at the bin will actually succeed in dispersing her cursed spell, but Aki takes a note from Denji and tells him he's already done that. She actually accepts that (probably because she's afraid of getting yelled at again) and follows him outside with one of the trash bags in hand.]
[ Denji's grin glints with the knowledge that he's hit what he wanted Aki to remember dead on the head. In his memory, the funniest part of the play was how, during the curtain call, Aki had pinpointed their snickering above the sounds of polite applause and, clearly still mortified, fixed them a look to shut up and settle down, which had only incited another encore of laughter from them. Perhaps it's because he sees a hint of that same expression on Aki's face that he's so easily shooed off to collect the props for their own little play.
Hearing them leave, he hastily uncovers the storage bin from their closet. Some old yearbooks and photo albums from their time at the orphanage are what he immediately unearths, the books piling up to the side as he continues scavenging. No rope that he can find, however, there is leftover duct tape. He strips out a wide enough length of tape that he'll hopefully be able to quickly wind around Power's ankles… It should work the same way with the door, too, he thinks?
Shoving the bin back into the closet, Denji squeezes himself inside and sits there, heart thrumming. Waiting, waiting, until, finally, he catches the sound of their footsteps rattling up the stairs, the jiggle of the door as its pushed open. And that's when Denji pounces out, skidding on his knees to hug Power's legs closed as the tape weaves in and out between her ankles in an infinity loop. ]
Take that, you shitty witch! Light 'er up like a candle, Aki!
[ Power shrieks something about how the village head (Aki?) has betrayed her, and that this heresy will not be forgiven in their lifetime, before then launching into a gibberish spell incantation. Something about spiders laying eggs in their ears. Whatever, Denji mostly ignores her in favor of his own senseless spiel. ]
Bwahaha! Now, this is what I call revenge magic! It's way stronger than your food poisoning spells!
[Duct tape isn't exactly what he was expecting when he came back, but it's passable - Aki nods as Power begins to flail, grabbing her around the center and locking her arms in place.]
Not this time - You're gonna repent for what you did.
[He tries to drag her toward the bedroom but with Denji right in front of them, Power ends up going down first and takes Aki with her. They both splatter to the floor with a heavy Oof! and Aki releases her, pushing himself up to make sure both of them are alright. But that gives her just enough wiggle room to try and run away, cursing them for thinking they could ever conquer her. Aki jumps forward and grabs her again and starts to tell her off more logistically, to watch her knees, but then he remembers Denji's words. Play along. It's the only way it's going to work.]
...We've got to hit her magical - uh, nerve endings. Denji! [And then he goes for her weak spots, tickling her stomach and sides as she shrieks and rolls, begging for mercy and trying to wriggle out of the way. The tape around her ankles makes that near impossible, at least, and even if this isn't a witch burning, hopefully it still works.]
[ After the two had tumbled over like a house of cards, he'd shortly followed, attacking the soles of her feet. Power may writhe and twist in the thinning stitch of sun passing through their apartment, trying to cover her sides, but Denji knows what she can't hide. In-between her breathless wheezes about how underhanded their methods are, she can hardly stifle her laughter, good tears budding at her eyes. Even if this is technically punishment, she can't help but enjoy being at the center of everyone's attention. ]
Not baaad, witch, not bad at all. But you're as weak a baby kitty now — and if we can't burn ya, we're gonna string you up in front of the whole wide world!
[ …The whole wide world being Meowy, Pochita, and Power's stuffed animals.
Denji locks eyes with Aki, trying to signal that now's the time to carry their original plan through of putting her upside down from the door. Arms wrapped around her calves, he starts to lift Power up by her legs. She's heavy, and he can't really maintain his hold for long, but he's counting on Aki to help shoulder her weight. ]
[The tickling seems to have worked in that she's only writhing to escape his fingers rather than Aki, wholly, so when Denji gives him the look, Aki nods in agreement. He grabs her under the legs and Aki goes for her torso, lifting her up off the ground as she yelps in surprise. He shoulders the majority of the weight as they make their way to the bedroom door and he calls out over her cries of indignation,] Toss it over! [and works to try and send her feet-up against the door. Hopefully the tape is strong enough to hold...? He's not really sure, so he ends up holding onto her sideways, clinging to her as her legs shake and she yowls.]
Now - You just gotta, uh - Repent.
[He's not good at thinking on the fly like this, especially when he's out of breath from carrying her. Even if she's smaller than him, she's still a wiggly teenager with bony, sharp limbs that fight him at every turn.]
...Apologize, and we'll consider - [Accepting it? No, stick with this weird magical medieval stuff. God, why does she insist on the medieval stuff?] - pardoning you. Of your crimes.
[Very convincing when he's out of breath, turning his head to see if Denji has secured the tape over the door.]
[ With Aki keeping the most dangerous part of Power occupied (those chompers are worst than his), Denji grunts hard as they tilt her upside down. Because even if Aki's the one shouldering most of her weight, he's still trying his best to support her enough so that she isn't flopping on her ass, crashing a shin against the door frame, or having his jaw meet the business end of her stinky bunions. Giving the middle band of tape between her ankles an extra wrap, he tosses the roll over the top of the door, and shoots another look his brother's way — ]
You ready for this?!
[ What hold Denji has on Power drops completely as he swings himself behind the other side of the door, hops to drag the tape roll — which now looks quite starved from how much he's used on her — down with all his might.
"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuhhh?!?" Power shouts in surprise and displeasure. Her back smashes and bobs up against the door as Denji grasps the tape, part of it entwined around his wrist to maintain some leverage. The tape isn't actually long enough anymore for him to cling to without slamming a foot into the door, his other digging as far back into the ground as he can. ]
Repent, repent, repeeeent! If you're sorry enough, we won't call the — [ Wait, were there cops back then? ] Uh, the executioner guys, you know the ones! They round up criminals like you and chop their pinky fingers off when they're bad, right, Aki?
[Chop their pinkies off...?! Are they yakuza now? Aki kind of grimaces when Denji looks at him for back-up, too concerned about all the other things he's said in the past about yakuza to remember it existed before that, too.]
[But the threat seems to work, regardless, and Power is groaning and crying as she's hung upside down - though Aki is still holding her around the waist, making sure Denji isn't really at all responsible for her weight. Her hair is going wild below her as she shakes her head in misery, begging, "Let me goooo, let me gooooo! I won't double cross you ever again!" And this isn't quite a case of double crossing, but Aki shakes her just a little bit.]
You have to say you're sorry, and mean it this time. Apologize to both of us - and to the farmers whose food you wasted, too.
[It's a hard ask for her. Her face is scrunched up in agony at both the physical and social position she's being put in, but after another shake of her body from Aki she finally clenches her eyes shut and declares, "I apologize! I apologize! I'll let you win this time! I'm sorry for accidental attempted assassination...!"]
[Aki nods, then nods to Denji to drop the tape. Then, expecting he'll just do that, he lets go of Power, allowing her to drop onto her head and down to the floor. Or Denji to slam into the door if he wasn't holding strong enough. Whichever or both.]
[ Even though Aki nodded at him and he understood the message being relayed, it still hadn't been enough time to unbound the tape from his forearm to rid himself of Power's body weight. So. The best of both worlds unceremoniously happens: Power's forehead graces the ground, Denji's nose buries itself into the canvas of the door. They groan simultaneously in a pained duet.
A few seconds afterward, his ass topples to the ground and he sits there, nursing his sore arm, red marks spiraling from his elbow to his wrist. That definitely took off a chunk of his arm hair. But Power probably has it worst. Peeking around the door, he spots her already worming her way past Aki to the kitchen to find something sharp to cut through her restraints — but she pauses when she spots Pochita, stopping to think for only a split second, then grabbing his body at both sides and working his blade against the thick tape at her ankles. Denji's too tired to stop her, so he lets his back lean into the door frame as he watches on. ]
G'job with all that repent stuff. [ No matter where Aki is at the moment, his hand finds his nearest body part and pats it. ] That reallllly sold the whole show. I don't even know what that word means, but whenever I copied you, she got even madder!
[ He snickers low, then makes a face as he starts rubbing at his again churning stomach. ]
Mmmguuh, hurts. Gotta rip a fart again.
[ When did he fart the first time… Actually, don't ask. ]
[Power drops down and Denji slams forward and Aki looks between them in a brief flinch of worry before they both let out groans that tell him they're fine, just sore. He watches Power crawl away and use Pochita for chopping off the tape ("Don't do... Ugh..." He gives up on telling her to stop), squatting to the floor beside Denji and taking the pat to his shoulder as he lowers down to sit on his knees. He didn't expect it to work, but... Somehow, Denji really does understand her better than he does. Sometimes he really needs that.]
[But also.] You don't know what repent means...? [And then he's talking about farting and Aki pushes at his shoulder.] Go fart in the bathroom or I'll make you repent, too. [He'll let him think it's some extremely terrible fate for now.]
[But before he can leave, he speaks quietly while watching Power relay what horrible things were just done to her to an audience of a cat and devil.] Thanks, Denji. I can't handle her without you. [He squeezes his shoulder gently, glancing at him sidelong.]
[ There's a part of him that thinks otherwise, has every faith in his brother to manage Power just fine without him to play middle-man and appeal to her more outrageous tendencies, but it's obvious — Aki means it. And even more obvious, by how his cheeks are bloated like he just took a huge bite out of the sweetest apple, Denji wants to believe it. Doesn't want to rot the moment just because he was too coward to be open to it. So instead he meets Aki's gaze, meaningfully. ]
What bag?
[ Hours after this conversation, he'll remember that he stuffed the remnants of the bag he castrated to fit Pochita into Aki's dirty laundry, but for now he's content to sponge up the praise — this time, without something deeply unfortunate to rain on his parade. Or into his mouth.
The rest of the night goes by: They have their instant ramen dinner, someone yells at Denji to fumigate the bathroom of his gasses, they sit in a line and dry each other's hair. Power lands in-between them tonight, head resting on the inside of Denji's arm, sleepily cooing a series of meows at Meowy, who purrs heavy atop her chest. But it isn't long until Power falls silent with sleep and the cat relocates to the foot of the bed. Pochita waddles toward her, nestling within the curl of her little body, his chainsaw angled away to avoid hitting her.
It's cute. He almost wants to get up to take a picture, or beg Aki to.
… ]
Aki, look.
[ With the arm that's still pillowing Power's head, he tugs at the shoulder of other boy's shirt. His head tips up, trying to direct Aki's attention to the animal and devil duo. ]
[Today was exhausting. A full day of work, a day of news stories about dead classmates, a night of questionable food. Once everyone is clean and dry, Aki shuts the windows being used to fumigate and fiddles for a bit with the heater. It takes him a bit to remember how to get it to turn on correctly, but there's the delightful click of the power connecting and after a few moments, warm air slowly dissipates from the circular contraption. He drags it into the bedroom and sets it just far enough away from their bedding so it isn't a fire hazard, relieved that, even if the day was tiring, it's at least going to end warm.]
[So he's half asleep when Denji nudges him awake, startling a little and blinking in the dimmed light. He turns over to sit up and look at the pair, sleeping soundly already, the warm air blowing over them. It is cute. It's good to see a devil that isn't trying to destroy something. Isn't trying to eat them, or slice them, or grab them. Or blow them to smithereens. Smash them through a building. Swallow them without leaving a trace.]
[...He can't do it. He can't look at that thing and see anything but a devil. Something that could wake up on the wrong side of the bed and start revving its saw and slice through their skin like it's made of warm butter. He flops back down onto his pillow with a sigh.]
Go to sleep... The memory'll last longer than a photo.
[That's the saying, right? Take a picture, it'll last... Oh. Well, whatever. His phone is plugged in somewhere above them on the floor, set to vibrate. He'll let Denji disentangle himself from the sheets if he wants it so bad, but fat chance he can without Power waking up.]
[ Yeah, no way is he going to be the one to get up; Power's teeth sleepily chews and yanks at the skin of his forearm, as they speak, a mumble of mm, ham rivers out down the corner of her mouth along with her yucky drool. She may have learned her lesson for the night, but no doubt another list of offenses will be added to her rap sheet within the week. However, that's a problem for another day, not this one.
So he stays put, his reach traveling upwards from Aki's shoulder, landing on the side of his pillow as he plays with his hair, a wavy lock curling and uncurling from his finger. ]
You sure about that?
[ And he doesn't care what Aki thinks, Pochita's the cutest devil in the history of devils. The little guy saved their lives that day; he's basically family for life now. ]
I feel like there's tons I don't remember sometimes. So it's good 'ta have a buncha stuff around that can jog your memory. Like gift shop souvenirs and rocks…
[ Raising his free hand up, index finger and thumb shaped into half a rectangle, he makes a clicking sound with his tongue, as if taking a picture of two bedfellows with an actual camera. Then, he changes the angle of his imaginary camera, pointing it toward the three of them, the way someone would to take a selfie. Another mouth click. ]
And pictures. I want a whole lot of pictures of you, Aki.
[ Eyes struggling to keep open, he takes in a breath that disappears inside a vacuuming yawn. ]
[Ahh, is that why they bring home rocks sometimes? But Aki is sure they don't remember where they get them from, they just sit on the countertop until Aki relocates them to a box or (if he's sneaky enough) outside.]
[But as Denji fades, Aki considers that while his own consciousness fades. They don't have a lot of photos of each other, do they...? A lot of the pictures they take are of things to show each other - not themselves. He wonders if there are things happening right now that he'll want to look back on in a year or if he'll prefer to let it fade. Denji with blood running down his arm beside that devil... Denji rushing head-first into that zombie... That devil hunter grabbing him by the arm as he stumbled on his feet. The look he gave him when he told him he was too weak to play soccer.]
[But there are good things, right? Surely there are good things. He tries to think of them, closes his eyes to imagine them, but he's asleep before he can remember even one.]
[It's only a day trip, but Denji and Power seem to think they need to pack the entire home. Aki manages to convince them out of this by suggesting they lay everything out first so he can weed through the frivolities (No, they don't need trash bags! And no microwavable rice, they won't have a microwave!) and remind them of what they do need (Sunscreen! A hat! No, they don't need trash bags! They're not bringing sand back with them!). Every time Power adds something to the bag of things they'll need for the train he has to remind her it's only an hour away, that she won't use it all, but she keeps arguing about what if she doesn't want to play with her gameboy the whole way and needs something else or what if she misses her fingertraps? The whole thing is kind of a nightmare and the night before the trip he's still secretly taking things out of their daybags while they're in the bath. They know Aki won't carry their stuff, and yet...]
[He's still tempted to restrict Power from getting an ekiben but he also knows she'll put up such an awful fight if he does and it's too early in the morning to deal with that. He gives them both a budget of 500 yen and reminds them to get something to drink and don't put their bags down, they can't leave them behind by mistake, and don't swing around so suddenly with them on or you'll hit the shelves, and by the time they're finally on the train Aki realizes he didn't buy anything for himself.]
[It's so early that, after scarfing her bento, Power falls asleep, snoring on Denji's shoulder the whole way. Reminded of his comment from a couple nights ago, Aki takes out his phone to take a photo and - he didn't charge it... It's only at 50 percent. Ugh. He shoves it back into his pocket and stares out the window.]
[Once they're finally on the platform in Otaru, the wind is chilly for the early morning when the sun is still behind clouds. Aki rubs his eyes and his stomach growls in discomfort. ...He really should have planned this better, damn it. He spent all his time worried about these two that he barely thought about himself and what he needed to do.]
Let's find a convenience store first... I'm hungry.
[ On the train, Denji scarcely spent a second looking away from the speeding landscape, running so fast, he could have sworn all those houses, fields, and electricity lines were leaving along with them, trying to beat them there to that glimmering seaside. Pochita had been content to sleep inside the backpack he'd left at their feet up until Denji lifted it into his lap, shoved his wiggly snout into the window plexiglass. He didn't want him to miss a thing. Didn't want anyone to, but with Power it couldn't be helped, since she'd spent the prior night adding a surplus of breast pads into the lining of her bikini top (to taunt Denji with at the beach, of course), so sleep had taken her early into the ride.
Primarily, he jabbered at Aki. Talked about everything from the clouds in the sky, to the lack of news about their missing classmate, to how he had a dream like this once. Seagulls in the distance, flying higher than he could ever possibly see. A bunch of islands holding hands so they weren't lonely. It was a trip with the three of them — and one other person, someone he couldn't discern the identity of, but who he ultimately guessed was a human Pochita with long braided hair. The real Pochita had made a snuffling noise, as if to disagree with the description, but Denji hadn't paid him any mind.
Walking behind Aki out into the platform, Denji almost doesn't hear him speaking with the big show he makes of breathing in the crisp Otaru perfume of fresh salt and seaweed. But then it fully hits him where their destination will be and his expression blooms with excitement in an instant. He'd finished his small bento of tori meshi within the first twenty minutes of their train's departure. Which means… it's snack time. ]
Convenience store, convenience store…! ~ ♫ I wanna go!
[ He starts to move toward the stairway, partially wobbling with his and Power's bags in tow. His gait could also be blamed on the fact that feeling was still slowly creeping back into his numb calves after sitting for so long. ]
C'mon, slowpokes, pick up the pace! Ahhh, I hope we see a giant man-eating shark at the konbini… Or, oh, oh, oh, a sperm whale!
[ The only time he's been close to sea-life are shopping trips to the fish market and during a field trip they had once to the aquarium as kids, so his enthusiasm is a given. But, still, maybe someone should go choke his reins before he gets himself into trouble. That, or misses a step down the stairs… ]
We're not going to see any kind of man-eating anything...
[Where the hell does Denji think they are, a movie set? This place feels more like the suburbs than anything, so there's no way they're going to see anything crazy. Recognizing Denji is a little overenthused and hyper, probably from sitting still for so long, he keeps a close eye on him and grabs him if need be, limits anything too sweet that he grabs in the convenience store. Once he has some food in his belly, swallowed up while standing under the awning of the store, he pulls out his phone and looks at the map carefully.]
Okay... If we go up this road, then take a left, we'll get to the beach area. And low tide should be in a few hours, so...
[He looks down at Denji's bags, frowning.]
Does he need to pee or anything...? He probably shouldn't do it at the beach.
[ Maybe not a movie set, not even a city, but he'd hope the port town may offer a different mood from the long stretches of multicolored fields and dated residences back home. And though the convenience stores are more or less the same as what's a few minutes out from their apartment, it does provide that, a form of that.
A fresh view. New air inlaying his lungs. Different people walking past him who don't know who they are, where they came from, where they're going — even just standing there, he can hear the wash of water tasting the shore, close enough he can nearly imagine the inside of his nose, the backs of his eyelids, the behinds of both his ears — wet with all of it. A world he's never had before.
That's why, despite seeing Aki's frown, his own breathless smile doesn't budge a bit. ]
Huh?
[ His brows perk. He looks down at the half-zipped backpack, a sharp indent visible where Pochita's chainsaw is clearly poking into the side compartment, making it bulge, but not cutting through the material. Gives it a little pat. ]
Oh, maybe… Should I take him back to station to go potty in the bathroom? Wait, no, this house's got their trash all outside. [ Denji points and then starts to walk off, pulling at his bag zipper, fully revealing the glint of the devil's head. ] C'mon out, Pochita. Time to take a pee!
[Denji looks so... happy. So excited. Joyful. It's not like he's never like this, smiling guilely at nothing or at something so small no one else would care. But right now, a little ball of warmth is forming in Aki's chest, relief that so far this is something he seems happy doing, and...]
[Wait - ] Not there! Ugh, come on - We'll find some grass.
[He grabs Denji's arm before he can get too far, tugging him onward and down the path toward the beach. Pochita is basically a dog, anyway, or shaped like one, so he can pee in the grass like other dogs.]
[Once the devil has done its business, Aki manages to navigate them north, following the roads and pointing out a sign warning people in which direction to go in case of a tsunami ("So we need to go in the opposite direction right now," he explains, like this is genius-level thinking) before finally, as they continue up the slope, they begin to see the sparkle of blue water on the horizon.]
There it is... [They're at a crosswalk, so he grabs both of their elbows in case they start running forward. Power looked like she was about to.] Let's find a spot to call home base first, then you can run around.
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[It's bad when they both get to the point of threatening the police on each other, but it's not often that Power claims Aki is the ultimate culprit. It's so uncommon because it never succeeds - especially not with the withering look he gives her, his eyes pinned on her as Power starts to instinctively shrink back to avoid a slap.]
You're the one who fed me this shit - And I bet it was you who came up with this! [Power immediately begins to insist that Denji put her up to this, but Aki knows that's not the case, because - ] Denji never wastes food! Look at this mess of a kitchen, you wasted a whole week's worth of groceries on this! [More sputtering about how she learned this recipe years ago and that they simply aren't trained enough to accept it.] You can't even make an omelet, let alone cook meat properly! Where did you even get this meat, I hadn't bought any ground beef recently at all...!
[After scoffing and telling him that she is occasionally offered sacrifices from the village and that this was one such offer, Aki goes from furious to confused to outright stumped. Someone from the building gave her spoiled meat? Did she take it from a trash can? Did Meowy or Pochita find it while outside? ...But he told them not to go outside today, and Denji was watching her, so surely she was inside. How the hell...]
[For now, he ignores her continued lecturing about the serfdom of the apartment complex they live in (she's the landlord apparently) and forces her into the kitchen to clean up or else she doesn't get any food at all. And when he unveils his purchases from the convenience store and Power realizes exactly what she might be missing out on... She deflates impressively, grumbling something under her breath about how his serf payments are being doubled this month. Aki ignores her and moves over to Denji, kneeling down next to him and setting a hand on his side.]
Where'd she get that meat from...? Did you guys go out today? [A bit of a warning tone in his voice as he asks that, even with the gentle hand on his side.]
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Not me. Or her, probably. [ He kept an eye on Power, of course, but he can't discount the possibility that she managed to creep outside his notice, what with all his excitement over the news today. It's unfortunate, but she can be quite the sneakster when she isn't loudly spinning her tales. ] She said — [ He winces at a cramp in his abdomen. ] Mnngh, somethin' about gettin' it from a lowly peddler and keeping it in her bag while we were out yesterday. So maybe she was tryin' to get revenge on us…? Ugh…
[ He's probably going to need to go to the bathroom eventually, but his stomach's still figuring out which bodily system it wants this strange invader to come out. But before that, there's something else pressing on him. ]
Didja really mean it? That Power won't be coming with us? She always goes where we go, y'know.
[ When it comes to big trips and transitions, that's always been the case. The three of them, together. Sure, he wants her arrested, but that doesn't mean he won't feel the teensiest bit bad if she gets left out of going to the beach. ]
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[Pochita starts nudging at Aki's hand and he very nearly swats the devil away, still uneasy around him. It would be one thing if he only acted like a dog, but the massive powertool sticking out of his head and the way he's seen it spin to life has him always a little unnerved by the thing. Especially when he's squeezing through Denji's arms.]
Revenge for... Ugh, she's such a brat... [He raises his eyes to glower at her across the room where she's dumping things into the trash while muttering curse spells under her breath. She better not get rid of any of their cookware...]
[But when Denji asks if he was serious, he looks down, brow pinching. Yes, he was, in the moment, but now he recognizes he was just angry. Which, obviously, but... Should he really make her stay home for their first non-grave visit trip in a year? He frowns and sits down on the floor, still mindlessly rubbing his hand over Denji's side.]
...I'll figure something out, but she still needs to be punished somehow. And you can't arrest your sibling for feeding you bad food. [So that idea is out. Keeping his voice low, he mutters,] Maybe I won't get her an ekiben. Or make her sleep in the hall tonight. It has to be something she'll remember.
[But when he says the bit about the hall, he looks up and around, realizing the windows and sliding door have been left open. No wonder it feels so cold in here. He frowns and adds, mostly to himself,] Guess I'll turn on the heater...
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[ The endless motion of Aki's hand actually does help to soothe his unsettled insides. His throat bobs as pockets of gas exit and pop in another series of burps, and that really feels nice as some of the discomfort in his stomach alleviates. ]
If we can't put her in real jail, what about fake jail? You know how psycho she is. It's gotta be by her made-up rules, or else she won't even see it as a punishment. So if Powy put a spell on our food, that makes her a witch. And what happens to bad witches?
[ He sneaks a look at Power, who appears to be tying the the opening of their trash into a knot, then pitches his voice down into a whisper. ]
They get burned at the stake!
[ Or at least that's what remembers happening in a western movie he watched once. ]
Basically, it's just playin' with her. But she'll treat it like it's the real deal, 'cause she's a weirdo.
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[Aki doesn't love playing along with her delusions, but unfortunately he knows Denji is right. If they don't play by her tune, she won't actually internalize anything he tries to teach her. And this is kind of a big deal. You can't feed people rotten meat.]
How do you suggest we burn her at the stake, then? [He's also keeping his voice low, leaning down to talk to him. Like this is some secret meeting.] Make her put her ankles up to the floor heater...? I don't want her to actually get burned. [She can't be arrested for feeding them bad food but Aki can probably be arrested for hurting her. Double standards.] Maybe we can hang her upside down for a few minutes.
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[ Denji's not one to get into character for the roles Power tends to arbitrarily assign him to. He's not an actor. Doesn't really know how to be anyone other than himself. But if it's to wreak justice on his mischievous little sister, then, sure, that's as worthy a cause as any. ]
I think if we tape a flashlight to Pochita and make him spin in a circle, that should look fire-like enough, right?
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[So they are burning her at the stake. This isn't really how he planned to spend his evening, but he also thought he'd be eating dinner right now.]
[Speaking of. Passing a look at Power (which she responds to with her own pout), Aki gets up to grab his bag and find the convenience store food he bought. He definitely doesn't trust her with that, and instead brings it back over to Denji, offering them out to let him pick what flavor of ramen he wants to eat.]
We can do it after she finishes cleaning up. I read something about how you're supposed to do something neutral after you punish someone, so she can eat dinner afterwards. [He read that in a book about problem children that he found maybe five years ago, but it probably works for Power.] I think if we tie up her ankles and I flip her over, you can grab the rope and pull it over the top of the door. [So long as Denji doesn't let go, this will work fine. No concussions.] ...And let's leave Pochita out of it, in case he does something weird.
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'kay.
[ The different flavors peel out of the bag as Denji sets each cup aside. Any of them would work usually, but he settles on one that has "original" printed on its packaging. Something boring that hopefully won't unsettle his stomach any further. ]
But I'll hafta find somethin' long and sturdy enough to wrap her up. You gotta keep her distracted until then. Remember: You gotta play her screwed up games to make it work. Didn'tcha act in a play that one time? Just pretend you're doin' that again.
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[Denji brings up Aki's time as an actor and the blood rushing to his face at the memory colors his cheeks bright red. He has half a mind to smack him for even bringing up that stupid class play. It had been a mortifying experience for him, up in front of so many people reciting lines as best as he could remember, speaking loudly enough so everyone could hear him, and when he went backstage the girl manning the curtains, unable to suppress her giggles and snorts, told him, "You seriously sound like you have no emotion out there!"]
[He had been so embarrassed as he did his next scene that he tripped over his lines and said butthole instead of burglary and the whole audience had chuckled lightly at the flub. Except for his classmate in the wings, smothering her face in the curtains to try and quiet her laughter.]
[Needless to say, he refused to act on stage again after that.]
...Just try and find some kind of rope in the storage bin. I'll bring out the trash with her.
[He gets up to do just that, approaching Power and offering to bring down the trash with her if she promises not to throw it at the bin this time. She hums over this and seems doubtful that not hurling the bag at the bin will actually succeed in dispersing her cursed spell, but Aki takes a note from Denji and tells him he's already done that. She actually accepts that (probably because she's afraid of getting yelled at again) and follows him outside with one of the trash bags in hand.]
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Hearing them leave, he hastily uncovers the storage bin from their closet. Some old yearbooks and photo albums from their time at the orphanage are what he immediately unearths, the books piling up to the side as he continues scavenging. No rope that he can find, however, there is leftover duct tape. He strips out a wide enough length of tape that he'll hopefully be able to quickly wind around Power's ankles… It should work the same way with the door, too, he thinks?
Shoving the bin back into the closet, Denji squeezes himself inside and sits there, heart thrumming. Waiting, waiting, until, finally, he catches the sound of their footsteps rattling up the stairs, the jiggle of the door as its pushed open. And that's when Denji pounces out, skidding on his knees to hug Power's legs closed as the tape weaves in and out between her ankles in an infinity loop. ]
Take that, you shitty witch! Light 'er up like a candle, Aki!
[ Power shrieks something about how the village head (Aki?) has betrayed her, and that this heresy will not be forgiven in their lifetime, before then launching into a gibberish spell incantation. Something about spiders laying eggs in their ears. Whatever, Denji mostly ignores her in favor of his own senseless spiel. ]
Bwahaha! Now, this is what I call revenge magic! It's way stronger than your food poisoning spells!
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[Duct tape isn't exactly what he was expecting when he came back, but it's passable - Aki nods as Power begins to flail, grabbing her around the center and locking her arms in place.]
Not this time - You're gonna repent for what you did.
[He tries to drag her toward the bedroom but with Denji right in front of them, Power ends up going down first and takes Aki with her. They both splatter to the floor with a heavy Oof! and Aki releases her, pushing himself up to make sure both of them are alright. But that gives her just enough wiggle room to try and run away, cursing them for thinking they could ever conquer her. Aki jumps forward and grabs her again and starts to tell her off more logistically, to watch her knees, but then he remembers Denji's words. Play along. It's the only way it's going to work.]
...We've got to hit her magical - uh, nerve endings. Denji! [And then he goes for her weak spots, tickling her stomach and sides as she shrieks and rolls, begging for mercy and trying to wriggle out of the way. The tape around her ankles makes that near impossible, at least, and even if this isn't a witch burning, hopefully it still works.]
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[ After the two had tumbled over like a house of cards, he'd shortly followed, attacking the soles of her feet. Power may writhe and twist in the thinning stitch of sun passing through their apartment, trying to cover her sides, but Denji knows what she can't hide. In-between her breathless wheezes about how underhanded their methods are, she can hardly stifle her laughter, good tears budding at her eyes. Even if this is technically punishment, she can't help but enjoy being at the center of everyone's attention. ]
Not baaad, witch, not bad at all. But you're as weak a baby kitty now — and if we can't burn ya, we're gonna string you up in front of the whole wide world!
[ …The whole wide world being Meowy, Pochita, and Power's stuffed animals.
Denji locks eyes with Aki, trying to signal that now's the time to carry their original plan through of putting her upside down from the door. Arms wrapped around her calves, he starts to lift Power up by her legs. She's heavy, and he can't really maintain his hold for long, but he's counting on Aki to help shoulder her weight. ]
Upsy-daisy!
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[The tickling seems to have worked in that she's only writhing to escape his fingers rather than Aki, wholly, so when Denji gives him the look, Aki nods in agreement. He grabs her under the legs and Aki goes for her torso, lifting her up off the ground as she yelps in surprise. He shoulders the majority of the weight as they make their way to the bedroom door and he calls out over her cries of indignation,] Toss it over! [and works to try and send her feet-up against the door. Hopefully the tape is strong enough to hold...? He's not really sure, so he ends up holding onto her sideways, clinging to her as her legs shake and she yowls.]
Now - You just gotta, uh - Repent.
[He's not good at thinking on the fly like this, especially when he's out of breath from carrying her. Even if she's smaller than him, she's still a wiggly teenager with bony, sharp limbs that fight him at every turn.]
...Apologize, and we'll consider - [Accepting it? No, stick with this weird magical medieval stuff. God, why does she insist on the medieval stuff?] - pardoning you. Of your crimes.
[Very convincing when he's out of breath, turning his head to see if Denji has secured the tape over the door.]
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You ready for this?!
[ What hold Denji has on Power drops completely as he swings himself behind the other side of the door, hops to drag the tape roll — which now looks quite starved from how much he's used on her — down with all his might.
"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuhhh?!?" Power shouts in surprise and displeasure. Her back smashes and bobs up against the door as Denji grasps the tape, part of it entwined around his wrist to maintain some leverage. The tape isn't actually long enough anymore for him to cling to without slamming a foot into the door, his other digging as far back into the ground as he can. ]
Repent, repent, repeeeent! If you're sorry enough, we won't call the — [ Wait, were there cops back then? ] Uh, the executioner guys, you know the ones! They round up criminals like you and chop their pinky fingers off when they're bad, right, Aki?
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[Chop their pinkies off...?! Are they yakuza now? Aki kind of grimaces when Denji looks at him for back-up, too concerned about all the other things he's said in the past about yakuza to remember it existed before that, too.]
[But the threat seems to work, regardless, and Power is groaning and crying as she's hung upside down - though Aki is still holding her around the waist, making sure Denji isn't really at all responsible for her weight. Her hair is going wild below her as she shakes her head in misery, begging, "Let me goooo, let me gooooo! I won't double cross you ever again!" And this isn't quite a case of double crossing, but Aki shakes her just a little bit.]
You have to say you're sorry, and mean it this time. Apologize to both of us - and to the farmers whose food you wasted, too.
[It's a hard ask for her. Her face is scrunched up in agony at both the physical and social position she's being put in, but after another shake of her body from Aki she finally clenches her eyes shut and declares, "I apologize! I apologize! I'll let you win this time! I'm sorry for accidental attempted assassination...!"]
[Aki nods, then nods to Denji to drop the tape. Then, expecting he'll just do that, he lets go of Power, allowing her to drop onto her head and down to the floor. Or Denji to slam into the door if he wasn't holding strong enough. Whichever or both.]
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A few seconds afterward, his ass topples to the ground and he sits there, nursing his sore arm, red marks spiraling from his elbow to his wrist. That definitely took off a chunk of his arm hair. But Power probably has it worst. Peeking around the door, he spots her already worming her way past Aki to the kitchen to find something sharp to cut through her restraints — but she pauses when she spots Pochita, stopping to think for only a split second, then grabbing his body at both sides and working his blade against the thick tape at her ankles. Denji's too tired to stop her, so he lets his back lean into the door frame as he watches on. ]
G'job with all that repent stuff. [ No matter where Aki is at the moment, his hand finds his nearest body part and pats it. ] That reallllly sold the whole show. I don't even know what that word means, but whenever I copied you, she got even madder!
[ He snickers low, then makes a face as he starts rubbing at his again churning stomach. ]
Mmmguuh, hurts. Gotta rip a fart again.
[ When did he fart the first time… Actually, don't ask. ]
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[Power drops down and Denji slams forward and Aki looks between them in a brief flinch of worry before they both let out groans that tell him they're fine, just sore. He watches Power crawl away and use Pochita for chopping off the tape ("Don't do... Ugh..." He gives up on telling her to stop), squatting to the floor beside Denji and taking the pat to his shoulder as he lowers down to sit on his knees. He didn't expect it to work, but... Somehow, Denji really does understand her better than he does. Sometimes he really needs that.]
[But also.] You don't know what repent means...? [And then he's talking about farting and Aki pushes at his shoulder.] Go fart in the bathroom or I'll make you repent, too. [He'll let him think it's some extremely terrible fate for now.]
[But before he can leave, he speaks quietly while watching Power relay what horrible things were just done to her to an audience of a cat and devil.] Thanks, Denji. I can't handle her without you. [He squeezes his shoulder gently, glancing at him sidelong.]
It's okay that you ruined that bag.
[No, he didn't forget about that.]
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What bag?
[ Hours after this conversation, he'll remember that he stuffed the remnants of the bag he castrated to fit Pochita into Aki's dirty laundry, but for now he's content to sponge up the praise — this time, without something deeply unfortunate to rain on his parade. Or into his mouth.
The rest of the night goes by: They have their instant ramen dinner, someone yells at Denji to fumigate the bathroom of his gasses, they sit in a line and dry each other's hair. Power lands in-between them tonight, head resting on the inside of Denji's arm, sleepily cooing a series of meows at Meowy, who purrs heavy atop her chest. But it isn't long until Power falls silent with sleep and the cat relocates to the foot of the bed. Pochita waddles toward her, nestling within the curl of her little body, his chainsaw angled away to avoid hitting her.
It's cute. He almost wants to get up to take a picture, or beg Aki to.
… ]
Aki, look.
[ With the arm that's still pillowing Power's head, he tugs at the shoulder of other boy's shirt. His head tips up, trying to direct Aki's attention to the animal and devil duo. ]
Quick. Take a pic and send it to me.
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[Today was exhausting. A full day of work, a day of news stories about dead classmates, a night of questionable food. Once everyone is clean and dry, Aki shuts the windows being used to fumigate and fiddles for a bit with the heater. It takes him a bit to remember how to get it to turn on correctly, but there's the delightful click of the power connecting and after a few moments, warm air slowly dissipates from the circular contraption. He drags it into the bedroom and sets it just far enough away from their bedding so it isn't a fire hazard, relieved that, even if the day was tiring, it's at least going to end warm.]
[So he's half asleep when Denji nudges him awake, startling a little and blinking in the dimmed light. He turns over to sit up and look at the pair, sleeping soundly already, the warm air blowing over them. It is cute. It's good to see a devil that isn't trying to destroy something. Isn't trying to eat them, or slice them, or grab them. Or blow them to smithereens. Smash them through a building. Swallow them without leaving a trace.]
[...He can't do it. He can't look at that thing and see anything but a devil. Something that could wake up on the wrong side of the bed and start revving its saw and slice through their skin like it's made of warm butter. He flops back down onto his pillow with a sigh.]
Go to sleep... The memory'll last longer than a photo.
[That's the saying, right? Take a picture, it'll last... Oh. Well, whatever. His phone is plugged in somewhere above them on the floor, set to vibrate. He'll let Denji disentangle himself from the sheets if he wants it so bad, but fat chance he can without Power waking up.]
Just a devil, in the end... Can only be so cute.
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So he stays put, his reach traveling upwards from Aki's shoulder, landing on the side of his pillow as he plays with his hair, a wavy lock curling and uncurling from his finger. ]
You sure about that?
[ And he doesn't care what Aki thinks, Pochita's the cutest devil in the history of devils. The little guy saved their lives that day; he's basically family for life now. ]
I feel like there's tons I don't remember sometimes. So it's good 'ta have a buncha stuff around that can jog your memory. Like gift shop souvenirs and rocks…
[ Raising his free hand up, index finger and thumb shaped into half a rectangle, he makes a clicking sound with his tongue, as if taking a picture of two bedfellows with an actual camera. Then, he changes the angle of his imaginary camera, pointing it toward the three of them, the way someone would to take a selfie. Another mouth click. ]
And pictures. I want a whole lot of pictures of you, Aki.
[ Eyes struggling to keep open, he takes in a breath that disappears inside a vacuuming yawn. ]
…'kay, I'll sleep. Night-night…
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[Ahh, is that why they bring home rocks sometimes? But Aki is sure they don't remember where they get them from, they just sit on the countertop until Aki relocates them to a box or (if he's sneaky enough) outside.]
[But as Denji fades, Aki considers that while his own consciousness fades. They don't have a lot of photos of each other, do they...? A lot of the pictures they take are of things to show each other - not themselves. He wonders if there are things happening right now that he'll want to look back on in a year or if he'll prefer to let it fade. Denji with blood running down his arm beside that devil... Denji rushing head-first into that zombie... That devil hunter grabbing him by the arm as he stumbled on his feet. The look he gave him when he told him he was too weak to play soccer.]
[But there are good things, right? Surely there are good things. He tries to think of them, closes his eyes to imagine them, but he's asleep before he can remember even one.]
[It's only a day trip, but Denji and Power seem to think they need to pack the entire home. Aki manages to convince them out of this by suggesting they lay everything out first so he can weed through the frivolities (No, they don't need trash bags! And no microwavable rice, they won't have a microwave!) and remind them of what they do need (Sunscreen! A hat! No, they don't need trash bags! They're not bringing sand back with them!). Every time Power adds something to the bag of things they'll need for the train he has to remind her it's only an hour away, that she won't use it all, but she keeps arguing about what if she doesn't want to play with her gameboy the whole way and needs something else or what if she misses her fingertraps? The whole thing is kind of a nightmare and the night before the trip he's still secretly taking things out of their daybags while they're in the bath. They know Aki won't carry their stuff, and yet...]
[He's still tempted to restrict Power from getting an ekiben but he also knows she'll put up such an awful fight if he does and it's too early in the morning to deal with that. He gives them both a budget of 500 yen and reminds them to get something to drink and don't put their bags down, they can't leave them behind by mistake, and don't swing around so suddenly with them on or you'll hit the shelves, and by the time they're finally on the train Aki realizes he didn't buy anything for himself.]
[It's so early that, after scarfing her bento, Power falls asleep, snoring on Denji's shoulder the whole way. Reminded of his comment from a couple nights ago, Aki takes out his phone to take a photo and - he didn't charge it... It's only at 50 percent. Ugh. He shoves it back into his pocket and stares out the window.]
[Once they're finally on the platform in Otaru, the wind is chilly for the early morning when the sun is still behind clouds. Aki rubs his eyes and his stomach growls in discomfort. ...He really should have planned this better, damn it. He spent all his time worried about these two that he barely thought about himself and what he needed to do.]
Let's find a convenience store first... I'm hungry.
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Primarily, he jabbered at Aki. Talked about everything from the clouds in the sky, to the lack of news about their missing classmate, to how he had a dream like this once. Seagulls in the distance, flying higher than he could ever possibly see. A bunch of islands holding hands so they weren't lonely. It was a trip with the three of them — and one other person, someone he couldn't discern the identity of, but who he ultimately guessed was a human Pochita with long braided hair. The real Pochita had made a snuffling noise, as if to disagree with the description, but Denji hadn't paid him any mind.
Walking behind Aki out into the platform, Denji almost doesn't hear him speaking with the big show he makes of breathing in the crisp Otaru perfume of fresh salt and seaweed. But then it fully hits him where their destination will be and his expression blooms with excitement in an instant. He'd finished his small bento of tori meshi within the first twenty minutes of their train's departure. Which means… it's snack time. ]
Convenience store, convenience store…! ~ ♫ I wanna go!
[ He starts to move toward the stairway, partially wobbling with his and Power's bags in tow. His gait could also be blamed on the fact that feeling was still slowly creeping back into his numb calves after sitting for so long. ]
C'mon, slowpokes, pick up the pace! Ahhh, I hope we see a giant man-eating shark at the konbini… Or, oh, oh, oh, a sperm whale!
[ The only time he's been close to sea-life are shopping trips to the fish market and during a field trip they had once to the aquarium as kids, so his enthusiasm is a given. But, still, maybe someone should go choke his reins before he gets himself into trouble. That, or misses a step down the stairs… ]
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We're not going to see any kind of man-eating anything...
[Where the hell does Denji think they are, a movie set? This place feels more like the suburbs than anything, so there's no way they're going to see anything crazy. Recognizing Denji is a little overenthused and hyper, probably from sitting still for so long, he keeps a close eye on him and grabs him if need be, limits anything too sweet that he grabs in the convenience store. Once he has some food in his belly, swallowed up while standing under the awning of the store, he pulls out his phone and looks at the map carefully.]
Okay... If we go up this road, then take a left, we'll get to the beach area. And low tide should be in a few hours, so...
[He looks down at Denji's bags, frowning.]
Does he need to pee or anything...? He probably shouldn't do it at the beach.
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A fresh view. New air inlaying his lungs. Different people walking past him who don't know who they are, where they came from, where they're going — even just standing there, he can hear the wash of water tasting the shore, close enough he can nearly imagine the inside of his nose, the backs of his eyelids, the behinds of both his ears — wet with all of it. A world he's never had before.
That's why, despite seeing Aki's frown, his own breathless smile doesn't budge a bit. ]
Huh?
[ His brows perk. He looks down at the half-zipped backpack, a sharp indent visible where Pochita's chainsaw is clearly poking into the side compartment, making it bulge, but not cutting through the material. Gives it a little pat. ]
Oh, maybe… Should I take him back to station to go potty in the bathroom? Wait, no, this house's got their trash all outside. [ Denji points and then starts to walk off, pulling at his bag zipper, fully revealing the glint of the devil's head. ] C'mon out, Pochita. Time to take a pee!
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[Denji looks so... happy. So excited. Joyful. It's not like he's never like this, smiling guilely at nothing or at something so small no one else would care. But right now, a little ball of warmth is forming in Aki's chest, relief that so far this is something he seems happy doing, and...]
[Wait - ] Not there! Ugh, come on - We'll find some grass.
[He grabs Denji's arm before he can get too far, tugging him onward and down the path toward the beach. Pochita is basically a dog, anyway, or shaped like one, so he can pee in the grass like other dogs.]
[Once the devil has done its business, Aki manages to navigate them north, following the roads and pointing out a sign warning people in which direction to go in case of a tsunami ("So we need to go in the opposite direction right now," he explains, like this is genius-level thinking) before finally, as they continue up the slope, they begin to see the sparkle of blue water on the horizon.]
There it is... [They're at a crosswalk, so he grabs both of their elbows in case they start running forward. Power looked like she was about to.] Let's find a spot to call home base first, then you can run around.
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