[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.
[ Pochita's comfortably zipped back in after the tinkle interlude, bouncing away with various snacks and trinkets, his wired earbuds definitely tangled around the devil's saw like Christmas tinsel. If it weren't for the beach towel wadded inside, it'd probably be a less enjoyable ride, especially as Denji and Power both leap to make a mad dash across the street for the footprint-streaked sand dunes, only for their shoulders to crash together as Aki yanks them backward. ]
Heeey! [ His whine lilts out just as a leisurely moving minivan beeps by. ] Ah. [ Alright, then. After some seconds, the crossing signal flips to green, and they're back in action. He and his sister instantly tear away from Aki's grip, rushing forward like dogs cutting loose from their leash for the very first time. ] First one there's gotta eat a rotten egg!
[ Denji doesn't think twice about the correctness of what he's saying, doesn't even quite register that it's whoever's in first place that's getting the supposed punishment, still running with all his meager strength to get there and find a free spot. The area's speckled with different families, tourists, and young people — it's no wonder, seeing as the weather's not too overbearing between seasons. There's a gentle breeze, but nothing forceful enough to blow away anyone's chairs and umbrellas, to make Power's overgrown bangs whip in her face as she overtake his lead, of course, and sticks the landing somewhere in front of the changing room entrance, arms raised far above her head as if she were an Olympic gymnast. Eventually, he catches up with her, steadying himself with a grasp of her shoulder and breathing hard, perhaps worryingly, but he scoffs at the curious look she gives him, shoves her, then starts to walk off on his own, in spite of the tight punches of air escaping and hitting his lungs in tandem.
Power considers reaching out to him and giving Denji her own shove, but pauses, before sidling up and clapping one of her hands into his. The suddenness spooks Denji, but before he can slap her away, her hand squeezes down to keep him tethered and she swings both of their arms as she leads him forward. Waving a hand at Aki, wherever he is behind them, she points and yells out to him to meet them at a clearing ahead, near a pack of what looks like a pack of college kids.
His head swivels all around on the way there, marveling at each and every mundane sight. This much doesn't even scrape the surface of the sea's bounty, but even so…
The two of them lay their bags down, Power dragging out a pair of inflatables that she starts to puff into. Denji, in the meanwhile, glances up from the towel he's flattening out against the sand. Glances back down. He seems to have managed to catch his breath by now. ]
[But it doesn't matter. Before he can get a full sentence out correcting Denji's memory of the phrase, both of them are racing off toward the beach. Aki continues at a walk, coming up over the hill just as Denji shoves at Power, and then Power snatches his hand and drags him toward the clearing. He waves his hand to indicate he heard them, taking his own time to get to them, letting his gaze instead wander to the ocean. How long has it really been, since they did anything like this?]
[Dropping his bag next to Denji's, he only picks up on it because he missed his earlier heaving - the slight strain to his voice. Immediately his eyes jump to him, suspicious, worried... But he looks okay. Sounds mostly okay. He's okay, right? That brief run didn't mess with his lungs, right? Aki squats down as he flattens his towel out, sitting down on it before grabbing his bag and pulling out a bottle of sunscreen, offered out to both of them for whoever grabs it first.]
Here.
[First and foremost. Then he grabs a bottle of water and offers that out to Denji when Power ends up snagging the sunscreen first, declaring its properties to protect her vampiric skin from the wretched sun (she forgot about her vampire thing for a little bit, Aki muses). It's a casual offer. No outright worry in the stare he gives him, but it's not random that he's giving it to him, either.]
Go ahead - You can let him out. [Pochita, that is. It should be okay here, he thinks.]
[ He starts to question, but stops short as he considers the offering, mouth lightly pursing. So he noticed…?
To his credit, he receives the lukewarm bottle without so much as a word of complaint, a quiet thanks sliding out beneath his breath. The lid opens in a solid twist, his throat bobbing rapidly as he swigs down at least half of the contents. Yeah, that hit the spot, his lungs feel considerably less squeaky. When he's done, he doesn't immediately put the bottle away, instead opening up Pochita's bag and pouring him a few servings of water into the lid that he holds out to the devil to lap at. But he seems more intrigued by their change in scenery than anything else, shaking off the cloth of the bag to sniff at the sand bordering their towel.
Chuckling, he ruffles the underside of his devil's belly. ]
Guess he's never been to a place like this before, either.
[ Nobody nearby seems to notice Pochita's presence as Denji continues trying to coax him to drink, something the devil's attention doesn't avail him to until he's satisfied with his investigation. Somehow, impossibly, within that same amount of time, Power's applied her sunscreen, finished inflating her floatie, and returned from the changing rooms wearing her one-piece swimsuit. When Denji looks up, he nearly falls over trying to catch the bottle of sunscreen she tosses in his direction. ]
Eh, you're going out already? I thought you said you'd wait for me!
[ "No such promises were made! And, besides, do you not hear that, Denji?" With flourish, she faces outward, a hand gesturing toward the sea — but not at it. Rather, she seems to be directing their attention to the speeding flash of yellow streaking across the waters. A banana boat. There are obviously people currently on it. "It's the sound of my ocean mount calling for me!" ]
Are you stupid? That's just the engine or whatever —
[ "It's calling!" ]
It's not calling —
[ But she's already making a run for it. Denji watches her splash into the water with a frown, then turns back to his more adjusted sibling. He raises the sunscreen bottle. ]
Help me put this on my back? I always miss a spot when we go to the pool…
[Aki settles back and watches the waves as Denji lets the devil drink, trying not to focus on it. There's a vague worry that someone might come over and question the presence of the devil, but so far everyone seems more concerned with themselves, enjoying the nice weather before it turns too cold to go outside without multiple layers. He stretches his arms over his head as Power makes her appearance, declares her intentions, and begins running off, leaving Aki with only the option of calling after her to remind her -] Don't go out too far!
[...Which, she probably won't, given how cat-like she is. She's never been a huge water person, never enjoyed pool time as much as she enjoyed splashing people and riding on floats. Denji is more of a swimmer and more someone he needs to remind not to get too far away from the shore. Accepting the sunscreen, he moves slightly to get closer and squeezes some out on his palm.]
Be careful when you go out there. The tide can be stronger than you realize. [He lectures that as he rubs the lotion into his back, spreading it in long strokes over his skin and curling near his shoulders and down to his hips to make sure he hits ever spot. His neck comes next and he pushes the back of his hair up to smooth it right up to his hairline.]
[His eyes flit to Pochita, where he stands with his butt in the air sniffing at the sand again... Can he swim? He's told Denji not to put him in the tub but who can say if he actually listens to that kind of thing.]
Are you bringing him out there? [Someone has to remain back here with their things and Aki is content to let it be him for now.] Be careful. He doesn't have very strong legs. Stay where it's shallow, if you're going to bring him.
[He motions for him to turn around so he can get his face, too.] Or just leave him with me. I'll watch him.
[ Denji's always been tanner than either of his siblings, so it's rare for him to truly burn under the glaze of the sun during this time of year, but Aki's always insisted its necessary to wear whenever they go out, something about their health and being a good habit to take up in their sure to be long lives. Much of the things he insists they do, particularly that Denji does, boils down to that.
Naturally, the watery cast of the sunscreen runs cold across his skin. But it's the kind that's refreshing and tingly, the sensation helped along by how thorough Aki is in rubbing into the notches of his back, that hard to reach place between his shoulder blades. He doesn't realize his shirt's only halfway off, caught between his forearms, as he hums in half-attention to whatever cautionary advice he's giving him this time.
Yeah, yeah, he wants to say. Tides, strong. Denji, weak. He gets it.
At some point, he'd sneaked a sigh and briefly let his eyelids drift closed, but with Aki's inquiring, he looks Pochita's way. So maybe he's been sticking him in tub every so often in preparation for this very moment, but just as Aki said, his legs aren't suited to the terrain. It's cute seeing him struggle in a controlled environment, but he'd feel pretty bad tossing the devil into the deep sea and watching him take in water like a sinking ship. ]
You're not going in?
[ Setting his shirt aside, he turns slightly, drawing his crossed legs up in the movement. ]
I'll stay back for a bit too. [ He's dreamed a lot about going somewhere so clear and vast. Playing beach volleyball. Hitting on older chicks with low-cut bikini tops. Jumping into the water fast and hard enough to splash everyone within a 100-meter radius. Now that he's here, though…
It's strange. He's still excited, but he isn't in a rush anymore. ]
Guess you've been to places like this before. [ With his family. The real one. That's what he can only assume by how easy Aki's taking it, compared to them two. ] Umm, do all beaches look the same after a while…?
[It definitely seems like he's calmed down a bit. Squeezing some lotion onto his fingers, he waits for Denji to settle before dabbing it in dots across his face before scooping his hair back with one hand to rub it into his skin with the other.]
What, the beach? [And his next question confirms that's what he means.] It's been a little while... I think I went when I was a baby, and then when I was a little older, I think... But most beaches don't look the same. [From his very limited experience, but he says that like it's fact.] Like how streets don't all look the same, even though they're made of the same stuff.
[Sitting back at last, Aki seems satisfied with Denji's coverage so he begins to rub some lotion on his face as well. The beach seems pretty safe... Probably no one is going to come by and yoink their day bags, but it still feels unsettling to ditch it all. So he'll wait a bit. Make sure Denji and Power have their fun.]
I'll go out in a bit, you should go have fun. Wasn't this whole thing your idea? [That's how he remembers it. With oily fingers, he prods at Denji's cheek.] I'm not going to be lonely.
[ Denji makes a faint sound in surprise as Aki expands to rubbing lotion into his face, eyes shuttering with a mild jerk. I can do this part myself, is what's clearly proclaimed by the puff of his cheeks, without doing anything about the hands massaging into them. Still, it's reassuring to hear that they can go again and again to places like these, and no will get tired, and everything will be the same, and Aki won't go looking to experience this stuff with anyone else, and… ]
Ueh…!
[ He furiously smears the back of his knuckles against the side of his face, churlish, as if Aki'd just streaked mud across it. ]
Dream on! Like I'd care if you were lonely! I just… [ His brow furrows, straining for a different justification for why he's hanging back. ] It's not fun being the only one who's bored. We're all supposed to have fun. That's the deal we made. It's your last year being in school with us, so…
[ His words drift off, a blank he only fills with a quiet sigh. His gaze falls, lands on a trail of three parallel lines he'd combed into the soft ground at some point during the conversation. Always three, always together. ]
[ …He's being clingy, isn't he? He wipes his palm over the little pattern, returning the three to the rest of the grains. Then, seeming to give up on convincing Aki to join them right away, he shoves himself up from their towel. But not without turning and reaching a closed fist over to his brother's head, looking like he may tousle his hair with it, give him a noogie or something — except that neither of those things happen. Instead, the fist opens and out comes a gush of sand piling atop his crown, washing past the blues of his eyes. ]
Fine, have it your way. Just make sure nobody dog-naps Pochita, y'know, since he's such a rare breed 'n' all.
[ And then, because he never learns, Denji runs ahead. ]
[I won't be bored, he wants to insist. Why is Denji worrying about him? He'll just be relaxing on the beach, watching the waves. He doesn't think something like that is fun? ...Maybe "fun" isn't the right word, but still. There's a reason people like to watch the ocean. It's relaxing. And when's the last time he's really relaxed?]
[But he gets up, at last, and Aki thinks maybe he's realized he's being a little clingy right now - until he dumps sand on his head and, nope, he's just being a brat. Aki swipes his fingers through his hair, trying to shake the grains out, as Denji runs off to the waves. He nearly calls out to him, reminds him not to run... but manages to stop himself. This is about having fun. Yelling after Denji to not give himself a heart attack or another episode of some kind is likely to make him miserable.]
[See, he's learning a little bit. Leaning back and glancing down at the devil on his beach towel, he settles back and crosses his legs.]
...Rare breed, huh.
[Pochita looks at him briefly, as if unsure if he's talking to him, before turning his attention back to the water. At least he's not trying to run after Denji. He watches the two of them on the water, Power with her lithe but strong body surfing the waves on someone else's banana boat, commandeering the vessel and parading it like a pirate captain, and Denji as her lowly lieutenant, still close enough to shore that Aki doesn't feel too anxious by the sight. He watches them roughhouse on the water, even huffs a laugh a few times.]
[It's not that he's still thinking of what Denji said, a few days ago. But when he does turn his head to the shore and sees the mothers and fathers sitting on their beach towels, doing the same as him, watching their kids play in the water... It feels weird. It never doesn't feel weird. There are a few friends, he notes. A few younger people. Siblings, maybe, tanning or enjoying the warmth of the sun before it becomes too cold to bask in. But they're not watching the water like he is, like the adults are.]
[Is he an adult, now? By virtue of no one else being one? He smells cigarette smoke nearby and crinkles his nose, pulling his knees up. At least he's not an adult who smokes.]
[He could fall asleep like this. Half shaded, half sunned, watching the water lap at the shore with the devil dog slowly wagging his corded tail while doing the same. But he won't. He'll keep his eyes on the two of them, ready to jump up at any sign of danger. He doesn't have to be a mom for that to be his role.]
[But he is still thinking about that comment, in the end.]
[His target is Power, diving under the water before either of them can spot him coming toward the shore. There's enough other kids that it's easy enough to blend in, shirt stripped left with the devil dog, and so he can easily sneak up behind her and snatch her by the arm and leg, shocking her into releasing her grip on her steed and pulling her down into the depths. She yowls like a cat when he lets her go and insists the water is acidic to her but it creates a scramble for someone else to take a seat where she's been hogging.]
[ Waves seethe in toward the shore in long, foamy ridges, sweeping between his legs as he ventures farther out. It's not really that far by any normal person's standards; when the next wave runs his way, the water only crashes as high as his bony hips. The pull-back isn't so bad, either, aside from how it drags his trunks down, but he quickly rights his bottoms, yanking them up by the drawstrings to keep from flashing his ass to the world. No one saw that, right?
…Yeah, that aside, nothing's tugging him out to sea, nor seriously testing his footing — so he's good. Really good.
He can stand on his own.
The next moment, unable to stop himself, he's buoyant. Giggling and splashing around in the waters all on his own, doing a little hop as larger wave charges him. That way he can really feel his toes floating, his gravity stalled just for a second. The sound of his laughter, like it's being punched out of him with how light his chest is. Unweighed by anything that may come after this. Denji spins on his heel, about to wave Aki over, ask if he saw how big that wave was, if he noticed how he withstood it, easy — just as Power plows her boat at full speed into his back, dunking him face-first into seawater. ]
Wah! — ghrgglegle…
[ Power's practically seizing with cackles, fist twisted at the crown of his head, even as her float bounces against the waves. He can't really hear (or breathe) very well underwater, but in his struggle for air, he catches something ludicrous about culling all tax evaders from her righteous and all-powerful dominion. But who knows and who gives a shit. He hates her stupid boat. He's in a bad position to try to fight back, try to flip her over, his efforts going nowhere until he hears her yelp from above him.
No longer anchored down, Denji clings to the side of the banana, gasping, coughing up seaweed, scrambling to heave a leg over and collapse on top. The tow on the boat looks like it'd been forcefully shredded, making it no better than an overgrown floatie. How she managed to control it to get to Denji is beyond him. Probably, he's better off not knowing.
The girl in question continues flailing against Aki (since when did he get here??), desperately trying to climb on top of him to use as a ledge to jump off from and back onto her boat. ]
Nuh-uh, not happenin'! Ditch her and hop on, dude!
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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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Heeey! [ His whine lilts out just as a leisurely moving minivan beeps by. ] Ah. [ Alright, then. After some seconds, the crossing signal flips to green, and they're back in action. He and his sister instantly tear away from Aki's grip, rushing forward like dogs cutting loose from their leash for the very first time. ] First one there's gotta eat a rotten egg!
[ Denji doesn't think twice about the correctness of what he's saying, doesn't even quite register that it's whoever's in first place that's getting the supposed punishment, still running with all his meager strength to get there and find a free spot. The area's speckled with different families, tourists, and young people — it's no wonder, seeing as the weather's not too overbearing between seasons. There's a gentle breeze, but nothing forceful enough to blow away anyone's chairs and umbrellas, to make Power's overgrown bangs whip in her face as she overtake his lead, of course, and sticks the landing somewhere in front of the changing room entrance, arms raised far above her head as if she were an Olympic gymnast. Eventually, he catches up with her, steadying himself with a grasp of her shoulder and breathing hard, perhaps worryingly, but he scoffs at the curious look she gives him, shoves her, then starts to walk off on his own, in spite of the tight punches of air escaping and hitting his lungs in tandem.
Power considers reaching out to him and giving Denji her own shove, but pauses, before sidling up and clapping one of her hands into his. The suddenness spooks Denji, but before he can slap her away, her hand squeezes down to keep him tethered and she swings both of their arms as she leads him forward. Waving a hand at Aki, wherever he is behind them, she points and yells out to him to meet them at a clearing ahead, near a pack of what looks like a pack of college kids.
His head swivels all around on the way there, marveling at each and every mundane sight. This much doesn't even scrape the surface of the sea's bounty, but even so…
The two of them lay their bags down, Power dragging out a pair of inflatables that she starts to puff into. Denji, in the meanwhile, glances up from the towel he's flattening out against the sand. Glances back down. He seems to have managed to catch his breath by now. ]
Took you long 'nuff.
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It's -
[But it doesn't matter. Before he can get a full sentence out correcting Denji's memory of the phrase, both of them are racing off toward the beach. Aki continues at a walk, coming up over the hill just as Denji shoves at Power, and then Power snatches his hand and drags him toward the clearing. He waves his hand to indicate he heard them, taking his own time to get to them, letting his gaze instead wander to the ocean. How long has it really been, since they did anything like this?]
[Dropping his bag next to Denji's, he only picks up on it because he missed his earlier heaving - the slight strain to his voice. Immediately his eyes jump to him, suspicious, worried... But he looks okay. Sounds mostly okay. He's okay, right? That brief run didn't mess with his lungs, right? Aki squats down as he flattens his towel out, sitting down on it before grabbing his bag and pulling out a bottle of sunscreen, offered out to both of them for whoever grabs it first.]
Here.
[First and foremost. Then he grabs a bottle of water and offers that out to Denji when Power ends up snagging the sunscreen first, declaring its properties to protect her vampiric skin from the wretched sun (she forgot about her vampire thing for a little bit, Aki muses). It's a casual offer. No outright worry in the stare he gives him, but it's not random that he's giving it to him, either.]
Go ahead - You can let him out. [Pochita, that is. It should be okay here, he thinks.]
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[ He starts to question, but stops short as he considers the offering, mouth lightly pursing. So he noticed…?
To his credit, he receives the lukewarm bottle without so much as a word of complaint, a quiet thanks sliding out beneath his breath. The lid opens in a solid twist, his throat bobbing rapidly as he swigs down at least half of the contents. Yeah, that hit the spot, his lungs feel considerably less squeaky. When he's done, he doesn't immediately put the bottle away, instead opening up Pochita's bag and pouring him a few servings of water into the lid that he holds out to the devil to lap at. But he seems more intrigued by their change in scenery than anything else, shaking off the cloth of the bag to sniff at the sand bordering their towel.
Chuckling, he ruffles the underside of his devil's belly. ]
Guess he's never been to a place like this before, either.
[ Nobody nearby seems to notice Pochita's presence as Denji continues trying to coax him to drink, something the devil's attention doesn't avail him to until he's satisfied with his investigation. Somehow, impossibly, within that same amount of time, Power's applied her sunscreen, finished inflating her floatie, and returned from the changing rooms wearing her one-piece swimsuit. When Denji looks up, he nearly falls over trying to catch the bottle of sunscreen she tosses in his direction. ]
Eh, you're going out already? I thought you said you'd wait for me!
[ "No such promises were made! And, besides, do you not hear that, Denji?" With flourish, she faces outward, a hand gesturing toward the sea — but not at it. Rather, she seems to be directing their attention to the speeding flash of yellow streaking across the waters. A banana boat. There are obviously people currently on it. "It's the sound of my ocean mount calling for me!" ]
Are you stupid? That's just the engine or whatever —
[ "It's calling!" ]
It's not calling —
[ But she's already making a run for it. Denji watches her splash into the water with a frown, then turns back to his more adjusted sibling. He raises the sunscreen bottle. ]
Help me put this on my back? I always miss a spot when we go to the pool…
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[Aki settles back and watches the waves as Denji lets the devil drink, trying not to focus on it. There's a vague worry that someone might come over and question the presence of the devil, but so far everyone seems more concerned with themselves, enjoying the nice weather before it turns too cold to go outside without multiple layers. He stretches his arms over his head as Power makes her appearance, declares her intentions, and begins running off, leaving Aki with only the option of calling after her to remind her -] Don't go out too far!
[...Which, she probably won't, given how cat-like she is. She's never been a huge water person, never enjoyed pool time as much as she enjoyed splashing people and riding on floats. Denji is more of a swimmer and more someone he needs to remind not to get too far away from the shore. Accepting the sunscreen, he moves slightly to get closer and squeezes some out on his palm.]
Be careful when you go out there. The tide can be stronger than you realize. [He lectures that as he rubs the lotion into his back, spreading it in long strokes over his skin and curling near his shoulders and down to his hips to make sure he hits ever spot. His neck comes next and he pushes the back of his hair up to smooth it right up to his hairline.]
[His eyes flit to Pochita, where he stands with his butt in the air sniffing at the sand again... Can he swim? He's told Denji not to put him in the tub but who can say if he actually listens to that kind of thing.]
Are you bringing him out there? [Someone has to remain back here with their things and Aki is content to let it be him for now.] Be careful. He doesn't have very strong legs. Stay where it's shallow, if you're going to bring him.
[He motions for him to turn around so he can get his face, too.] Or just leave him with me. I'll watch him.
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Naturally, the watery cast of the sunscreen runs cold across his skin. But it's the kind that's refreshing and tingly, the sensation helped along by how thorough Aki is in rubbing into the notches of his back, that hard to reach place between his shoulder blades. He doesn't realize his shirt's only halfway off, caught between his forearms, as he hums in half-attention to whatever cautionary advice he's giving him this time.
Yeah, yeah, he wants to say. Tides, strong. Denji, weak. He gets it.
At some point, he'd sneaked a sigh and briefly let his eyelids drift closed, but with Aki's inquiring, he looks Pochita's way. So maybe he's been sticking him in tub every so often in preparation for this very moment, but just as Aki said, his legs aren't suited to the terrain. It's cute seeing him struggle in a controlled environment, but he'd feel pretty bad tossing the devil into the deep sea and watching him take in water like a sinking ship. ]
You're not going in?
[ Setting his shirt aside, he turns slightly, drawing his crossed legs up in the movement. ]
I'll stay back for a bit too. [ He's dreamed a lot about going somewhere so clear and vast. Playing beach volleyball. Hitting on older chicks with low-cut bikini tops. Jumping into the water fast and hard enough to splash everyone within a 100-meter radius. Now that he's here, though…
It's strange. He's still excited, but he isn't in a rush anymore. ]
Guess you've been to places like this before. [ With his family. The real one. That's what he can only assume by how easy Aki's taking it, compared to them two. ] Umm, do all beaches look the same after a while…?
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[It definitely seems like he's calmed down a bit. Squeezing some lotion onto his fingers, he waits for Denji to settle before dabbing it in dots across his face before scooping his hair back with one hand to rub it into his skin with the other.]
What, the beach? [And his next question confirms that's what he means.] It's been a little while... I think I went when I was a baby, and then when I was a little older, I think... But most beaches don't look the same. [From his very limited experience, but he says that like it's fact.] Like how streets don't all look the same, even though they're made of the same stuff.
[Sitting back at last, Aki seems satisfied with Denji's coverage so he begins to rub some lotion on his face as well. The beach seems pretty safe... Probably no one is going to come by and yoink their day bags, but it still feels unsettling to ditch it all. So he'll wait a bit. Make sure Denji and Power have their fun.]
I'll go out in a bit, you should go have fun. Wasn't this whole thing your idea? [That's how he remembers it. With oily fingers, he prods at Denji's cheek.] I'm not going to be lonely.
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Ueh…!
[ He furiously smears the back of his knuckles against the side of his face, churlish, as if Aki'd just streaked mud across it. ]
Dream on! Like I'd care if you were lonely! I just… [ His brow furrows, straining for a different justification for why he's hanging back. ] It's not fun being the only one who's bored. We're all supposed to have fun. That's the deal we made. It's your last year being in school with us, so…
[ His words drift off, a blank he only fills with a quiet sigh. His gaze falls, lands on a trail of three parallel lines he'd combed into the soft ground at some point during the conversation. Always three, always together. ]
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Fine, have it your way. Just make sure nobody dog-naps Pochita, y'know, since he's such a rare breed 'n' all.
[ And then, because he never learns, Denji runs ahead. ]
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[I won't be bored, he wants to insist. Why is Denji worrying about him? He'll just be relaxing on the beach, watching the waves. He doesn't think something like that is fun? ...Maybe "fun" isn't the right word, but still. There's a reason people like to watch the ocean. It's relaxing. And when's the last time he's really relaxed?]
[But he gets up, at last, and Aki thinks maybe he's realized he's being a little clingy right now - until he dumps sand on his head and, nope, he's just being a brat. Aki swipes his fingers through his hair, trying to shake the grains out, as Denji runs off to the waves. He nearly calls out to him, reminds him not to run... but manages to stop himself. This is about having fun. Yelling after Denji to not give himself a heart attack or another episode of some kind is likely to make him miserable.]
[See, he's learning a little bit. Leaning back and glancing down at the devil on his beach towel, he settles back and crosses his legs.]
...Rare breed, huh.
[Pochita looks at him briefly, as if unsure if he's talking to him, before turning his attention back to the water. At least he's not trying to run after Denji. He watches the two of them on the water, Power with her lithe but strong body surfing the waves on someone else's banana boat, commandeering the vessel and parading it like a pirate captain, and Denji as her lowly lieutenant, still close enough to shore that Aki doesn't feel too anxious by the sight. He watches them roughhouse on the water, even huffs a laugh a few times.]
[It's not that he's still thinking of what Denji said, a few days ago. But when he does turn his head to the shore and sees the mothers and fathers sitting on their beach towels, doing the same as him, watching their kids play in the water... It feels weird. It never doesn't feel weird. There are a few friends, he notes. A few younger people. Siblings, maybe, tanning or enjoying the warmth of the sun before it becomes too cold to bask in. But they're not watching the water like he is, like the adults are.]
[Is he an adult, now? By virtue of no one else being one? He smells cigarette smoke nearby and crinkles his nose, pulling his knees up. At least he's not an adult who smokes.]
[He could fall asleep like this. Half shaded, half sunned, watching the water lap at the shore with the devil dog slowly wagging his corded tail while doing the same. But he won't. He'll keep his eyes on the two of them, ready to jump up at any sign of danger. He doesn't have to be a mom for that to be his role.]
[But he is still thinking about that comment, in the end.]
[His target is Power, diving under the water before either of them can spot him coming toward the shore. There's enough other kids that it's easy enough to blend in, shirt stripped left with the devil dog, and so he can easily sneak up behind her and snatch her by the arm and leg, shocking her into releasing her grip on her steed and pulling her down into the depths. She yowls like a cat when he lets her go and insists the water is acidic to her but it creates a scramble for someone else to take a seat where she's been hogging.]
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…Yeah, that aside, nothing's tugging him out to sea, nor seriously testing his footing — so he's good. Really good.
He can stand on his own.
The next moment, unable to stop himself, he's buoyant. Giggling and splashing around in the waters all on his own, doing a little hop as larger wave charges him. That way he can really feel his toes floating, his gravity stalled just for a second. The sound of his laughter, like it's being punched out of him with how light his chest is. Unweighed by anything that may come after this. Denji spins on his heel, about to wave Aki over, ask if he saw how big that wave was, if he noticed how he withstood it, easy — just as Power plows her boat at full speed into his back, dunking him face-first into seawater. ]
Wah! — ghrgglegle…
[ Power's practically seizing with cackles, fist twisted at the crown of his head, even as her float bounces against the waves. He can't really hear (or breathe) very well underwater, but in his struggle for air, he catches something ludicrous about culling all tax evaders from her righteous and all-powerful dominion. But who knows and who gives a shit. He hates her stupid boat. He's in a bad position to try to fight back, try to flip her over, his efforts going nowhere until he hears her yelp from above him.
No longer anchored down, Denji clings to the side of the banana, gasping, coughing up seaweed, scrambling to heave a leg over and collapse on top. The tow on the boat looks like it'd been forcefully shredded, making it no better than an overgrown floatie. How she managed to control it to get to Denji is beyond him. Probably, he's better off not knowing.
The girl in question continues flailing against Aki (since when did he get here??), desperately trying to climb on top of him to use as a ledge to jump off from and back onto her boat. ]
Nuh-uh, not happenin'! Ditch her and hop on, dude!
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