[ Lessa never thought she'd see her baby brother again.
Nanami Kento's children were the result of coping through tragedy. Inori, for Haibara's death. "Kaori", for Inori's death. It was a mess, but they'd been the best parts to come out of it. Lessa had been too young at the time to understand why they had been separated at all, and her father was very careful not to tell her the full truth until she was older. She'd had cursed energy. Yuji did not. And as much as their father would have preferred she'd lead a normal life, deep, deep down he knew that was no to be with Lessa's dogged and unwavering wish to be a jujutsu sorceress, even at a young age.
Yuji had that opportunity and so was given to the care of his grandfather. Simple math. But not easy. There was a very brief period in her as a child where she'd been angry at their father for the separation, but it was a flash in the pan when she could hear and feel his heartbreak. It gutted him. Lessa realised she wasn't the only one who'd been separated and tried to love her dad twice as much for her brother's absence, however fruitless that was. Nothing and no one could replace Yuji.
But fate works mysteriously. So does Gojo. She got a text from him that he'd gotten a present for her and should come back to the dorms to see. This was deeply suspect. She was immediately excited.
She'd openly sobbed when she recognised him, messy and overjoyed and uncaring who saw. Then she kicked him in the calf for getting taller than her (by two and a half centimetres, but still, the nerve?!). Finding out he'd eaten Sukuna's fingers made her laugh uproariously, but the implications were not lost on her despite the genuine amusement.
In spite of her joyous hyperviolence, Lessa did not thrive in human despair and suffering. She cared for people, very deeply. But she immediately distrusted Yuji's stay of execution before Gojo shared his own suspicions privately. The elders would simply bide their time. That was fine. Let them.
She would not suffer to have their family broken a second time.
In spite of having every reason to hate the elders, she didn’t. Angry at, sure. Resented, absolutely. Disgusted by, in spades. But it hadn’t crossed that far and she hoped she wouldn’t have to take extreme measures, but she wouldn’t hesitate, either. If it meant bloody slaughter, so be it.
People became monsters for less.
And she, well...it didn't matter. Yuji did.
For now, though, she keeps such thoughts at the back of her mind. There are better things to fill it with now. Surprisingly, though, she tries to give him as much space as he needs; their dad is already overprotective enough for ten kids and she doesn’t want to suffocate him. It’s been a few months now, but those first few weeks, before they converted the spare into a bedroom for Yuji, and occasionally after that, he slept in her room, or their dad’s (with Lessa too, often). It was good to bask in their family being made whole, again.
Which only gave Lessa another reason to work that much harder. She goes on missions when she’s supposed to and doesn’t neglect her training in the slightest, but she spends much of the rest of the time in the dorms, actually, despite having a home. But it's just as well, there are a few stacks of weathered books and scrolls, the scent of oolong tea and old knowledge having long seeped into the enclosed space. She’s working. Documenting. Becoming a powerful sorceress is very important, but it’s only part of the endgame.
She slides back from her laptop and flexes her fingers, her neck, the rest of her body, doing a very good impression of pop rocks mixed with soda as she stretches. Bohemian Rhapsody blares in her headphones, but it's a lot quieter outside her head and can actually be made entirely silent, a considerate feature she added that can be adjusted when she wants to be a brat or ward off other people.
Despite the volume of her music, she can hear the crinkle of the plastic bag as she fishes two rice balls out of it between her middle fingers and unwraps them while she reads her work. The cold, overcooked salmon in the middle would normally be a culinary affront to her palate--she can almost hear a familiarly stern voice asking "Am I a joke to you?"--but is barely registered as she begins to eat. The nori tears beneath her teeth, salt and seaweed dissolving against her tongue as she quickly finishes. The second meets a similar fate after she finishes her current monster energy, tosses the can behind her and hearing the momentarily satisfying rattle of it landing in the garbage bin, unseen. She opens another with a click and a hiss with one hand and reaches into the bag for another riceball.
And reaches. And reaches. And, at last annoyed enough to tear her eyes away from her screen, she investigates the convenience store bag and realises it's empty. Her lips press into a thin line as her stomach growls, but she cows it into silence with a louder one.
Fine, whatever. The human body can survive two to three months without food as long as it's hydrated. She's got time.
She goes back to work, the speed and spread of key presses like rainfall.
He didn't know he had any family when his grandfather died, because that's not how his life worked for him. He had been happy enough just knowing about his grandpa, had been happy growing up with him and not wondering too much about his parents, to the point where he had refused to hear whatever Wasuke had to say. He didn't want to know, because they'd never been around, so why did it matter? They were gone, and he had his grandpa, and he was happy. He really was.
Until he wasn't.
Being brought back and introduced to everyone in the Jujutsu world after eating Sukuna's finger was a wild and strange thing, leaving him reeling and utterly confused. One day he was an orphan, and the next day Gojo-sensei was introducing him to his long-lost sister, was telling him that his father would be around nearby, and suddenly he had a family again. It was hard for Yuji to wrap his mind around, a struggle for him to grasp, especially when Lessa gripped at him and hugged him and talked about how much she missed him - and all he could think was that yesterday he had no idea who she was.
(A small part of him was so bitter: if he hadn't eaten Sukuna's finger, would they have left him alone, struggling to survive as a teenager in a world without a guardian? Would they have even known? Would Nanami and Lessa have left him as Yuji Itadori, high school kid, and not cared about how hard it was for him? He doesn't think they would've come for him - he has sixteen years of evidence to say otherwise).
Over time, those thoughts settled into static noise in the back of Yuji's mind, and he had more important things to focus on. He had to become strong enough to handle Sukuna, the stupid curse whispering in his mind all the time even as he learned how to drown him out, and the sadness and nightmares of the loss of his grandfather pushed him closer to his new family than might have happened otherwise. He spent his time with his father, though it felt less like having a dad and more like having a mentor, and learned how to handle the wild personality that was his new sister.
Yuji's been around while Lessa does her work, only a little jealous at how she's trusted with missions while the higher ups see him as nothing more than disposable, without any real talent or technique himself to help him in the world, but all the same he does what he can to take care of her. It's the same thing he did for his grandfather, would do for Nanamin, so it comes easily to him. It's natural to poke his head into her space, to see her reach for food and scowl when it's missing, and he laughs out loud. ]
[ She has to take a moment to realise some part of her was aware that he was around, but the subconscious part of her mind didn't think to inform the rest of it. It's sensible; after all she's very much in the zone and Yuji isn't an enemy.
She blinks as some logistical math doesn't add up in her mind and she looks at him (but is still typing without so much as a dip in her speed) ]
Wait, didn't you have dinner at home? [ She tilts her head. ] Did you come all this way just to bring me food?
[ That is enough to finally get her to pause as she swivels her chair to face him. She feels guilty that he would do that. Guiltier. No single person is aware of the full scope of Lessa's capabilities. Their Dad was privy to her early years because he's their dad and she didn't think to lie to him until later in life because of his steadfast forbiddance of her enrollment to Jujutsu High. Gojo does not because while he was her teacher for years even before enrolling, she can't very well kick his ass one day if he knows all of what she can do. It'd also be nice if the higher-ups were rotten but they are, so she keeps a lot of her cards close to her chest so fewer things risk getting back to them, or she carefully supplies misinformation. You never know when you might need an ace.
But very, very few people know how much she can glean from people's minds and hearts. She wants to give them that illusion of privacy, because she can't ever stop knowing. And while the part of her that calculates and is here to play a very long game sees the merit in that, the part of her that wants to do right by those she cares about and is herself affected by certain negative feelings sent her way hates it.
She's fantastic at lying, at pretending the bitterness and jealousy her brother feels aren't needles slipping into the pincushions made of her ears and heart alike. It takes exhaustive control to keep her teeth from clenching, because they'll crack if she doesn't mind herself.
And he's still showing up for her, despite it all. ]
[ It's not as if it takes him that long to get from A to B with the speed that he has, and that's not something he's spent a long time thinking about. It's only grown faster thanks to the addition of his cursed energy and the development of his strength as a vessel, so he might as well take advantage of it and use it while he can. No missions for Yuji Itadori, but he can do a side hustle as a food delivery person, he supposes.
It's better than sitting around and doing nothing.
Moving into the room, he pushes the bento box into her hands before he smiles, rubbing the back of his head. ]
You make it sound like I ran a marathon or something. I made dinner and I had time to spare, so I wanted to make sure you ate something. It's not crazy or anything.
[ It is?
Yuji's never had a sister before. What if this is some faux pas that he hadn't been informed of, and he's screwed up somehow?
[ Her fingertips brush over his knuckles when she's given the bento. She'd do the same, no question, but the turnabout is entirely unexpected. So much of the good she does or tries to do is clandestine. she doesn't expect it to be known, much less reciprocated, and that concept has seeped into other expectations in her life, dyeing them in another colour. Lessa is generous. She gives, but sometimes she's at a loss of what to do when she gets something back.
Luckily, her stomach gives her direction with a demanding roar.
Lessa sighs, not the least bit shamed, and reaches out to ruffle her brother's hair. It's such a beautiful colour and so soft. ]
You do have amazing timing, thanks, Yujin. Five stars for sure. [ Her own lips curve for a breath, a lightness fluttering in her chest to see him smile. She feels like it could help her go another twelve hours.
She probably shouldn't, but she could.
Lessa cracks open the bento, the aroma of seasoned meat and rice rising to fill her immediate space. She splits her chopsticks and eats at a normal pace, but it isn't long before she begins to devour her meal like the fate of the world depends on it. She doesn't spill anything—that's food that could go in her mouth—but it's obvious she didn't expect to be this hungry. The debt she's accrued from putting off, well, life won't be denied anymore.
She slows down to open her drink, the fizz and pop of the tab sharp to her ears. ]
I'll have have to get you back for this, though. [ She clicks her tongue and takes a sip, licking her lips before they purse in a pout. ] It's not often I get surprised.
[ This is just one of the things Yuji is - the kind of person that he is. He's not the type to make demands of other people, or the type to force other people to accept him beyond what he is and who he is, and he wants to do good in the world. He wants to continue to offer that kindness to other people, because there's been enough darkness and cruelty in his life that it feels impossible to do anything else; his desire to make the world better is real, and it burns inside of him.
Hearing her stomach, though, breaks those thoughts, and he laughs softly instead. ]
I know it. I thought that you'd be going crazy with hunger by now.
[ Settling down, he flops, crossing his legs under him as he watches her, expression warm and soft. ]
You don't need to go out of your way. Isn't this the kind of thing brothers are meant to do?
Already gone crazy with other things, so the hunger's in good company.
[ She's glad to see him settle. There isn't much that can pull her from her work when she gets going (she's loath to check her phone for texts, it's probably blown up with concerns) but she hasn't looked back once since Yuji arrived.
And she's so glad, she would have hated to miss him smile. It's the warmth and glow of fire when you finally come in from the cold. The snap and crackle of wood splitting as it burns. The soft aroma of maple filling the space. You never want to leave it, and why would you? It's home.
She won't let anyone take it from her again. Never again.
Lessa finishes her meal before she joins Yuji and nudges him with her shoulder and raises an authoritative finger, her tone matching if with a playful and haughty undertone that expects obedience. ]
Little brothers listen to their big sisters, always. [ She reaches to pinch his cheek. ]
So listen when I say if I want to do it. And while I'm at it, if I wanna spoil you, I'm gonna do that, too. I have years to catch up on.
[ Her tone casual tone softens by the end, allowing guilt to seep inside. Her fingers spread against his face, cupping it. ]
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no subject
Nanami Kento's children were the result of coping through tragedy. Inori, for Haibara's death. "Kaori", for Inori's death. It was a mess, but they'd been the best parts to come out of it. Lessa had been too young at the time to understand why they had been separated at all, and her father was very careful not to tell her the full truth until she was older. She'd had cursed energy. Yuji did not. And as much as their father would have preferred she'd lead a normal life, deep, deep down he knew that was no to be with Lessa's dogged and unwavering wish to be a jujutsu sorceress, even at a young age.
Yuji had that opportunity and so was given to the care of his grandfather. Simple math. But not easy. There was a very brief period in her as a child where she'd been angry at their father for the separation, but it was a flash in the pan when she could hear and feel his heartbreak. It gutted him. Lessa realised she wasn't the only one who'd been separated and tried to love her dad twice as much for her brother's absence, however fruitless that was. Nothing and no one could replace Yuji.
But fate works mysteriously. So does Gojo. She got a text from him that he'd gotten a present for her and should come back to the dorms to see. This was deeply suspect. She was immediately excited.
She'd openly sobbed when she recognised him, messy and overjoyed and uncaring who saw. Then she kicked him in the calf for getting taller than her (by two and a half centimetres, but still, the nerve?!). Finding out he'd eaten Sukuna's fingers made her laugh uproariously, but the implications were not lost on her despite the genuine amusement.
In spite of her joyous hyperviolence, Lessa did not thrive in human despair and suffering. She cared for people, very deeply. But she immediately distrusted Yuji's stay of execution before Gojo shared his own suspicions privately. The elders would simply bide their time. That was fine. Let them.
She would not suffer to have their family broken a second time.
In spite of having every reason to hate the elders, she didn’t. Angry at, sure. Resented, absolutely. Disgusted by, in spades. But it hadn’t crossed that far and she hoped she wouldn’t have to take extreme measures, but she wouldn’t hesitate, either. If it meant bloody slaughter, so be it.
People became monsters for less.
And she, well...it didn't matter. Yuji did.
For now, though, she keeps such thoughts at the back of her mind. There are better things to fill it with now. Surprisingly, though, she tries to give him as much space as he needs; their dad is already overprotective enough for ten kids and she doesn’t want to suffocate him. It’s been a few months now, but those first few weeks, before they converted the spare into a bedroom for Yuji, and occasionally after that, he slept in her room, or their dad’s (with Lessa too, often). It was good to bask in their family being made whole, again.
Which only gave Lessa another reason to work that much harder. She goes on missions when she’s supposed to and doesn’t neglect her training in the slightest, but she spends much of the rest of the time in the dorms, actually, despite having a home. But it's just as well, there are a few stacks of weathered books and scrolls, the scent of oolong tea and old knowledge having long seeped into the enclosed space. She’s working. Documenting. Becoming a powerful sorceress is very important, but it’s only part of the endgame.
She slides back from her laptop and flexes her fingers, her neck, the rest of her body, doing a very good impression of pop rocks mixed with soda as she stretches. Bohemian Rhapsody blares in her headphones, but it's a lot quieter outside her head and can actually be made entirely silent, a considerate feature she added that can be adjusted when she wants to be a brat or ward off other people.
Despite the volume of her music, she can hear the crinkle of the plastic bag as she fishes two rice balls out of it between her middle fingers and unwraps them while she reads her work. The cold, overcooked salmon in the middle would normally be a culinary affront to her palate--she can almost hear a familiarly stern voice asking "Am I a joke to you?"--but is barely registered as she begins to eat. The nori tears beneath her teeth, salt and seaweed dissolving against her tongue as she quickly finishes. The second meets a similar fate after she finishes her current monster energy, tosses the can behind her and hearing the momentarily satisfying rattle of it landing in the garbage bin, unseen. She opens another with a click and a hiss with one hand and reaches into the bag for another riceball.
And reaches. And reaches. And, at last annoyed enough to tear her eyes away from her screen, she investigates the convenience store bag and realises it's empty. Her lips press into a thin line as her stomach growls, but she cows it into silence with a louder one.
Fine, whatever. The human body can survive two to three months without food as long as it's hydrated. She's got time.
She goes back to work, the speed and spread of key presses like rainfall.
no subject
He didn't know he had any family when his grandfather died, because that's not how his life worked for him. He had been happy enough just knowing about his grandpa, had been happy growing up with him and not wondering too much about his parents, to the point where he had refused to hear whatever Wasuke had to say. He didn't want to know, because they'd never been around, so why did it matter? They were gone, and he had his grandpa, and he was happy. He really was.
Until he wasn't.
Being brought back and introduced to everyone in the Jujutsu world after eating Sukuna's finger was a wild and strange thing, leaving him reeling and utterly confused. One day he was an orphan, and the next day Gojo-sensei was introducing him to his long-lost sister, was telling him that his father would be around nearby, and suddenly he had a family again. It was hard for Yuji to wrap his mind around, a struggle for him to grasp, especially when Lessa gripped at him and hugged him and talked about how much she missed him - and all he could think was that yesterday he had no idea who she was.
(A small part of him was so bitter: if he hadn't eaten Sukuna's finger, would they have left him alone, struggling to survive as a teenager in a world without a guardian? Would they have even known? Would Nanami and Lessa have left him as Yuji Itadori, high school kid, and not cared about how hard it was for him? He doesn't think they would've come for him - he has sixteen years of evidence to say otherwise).
Over time, those thoughts settled into static noise in the back of Yuji's mind, and he had more important things to focus on. He had to become strong enough to handle Sukuna, the stupid curse whispering in his mind all the time even as he learned how to drown him out, and the sadness and nightmares of the loss of his grandfather pushed him closer to his new family than might have happened otherwise. He spent his time with his father, though it felt less like having a dad and more like having a mentor, and learned how to handle the wild personality that was his new sister.
Yuji's been around while Lessa does her work, only a little jealous at how she's trusted with missions while the higher ups see him as nothing more than disposable, without any real talent or technique himself to help him in the world, but all the same he does what he can to take care of her. It's the same thing he did for his grandfather, would do for Nanamin, so it comes easily to him. It's natural to poke his head into her space, to see her reach for food and scowl when it's missing, and he laughs out loud. ]
Guess it's a good thing I brought a bento, huh?
no subject
[ She has to take a moment to realise some part of her was aware that he was around, but the subconscious part of her mind didn't think to inform the rest of it. It's sensible; after all she's very much in the zone and Yuji isn't an enemy.
She blinks as some logistical math doesn't add up in her mind and she looks at him (but is still typing without so much as a dip in her speed) ]
Wait, didn't you have dinner at home? [ She tilts her head. ] Did you come all this way just to bring me food?
[ That is enough to finally get her to pause as she swivels her chair to face him. She feels guilty that he would do that. Guiltier. No single person is aware of the full scope of Lessa's capabilities. Their Dad was privy to her early years because he's their dad and she didn't think to lie to him until later in life because of his steadfast forbiddance of her enrollment to Jujutsu High. Gojo does not because while he was her teacher for years even before enrolling, she can't very well kick his ass one day if he knows all of what she can do. It'd also be nice if the higher-ups were rotten but they are, so she keeps a lot of her cards close to her chest so fewer things risk getting back to them, or she carefully supplies misinformation. You never know when you might need an ace.
But very, very few people know how much she can glean from people's minds and hearts. She wants to give them that illusion of privacy, because she can't ever stop knowing. And while the part of her that calculates and is here to play a very long game sees the merit in that, the part of her that wants to do right by those she cares about and is herself affected by certain negative feelings sent her way hates it.
She's fantastic at lying, at pretending the bitterness and jealousy her brother feels aren't needles slipping into the pincushions made of her ears and heart alike. It takes exhaustive control to keep her teeth from clenching, because they'll crack if she doesn't mind herself.
And he's still showing up for her, despite it all. ]
You really didn't have to, y'know.
no subject
[ It's not as if it takes him that long to get from A to B with the speed that he has, and that's not something he's spent a long time thinking about. It's only grown faster thanks to the addition of his cursed energy and the development of his strength as a vessel, so he might as well take advantage of it and use it while he can. No missions for Yuji Itadori, but he can do a side hustle as a food delivery person, he supposes.
It's better than sitting around and doing nothing.
Moving into the room, he pushes the bento box into her hands before he smiles, rubbing the back of his head. ]
You make it sound like I ran a marathon or something. I made dinner and I had time to spare, so I wanted to make sure you ate something. It's not crazy or anything.
[ It is?
Yuji's never had a sister before. What if this is some faux pas that he hadn't been informed of, and he's screwed up somehow?
Shit. ]
RESUSCITATES
Luckily, her stomach gives her direction with a demanding roar.
Lessa sighs, not the least bit shamed, and reaches out to ruffle her brother's hair. It's such a beautiful colour and so soft. ]
You do have amazing timing, thanks, Yujin. Five stars for sure. [ Her own lips curve for a breath, a lightness fluttering in her chest to see him smile. She feels like it could help her go another twelve hours.
She probably shouldn't, but she could.
Lessa cracks open the bento, the aroma of seasoned meat and rice rising to fill her immediate space. She splits her chopsticks and eats at a normal pace, but it isn't long before she begins to devour her meal like the fate of the world depends on it. She doesn't spill anything—that's food that could go in her mouth—but it's obvious she didn't expect to be this hungry. The debt she's accrued from putting off, well, life won't be denied anymore.
She slows down to open her drink, the fizz and pop of the tab sharp to her ears. ]
I'll have have to get you back for this, though. [ She clicks her tongue and takes a sip, licking her lips before they purse in a pout. ] It's not often I get surprised.
no subject
Hearing her stomach, though, breaks those thoughts, and he laughs softly instead. ]
I know it. I thought that you'd be going crazy with hunger by now.
[ Settling down, he flops, crossing his legs under him as he watches her, expression warm and soft. ]
You don't need to go out of your way. Isn't this the kind of thing brothers are meant to do?
[ Not that he would know. ]
no subject
[ She's glad to see him settle. There isn't much that can pull her from her work when she gets going (she's loath to check her phone for texts, it's probably blown up with concerns) but she hasn't looked back once since Yuji arrived.
And she's so glad, she would have hated to miss him smile. It's the warmth and glow of fire when you finally come in from the cold. The snap and crackle of wood splitting as it burns. The soft aroma of maple filling the space. You never want to leave it, and why would you? It's home.
She won't let anyone take it from her again. Never again.
Lessa finishes her meal before she joins Yuji and nudges him with her shoulder and raises an authoritative finger, her tone matching if with a playful and haughty undertone that expects obedience. ]
Little brothers listen to their big sisters, always. [ She reaches to pinch his cheek. ]
So listen when I say if I want to do it. And while I'm at it, if I wanna spoil you, I'm gonna do that, too. I have years to catch up on.
[ Her tone casual tone softens by the end, allowing guilt to seep inside. Her fingers spread against his face, cupping it. ]