eyescar | inbox @ hotel caelum

yuji-kun! ヾ(*'▽'*)
i have an important lesson for you
got a few minutes?

sure sensei!! where shall i go?

have you visited the space floor yet?
it's where my suite is actually so it's objectively the best floor in the hotel!

well yeah i had to make sure i knew where your room was
i’ll go there now?

[ Does that mean he hand-delivered his Valentine's rather than having room service take care of it? Nah, he doesn't even need to ask to know the answer to that question. ]

the sooner the better!
i'll meet you by the elevators
watch out for comets or whatever

comets? for real? ok...

[ Yuji has no questions about why Gojo might want to see him; it's a normal thing for his sensei to want to spend time with him, right? So he doesn't question it for even a second, making his way through the floors to Gojo's room. He doesn't dodge anything, stepping out of the elevator with a bright smile. ]

Yo, sensei!

[ Maybe in hindsight, he should have prepared Yuji a bit more for what was about to come, but...then again, he has no reason to think this will come as any great shock. Yeah, Yuji might miss him for a few days, but he's already to decided to come back when he can. He could be back before he's even had a chance to miss him, so it's no big deal, right?

Still, it wouldn't feel right if he didn't say goodbye. Or rather, "see you later", since that's all he intends it to be. He's not a blind optimist; he could be stuck in that box for eons and never see the light of day in Japan again, so there's a chance that by the time he could come back, maybe Yuji and the others will have departed. If only for that slim chance, he'll make sure this is a proper goodbye.

The zero gravity of the floor picks up almost as soon as Yuji steps off the elevator, lifting him into the air, and Gojo is already floating his way towards him, looking a lot calmer and relaxed than he feels inside. Yuji doesn't need to see that side of him, especially right now. ]

Yu! Ji! Kun! Right on time. [ He looks like he's in pretty good spirits today. It'd sure be a shame if something...ruined that... ] Have you spent much time on this floor? There's something pretty damn cool I wanna show you.

[ Yuji has no idea the storm of pain and heartache that’s in his future, forced to content with the world as he’d left it and Gojo recognising it. He’d fallen into a bubble of happiness here, letting himself enjoy the quiet peace of the hotel, taking the command to have a break seriously. He’d believed that he could be happy here, with all the people he’d lost at his side. He’d been able to forget, for a while.

It’s that Yuji that wobbles a little at the sudden loss of gravity, his eyes widening as he lifts his head to stare out at Gojo. He’d encountered this when he’d dropped of Gojo’s present, but it feels all the more exciting for having Gojo-sensei with him at the same time, exciting and a little nerve wracking as he tries to keep himself from wobbling or hitting a wall.

So cool, but so weird. ]

Not a lot! Just when I came up last time. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?

[ He beams, making his way over to his teacher. ]

Let’s go, then!

Oh, it’s the coolest. Why do you think I live here?

[ He wouldn’t just live on any old floor, though if he had arrived around the same time as Nanami and Yuji and Megumi, then he likely would have wound up staying by them instead. How different things would be, if they had all arrived together, if he hadn’t been the only sorcerer for months, pushing him into an even lonelier position than he would have otherwise been in.

In a strange way, it might have been just what he needed, to confront the side of himself that pushes others away, when he couldn’t count on friends or students for what support he sorely needs. Now, when he returns, he can figure out what’s most important to him, without his regrets from being sealed holding him back. It’s…kind of terrifying in a way he’d never acknowledge out loud, but that’s what makes it exciting, too.

This… is what’s right. It’s what he has to do.

Waving Yuji along, Gojo floats down the corridor, pointing out the stars as they pass. ]

I’ve made up a bunch of constellations up here. That one is called “Upside Down Katsudon”, and there’s “Ijichi when he’s scared of Nanami”. And a classic: “Panda”.

[ Just Panda. ]

It is fitting for Gojo-sensei...

[ Yuji knows that Fushiguro had chosen to be in a room beside him - did he get to choose, or did the hotel choose for him? He's not really sure how it works, since he'd just said sort of 'whatever' about it when he'd first arrived. He had been dealing with the whiplash of Gojo-sensei dying in front of him, so maybe that's not his fault after all... Either way, this floor definitely suits the larger than life man he knows as his favourite teacher, so it's fair.

He follows after Gojo without hesitation, floating after him and turning to look at each star as they go by. His eyes narrow a little at each one, because, frankly, they're ridiculous.

Even the Panda one, which is kind of cute. ]

I bet Panda-senpai would love that one.

[ Twisting around again, he looks up at Gojo. ]

Is this what you wanted to show me?

Nope! I wanna show you something even better.

[ Yes, even better than his own invented constellations. As for what it is...he doesn't say anything further for the moment, pressing a finger to his lips so he won't say another word.

It's not much further, though — he turns a corner down the next corridor, and no doubt Yuji will quickly see the sight he was brought down this way to see. In the space at the end of the hallway, there's quite the sight to be hold: a supernova, the death of a star. It's massive, with light spilling out every which way, encompassing the whole area before them. ]

This is what I wanted to show you. Back when you went to boring school, did they ever teach you about the life cycle of stars?

Better than Panda?

[ Which isn't necessarily hard, seeing as Yuji doesn't seem overwhelmingly impressed by the star constellations - he follows without question, though, his unwavering faith and trust in his teacher unshakable.

Turning the corner has his eyes widening, his body wiggling as he tries to stay still, gazing out at the bright light. It's beautiful... No wonder Gojo-sensei wants to be on this kind of floor. It's the sort of thing that they'd never get to see at home, and he's a little captivated by it.

Shaking his head, he looks over. ]

No, but you didn't teach me it before now either, Gojo-sensei.

Damn right I didn't! I was saving it for this moment, you know.

[ A bold-faced lie and they both know it; Gojo usually planned his actual academic lessons about ten minutes before he had to give them. Stars hadn't been a part of the curriculum, and honestly, most of this he didn't know before he came to live on this floor, either.

It was something Winter had shared with him, had opened his eyes to just how fascinating those blinking balls of gas in the sky could be. Funny, how something can be as common in your everyday life as stars, but it takes someone with a passion to make you realize it.

A fond smile. ]

This is one that's gone supernova. It's what happens right before a star turns into a black hole, the end of its life. There's just so much energy going nuclear that one day it goes krrrrr-boom!!! And explodes in the universe. If something like that happened to the Earth's sun, we'd be cook for sure. Something so massive happens all the time, all over the galaxy. Kind of makes you realize just how small our world really is, huh?

[ That's not the only reason he's telling him this, though. ]

...Look. I don't know what's been happening back home, or what you've been put through. And no, I'm not asking. [ He puts up a hand, palm facing out. Don't tell him!! ] I just wanted to remind you...to not lose sight of your big picture. Not mine, not the school's, but yours. At the end of the day...you have to fight for yourself. You have to be the star in your universe, before you reach the supernova. Make sense?

[ He sure hopes so! He thought a lot about it, okay. ]

[ It's not as if Yuji would've been adept at it either way; he's never been great at the sciences, and though he really does try his best in academics it's not his forte. Anyone would be able to tell him that, and he doesn't need a real lesson on stars to remind him.

Turning his head back to the stars, he listens as Gojo talks, tilting his head and trying to wrap his mind around the lesson. The idea of something like this happening in the skies above them, stars exploding, black holes, all of it... It does make him feel a little small. As if what he's doing has less meaning.

Probably the opposite of Gojo's lesson, so he shakes his head and turns back to listen to him. ]

Aah... Sensei...

[ Yuji wouldn't want to tell him, they both know that, but he's glad for the out. Still... ]

It does, but... I don't really know how I can do that. Not with things as they are right now. I'm not going to tell you it all, but... [ He shakes his head. ] My star isn't that important compared to everything else. If it goes out, it'll be okay.

[ Yuji's response isn't exactly surprising, but that's part of why Gojo needs to return, isn't it? To see just what's going on, if he even can. Even so, he doubts that's really true, that Yuji's star isn't important. That it can go out. There couldn't be anything further than the truth, and isn't helping his students realize that why he wanted to teach in the first place? So they could grow to build their own lives, shape their own world? ]

Bullshit. I don't buy it. [ Simple as that. ] But you don't need to try to convince me. I'm heading back home soon, so...maybe I'll see what you're talking about with my own Six Eyes.

[ And while he doesn't think his stance will change, at least then, Yuji will know he has the full weight of knowledge behind his decision, that it isn't something that Gojo proselytizes without anything to back it up. ]

I'm going tomorrow, sooo if you wanna throw me a party, your time is limited.

[ As soon as Gojo says he's heading back, Yuji is whipping around. It looks almost comedic, his body jerking a little as his arms wave and wiggle, his focus on the man in front of him. This isn't what he wants, this isn't fair, but it's not as if he can force Gojo-sensei to stay or anything like that... He doesn't have that kind of strength, even with his new abilities.

Instead, his expression breaks, and he swallows. There's so much he could say, but he doesn't know... Will Gojo-sensei remember it? What's the point of frightening him, of warning him? ]

Sensei...

[ His hands clench, squeezing. ]

I don't want you to go.

[ He expected this. Knew it was coming, and yet for all he shored up his defenses, for all he likes to think his walls are impenetrable, the wave of Yuji's emotions crashing down hard against them like a wave, forcing a pressure against his chest that he doesn't like at all. Leaving really is the selfish thing to do, isn't it? If he really wanted to put the others first...would it be better to stay?

He'll never know, until he goes. That's the problem. ]

...I know.

[ Even more than Megumi, he knew Yuji would want him to stay. ]

But I always knew I would have to. Long before you, or Megumi, or even Nanami showed up. It's like...ehhh, I just know there's some crazy spoilers for a manga I've been reading, but I don't wanna find out another way. I gotta go read for myself.

[ He won't go so far as to tell Yuji that he's going to take care of things. He doesn't remind him that he's the strongest, and so he doesn't need to worry. He doesn't tell him that everything will be okay, because how could he even say that, with the state Yuji is in? He's...

Yeah. He's afraid, and it sucks, but he has to go. He's always had to. ]

I still wish I could stop you.

[ It makes a kind of sense, when Gojo says it like this, but Yuji is still miserable about it. He can't say what's wrong, he can't admit it, no matter how much he wishes, and he has to stop himself from sinking into that pit again. Problem after problem... Mm, it keeps happening, and Yuji doesn't know how he can fix it, how he can make everyone here happy, as if that's somehow his job.

He wanted to bring joy, to help, to protect people, not...

Yuji can't lift his head and look at Gojo, staring at his hands instead, which is a really weird sensation when he's still literally floating. ]

I'd beat you up if I thought I could, Gojo-sensei.

..Nah, you can't.

[ Despite the seriousness of the moment, he's still Gojo, and he won't pretend that Yuji could beat him, even with his new abilities. Still, it's mean to diffuse the tension somewhat as well, and remind Yuji just how strong he is. Whatever happens when he goes back...

...Gojo will rely on his strength alone, like he always does. So long as he does that, then the outcome can't be too bad, right? ]

Especially not in zero gravity. [ ... ] Nanami will still be here, and Megumi, too. You won't be alone, so don't think you are, okay?

[ Even if he can't tell them the truth, either, he still isn't alone. ]

It's not goodbye, anyway. Just a see you later.

I know that! I said 'if I could'...

[ As if Yuji is going to deliberately weigh Nanamin down... Even if that's what he ends up doing. He's going to feel bad, he's going to feel guilty, but there's nothing he can do about that other than force himself to fight through it, force himself to accept how things are.

Gojo-sensei is leaving, and when - if? when? - he comes back... Everything will be different, and he'll know why.

A shaky hand lifts to touch his face, where his scars should be, and he wilts a little. ]

I'll take care of them, sensei. Okay?

[ Yuji's words echo somewhat what Gojo had told Nanami, that they should take care of each other, that it isn't enough for them to take care of themselves. He can only imagine what's going through Yuji's mind right now, other than...he likely feels powerless, unable to stop a runaway train, so giving him something that he can do is critical. The others will need him.

He still doesn't realize how valuable his presence is, but if he were the type of person who did, then he wouldn't be Yuji. ]

You better. They're gonna need you, even if they don't admit it. [ None of them ever admit they need anything. ] I'll be counting on you.

[ He reaches out a hand and holds it aloft, ready for a high-five. ]

[ It's going to be hard, there's no denying it, and Yuji wishes it was easier, but... It's not that simple, is it? He can't just shrug it all off like other people seem to be able to. He carries it too intensely, too deeply, and it weighs him down, which is almost a little ironic considering they're on the space floor. All he can do is try and push through it all and give his sensei that one last little smile.

He manages it, but it's teary.

The kind he gave Fushiguro before he died, all the way back at the beginning. ]

You can count on me. I'll support them, no matter what.

[ And he gives Gojo a gentle high five. ]

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