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[a_darker_path]

 

 

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[tooawesome]

Alluka gives him a look, sighs exasperatedly, and considers giving him a hug. Perhaps after the cooking lesson. The rice is already warming up, and while she'd eat plain rice, onigiri will be so much better.

"I used to! Now I live on a boat. Catbus was really nice and picked me up and brought me right over here. Super fast."

[a_darker_path]

"Is that a person?" He refills his tea cup from the kettle and adds a tea infuser.

[tooawesome]

"That is a cat that is a bus. A huge cat, a bus sized cat. Has windows and everything. Jumps through Folkmore," Alluka explains. She pulls out her relic and finds a photo of catbus. "See?"

[a_darker_path]

"And that's safe?" Because looking at the picture now and it's not really giving him the good feelings.

"Things like that aren't really known for being safe where I'm from."

[tooawesome]

"Yes, silly," Alluka says, "Catbus isn't from your world. I've been to your world. It's totally different."

She pats him on the arm. "Catbus is from Folkmore and perfectly safe. If you're lucky enough to catch Catbus you can get around Folkmore even faster than the trains," Alluka explains, "You really need to get out of this apartment sometime."

[a_darker_path]

"I'll keep that in mind." The rice cooker goes off, and he pops it open, finding a scoop for her to use so she can pull out the rice before molding it.

"Don't overfill it, then form it arouned the filling."

[tooawesome]

He might need a hug sooner than later. He's very nice and helpful, and Alluka appreciates he's making her a snack. It just seems like he isn't taking care of himself nearly as well. Maybe she can tell Gojo?

"Okay," Alluka says. She fills the scoop until it's flat across the surface, the way Nanika talks about using measuring cups, and pulls the rice around a piece of salmon. It's sticky but kind of like playing with some of the stuff she had as a kid. "Ball of rice. Ball of rice. My family didn't eat these growing up. Rice sure, of course, who doesn't eat rice, but our food was more serious unless I asked for something goofy."

[a_darker_path]

He moves, gives her more space to make the riceballs as she likes, only offering advice here and there.

"You might be able to find molds at ones of the shops here to make them look different."

[tooawesome]

Alluka makes as many riceballs as she can, around all the kinds of fillings. It's a lot of fun and not that hard.

"Molds like animals? Like a panda?" Alluka asks. "Soooo, how long have you known Gojo?"

[a_darker_path]

"You might be able to find a panda one." Not that he knows every option and he moves to take a seat, half watching her.

"A couple of years. We're students at the same school."

[tooawesome]

"Pandas are one of my favorites," Alluka shares. They remind her of Nanika. Anyone being like Nanika is a good thing. In his own way, Geto is being like her too. That makes Alluka like him.

"You aren't just classmates though," Alluka says, "You're like super duper close. Share an apartment close." Other kinds of close. She watches Geto out of the corner of her eye, completely subtly.

[a_darker_path]

"We lived at the school and worked together. Sharing space kind of came with all of that." They didn't really socialize outside of school after all.

"Satoru, Shoko and I were all in the same year. We spent most of our time together because we were the only ones in our year."

[tooawesome]

Alluka nods. She remembers the dorms a little. It's more Nanika's life than hers, but it still helps a lot. There were four of them in Nanika's year, same as Toge's, though Yuta wasn't there.

"Of course, but you're not in love with Shoko are you?" Alluka asks like it's the most normal question in the world.

[a_darker_path]

That is not a question he was expecting and not one he's really ready to answer right now, the cup in his hand shattering when his hand clenches hard around it.

"That's really none of your business." He manages, taking a slow breath to calm himself down before he moves to the sink to rinse his hand off.

[tooawesome]

"Geto!" Alluka exclaims when the cup breaks. She sets down the riceball and moves to look at his hand and make sure he's okay. Is he in love with Shoko? Too?

"You're... in love... with Gojo," Alluka says. The pauses aren't a question. It's trying to understand the previous response. It's a lot harder without Shoko here, without having met her. However, if there's anything Nanika has taught her it's that love is love is love. It's good to love.

She looks at Geto, smiling and radiating joy. "You're so packed full of love!"

[a_darker_path]

He does at least wrap his hand in a towel, securing it before he turns to look at her, his lips pressing together in a thin line.

"Satoru should be back at some point. I'll send him a message that you're here." But right now, he's heading for the door, not even looking at her, although he does stop to pick up his relic.

And the door closes behind him.

[tooawesome]

"Geto," Alluka repeats his name. "Geto?!" That's not...

She hasn't given him a hug. He needs a hug! He needs a lot of things. She'd give him all the riceballs to come back, though she doesn't think they're done. Alluka washes her hands. Then she goes to the couch and wraps her arms around herself in a tight hug. It's been some time since she had to comfort herself this way.

[a_darker_path]

He enters the apartment again about half an hour later, hand still wrapped, but he's at least back.

"I needed some air. Are you okay?"

[tooawesome]

Alluka is sniffly. The riceballs are cold. She's still sitting on the couch, even after the nice man came in and checked on her. He said Geto asked him to. He didn't stay long. So it's just been her giving herself her best hug for the half hour.

She swallows. "No," Alluka says softly. She's not mad, but she's working very hard not to hate Gojo and Geto's apartment. It's terrible when it's empty.

[a_darker_path]

He moves, kneels in front of the couch, but he's not touching her.

"I'm sorry. I just needed... I couoldn't stay in here for a little while but I didn't want to upset you."

[tooawesome]

"I know," Alluka says, wiping at her nose with her sleeve. "You did what you had to do."

She avoids looking at the walls and focuses instead on the fact he's here. "Thank you for coming back. Can I have a hug?"

[a_darker_path]

"You can have a hug." He confirms quietly.

"And then we can go finish up the rice balls if you still want to."

[tooawesome]

Alluka throws herself around Geto and holds on tight. He could stand up and leave, and she would simply hang off him unwilling to let go. It's something of a desperate hug. Despite how Alluka almost always is in a good mood, sometimes, amazingly, she isn't. She sniffs but does her best to make it a good hug, one of her really good hugs. It might not meet her standard of best.

"They aren't ruined by getting cold?" Alluka asks. She's never cooked before, but she's pretty sure you aren't supposed to leave in the middle.

[a_darker_path]

He's not the most fond of contact with near strangers, but Alluka is a child, even if she's only a few years younger and it's his fault she's like this. So he hugs her back, carefully.

"They're not ruined by being cold." He confirms. "It won't affect the taste either, but you can always reheat them. I wouldn't keep them more than a day or two though for whatever you take home."

[tooawesome]

It's a long hug, a hug that wants to be certain Geto won't turn around and leave her again. They're in Satori Hills, and that's a ways away from Sharon or Zechs. She doesn't know where Gojo is. If he hadn't come back, she might have eventually looked for Toge on the first floor. It's better he came back. Alluka gives one last good squeeze.

"Okay," Alluka says to fortify herself. "Lets finish making them and eat them. Together." That part is more important than the riceballs themselves.