a_darker_path | Folkmore ic inbox

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.

"I don't really have much of an appetite but I can manage one or two." Suguru straightens, offers her a hand so they can go back to the kitchen to finish the riceballs.

"You have to eat," Alluka says primly. It's a matter of taking care of oneself. If Geto won't do it for himself, only for Gojo, then she can help him. That's what people do.

She accepts the hand because it really is nice to be close to someone. Contact like that feels good. There's still a little more rice left, but there's a large group of riceballs patted around the insides. "What's the next step?" Alluka asks.

"I'm not missing meals, but I'm just not that hungry at the moment. I'll have food later." After he's had some time to himself to settle back into his own head.

"You can put a piece of seaweed on them or not. I think they're mostly done, honestly, unless you want to work on the shape a bit more. Otherwise, just the seaweed should be fine. And then wrapping what you want to take with you when you go."

"That's good. Eating is important," Alluka says solemnly. Sleeping too, but she's less convinced he's doing that one. She's used to regular meals and regular sleep. Those aren't things she ever went without back home. Her parents made sure to take very good care of her. She didn't even have to kill anyone to get toys like her brothers might.

"Oh the seaweed seems important," Alluka says. "Kelp!" She tries to make it sound like 'Hello!' Like Toge does. She takes the time to carefully wrap a piece of seaweed around each one. They don't look as nice as Toge's do, but that's hardly surprising.

She looks down at the counter. It's the second time he's mentioned her leaving. "You want me to go," Alluka says softly. After she waited forever in this scary empty apartment all on her own.

"It really depends on whether you like it or not, as to how important it is. Some people don't like the taste so it's not a requirement or anything." He starts wrapping some of them to set aside for Alluka for later.

"I don't want you to go. I just mean you made a lot of riceballs so we should wrap them in plastic to keep them good for eating later."

"I want to make them like Toge makes them," Alluka says. "I'm not sure exactly how that is, but I know that they have seaweed. And fish flakes? Do we have fish flakes?" She can't exactly turn the list of ingredients Toge uses to talk into making a riceball. If there's an authoritative way to make them, it's his way. Plus she wants to give some of them to him.

"Oh," Alluka is relieved. She wraps her arms around his waist, trying not to get her seaweed-y rice-y hands on his clothes. It's a smaller hug, but it's a good one because she's really glad he wants her to stay. "I didn't mean to cause you any problems," she says into his shirt.

"Well that'll probably take more practice but I'm sure you'll get it down and-" He retrieves the fish flakes for her, setting it in reach. And he doesn't tense at the hug either, just resting a hand on top of her head for a moment.

"You didn't. I just...needed a moment because of things that happened before I came here."

Making riceballs certainly is easier than Alluka expected. She's glad it's so easy, even if she's not sure whether Geto cooked the fish they wrapped the rice around or not. That would be another step that makes it take longer. Alluka's just glad to be welcome here and welcomed by Geto. It makes the rest of it all right. It'll be all right.

She lets him go and shakes fish flakes onto seaweed wrapped onigiri. It's like a conversation for your mouth. And stomach. She sticks one into her mouth and has to chew for a while before she can talk. She uses that time to finish more riceballs.

"Oh," Alluka says once she can talk. "I'm sorry you were having a hard time back home. It'll be better here, I promise. Folkmore is a really good place to be. And I can give you a hug any time you need one."

"I appreciate the offer. I might take you up on it." He does smile, even if it doesn't reach his eyes.

"And I've heard that. It's just going to take some time for me to settle in."

Geto's in more pain than he's willing to let on. Alluka doesn't know why, and she doesn't need to know why. She's here for him whether he wants it or not!

"Like I told Gojo, it took me a long time to settle in. I didn't move into anywhere for months. Just camped about. You're both doing way better on that count than I did," Alluka says, "Of course, I live on a boat now, so my home is cooler."

"Boats are definitely more fun." He agrees easily.

"Camping is fun too, though."

Alluka nods in agreement. They are more fun. She'd know. They lived a little while in Satori Hills until they figured out where they wanted to live.

"It's more fun with Big Brother than by myself," Alluka says. Shrugs. "It beat living by myself." No camping by herself doesn't count as living by herself. Shush.

"Is your brother here too?" She seems young to be alone, even in a supposedly peaceful place like this.

"No," Alluka frowns, "I left him behind when I followed the fox. He was showing me the world, and the fox offered to show me a whole other world. It was too tempting."

She gives Geto a smile, though, because she has people here. "I live with Zechs! He saved me from the swamp, and he's very serious about taking good care of me." She leans in close and whispers, "I take care of him too." Like it's a secret.

"It's good you have someone looking after you. And I'm sure you help him a lot too."

Alluka nods. She knows she's always had someone look after her, and she much prefers it like this, doing things together. "I'm glad you and Gojo are looking after each other too," Alluka says, "That's very good. I come and check on him, but it makes me feel better knowing you're here."

"He's pretty useless on his own, yeah."

Alluka smiles and laughs. "I guess you're right, though the cake he gave me for Christmas was really really good."

She glances over at the couch. She had a lot of time on it. "I hope you aren't going to keep sleeping on the couch. That isn't very good for you."

"Then he probably had nothing to do with making it." Suguru shrugs a shoulder, gaze following her to the couch.

"It's comfortable enough for the time being. I get enough sleep."

"Nope, he bought it with Lore!" Alluka agrees. Gojo admitted as much himself. It doesn't make the cake any less delicious because he still got it while thinking of her. She appreciates people thinking of her and doing nice things. Cooking appreciated but not required.

"Mmhmm, but you deserve a bed. My parents always made sure I had a bed. And lots of stuffed animals."

"And I'll make sure to get one. But I'm fine on the couch for the time being. It's not the worst place I've slept."

"Okay," Alluka says doubtfully. "I don't know if I could've fallen asleep there." Definitely not earlier.

She takes another onigiri because it's really delicious actually.

"I promise it's very comfortable." He reassures her before putting the wrapped onigiri into a bag for her, setting it in the fridge to keep them cool.

"More comfortable when someone else is here," Alluka says. She's not trying to make a comment about Geto and Gojo. She wasn't ready to be left in an apartment like that. It wasn't like when Zechs left the boat.

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