13

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It's a morning like any other when the sliding door of the training hall abruptly slams open, suddenly and without warning. Shiki jolts and goes from halfway raising her wooden practice blade for a careful block to promptly hurling it across the room instead. Kiyohira-sensei immediately whirls on the doorway as well, hand flying to the hilt of his sword–

A delighted laugh sounds right next to Shiki's ear, and the little girl finds herself suddenly lifted into the air. Before she knows it, her wooden practice sword has been pressed back into her hand, and nimble fingers pinch her cheek for good measure.

"Is that really any way to greet your Toru-nii, hmm?"

"… It's not like it would've hit you," Shiki sniffs, leaning back as she rubs at her cheek. The red lines filling her field of vision flicker and fade as she blinks once, twice, shifting her perspective back to 'normal' as her racing pulse calms.

Satoru-oniichan pinches her cheek again in the brief moment that she's distracted. Shiki belatedly tries to move out of his reach, to no avail.

"Satoru-sama." Kiyohira-sensei greets, letting his hand drop to his side… and makes absolutely no move to help her, the traitor. "This is unexpected."

Oh, that's true. Satoru-oniichan is prone to randomly dropping in for spontaneous visits out of the blue, but it's rarely bright and early in the mornings like this, when Shiki has barely started her training for the day.

"Sorry for the short notice," the white-haired teen smiles cheerily, blatantly unapologetic. "I'll be borrowing Shiki for today!"

It takes a moment for the words to register. Kiyohira-sensei stiffens, "Excuse me?"

"Sure, you're excused."

"Rude," Shiki informs her cousin with a small huff, poking him in the cheek. Or tries to, at least. Her finger involuntarily comes to a stop millimeters above Satoru-oniichan's skin, and never reaches him.

Limitless.

The little girl draws back and gives her cousin a flat look, one that she hopes conveys just how thoroughly unimpressed she is with him. Satoru-oniichan grins unrepentantly and ruffles her hair instead, messing up her high ponytail into something more of a loose side-tail.

"Satoru-sama," a light scowl makes its way to Kiyohira-sensei's face, wholly unmoved by the lighthearted byplay, "Please explain."

"What? I think it's pretty self-explanatory," the white-haired teen shrugs, deliberately casual. He shifts and readjusts his hold on Shiki with familiar ease so that she's carried more comfortably in his arms. "I'll just be taking Shiki out for a day! Don't worry, I'll have her back before nightfall… probably."

The older man presses a hand to his forehead as if to stave off an oncoming headache. "… The elders haven't mentioned anything about this."

Satoru-oniichan nods faux-sympathetically. "Well, that would be because they don't know about it yet."

At that, Kiyohira-sensei's frown deepens. "You're bringing her out without even…? … No. No, I won't allow this!"

"Oh?" The younger sorcerer's voice is markedly amused. "What makes you think I'm asking for your permission?"

Shiki glances up towards her cousin, who seems to be unusually antagonistic today. He winks at her from behind his sunglasses, a brief action that Shiki only catches due to their close proximity.

Play along.

The little girl stares at him for a moment, then gives a mental shrug. Typical Satoru-oniichan.

"Kiyohira-sensei," Shiki turns around, "I'd like to head out with Satoru-niichan, please."

There's a complicated, almost-angry sort of expression that flashes across the older man's face at her easy acquiescence to her cousin. Shiki can sympathize with him, especially knowing what she does now of Kiyohira-sensei's opinions on Satoru-oniichan… but it's not enough to sway her decision. Despite what her teacher thinks, Shiki still trusts Satoru-oniichan, in a way that she doesn't quite know how to articulate herself.

… Sorry, Kiyohira-sensei.

"You know the elders haven't given their permission for you to leave," her teacher says tersely. "It's dangerous for you to step outside clan grounds. Have you already forgotten what happened last time?"

Right, 'last time' would be the recent disaster when Shiki had accompanied Satoru-oniichan and Geto-san on their mission, involving the subsequent death of Amanai Riko.

"Of course not," Shiki shakes her head, forcing herself to focus on the conversation at hand. "But I'm not going to hide away for the rest of my life because of it."

"You're not 'hiding away for the rest of your life,' that's not–"

"Oh, but it is," Satoru-oniichan interrupts with a wry drawl, "It's pretty obvious that the elders would like nothing better than to keep Shiki under their eyelids until she's old enough to go straight to Jujutsu High. Or are you going to tell me that I'm wrong?"

Kiyohira-sensei briefly closes his eyes and tips his head back, the very image of a man praying for patience as he manages to get out, "Don't be difficult."

The white-haired teen snorts challengingly. "Is that how we're playing this? Who's the one being difficult here, really?"

"… Where do you plan to take her?"

"Out."

Kiyohira-sensei gives Satoru-oniichan a withering look.

On the other hand, Shiki tilts her head thoughtfully. "… We'll be going to Jujutsu High, right?"

Both of them glance down at her simultaneously in surprise, Kiyohira-sensei with a furrowed face and Satoru-oniichan with an arched brow.

"You're taking all the fun out of the suspense," he tells her, and Shiki rolls her eyes.

"Please stop teasing Kiyohira-sensei," she says, with no real hope of her cousin actually listening to her. "… Does this have anything to do with recent developments regarding your teacher? Yaga-san?"

Satoru-oniichan pauses, and looks at her appraisingly. "News sure travels fast, huh? I didn't realize that you'd already heard about it back in the compound here."

The little girl shrugs, "Yuzuki-san mentioned it the other day."

There's a beat of silence before the older teen makes a small sound of comprehension. "Ah. Yuzuki, he's… Hajime's youngest, right? The scrawny one who's sick?"

"Mhm."

She gets a sympathetic headpat.

"Hajime's a real piece of work, but Yuzuki's got a good head on his shoulders," her cousin muses aloud, "Pity about his health, though."

Shiki nods silently in vague agreement. Although she's well-acquainted with Yuzuki, she still has yet to meet his father, Gojo Hajime. She can't say she's exactly looking forward to it. From the offhand comments that she's heard Yuzuki make about his father, it seems to line up well with what Satoru-oniichan is implying.

"Anyways! I think we've gotten a little off-topic here," her cousin spins back towards Kiyohira-sensei. "Don't worry, we're not running off on any missions or gallivanting off to the other side of the country for an impromptu beach trip. This time. I'll have her back by the evening."

Kiyohira-sensei pinches the bridge of his nose. "… Please tell me she's not going to get involved with any of the ongoing proceedings for Yaga Masamichi's trial."

"Of course not," Satoru-oniichan raises the little girl in his arms slightly for emphasis, "Shiki here will just be insurance!"

"… Satoru-sama."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," the teenager laughs. Kiyohira-sensei looks like he's just about ready to strangle his clan heir with his bare hands at this point, and Shiki doesn't think that's a good sign. Satoru-oniichan seems to sense the older man's growing ire, though, since he deigns to elaborate a little further, "The old fogeys are being annoying again, so I figure that they're overdue for a reminder."

Kiyohira-sensei gives him a wary look for those words. "Please don't go overboard again, Satoru-sama. Hirofumi-sama is still trying to patch things over with the Kamo Clan. And last I'd heard, Lady Matsuhime is still furious by how her eldest son has spontaneously developed a new fear of heights overnight."

Shiki blinks, and instinctively glances up towards her cousin. Satoru-oniichan smiles beatifically.

"Which I had nothing to do with, of course," he says brightly.

"Which you had nothing to do with…" Kiyohira-sensei shakes his head disbelievingly, "Look, even though there's no solid proof and Kamo Nobutomo is too terrified to say anything, literally no one believes that. You weren't exactly subtle about it, Satoru-sama."

Her cousin whistles, "Really? Well, that's a shame, because I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"… Right, of course you don't," Kiyohira-sensei rubs at his head tiredly. "Satoru-sama. You're… strong. Strong enough that you don't have to fear consequences for a lot of things. But please remember that the same doesn't apply to the people around you. I'm honestly even inclined to think that this may have been directly related to the kidnapping attempt on Shiki that day, the one that killed Isao–"

"So it was the Kamo Clan, then?"

"You're not listening to me," the man grunts with frustration. "Just… think about it. If you bring Shiki to the proceedings of your teacher's trial this time, can you really guarantee that no one will target her because of it in the future? Is it worth the risk?"

"I'm not bringing her into the trial," Satoru-oniichan responds evenly. "She doesn't have anything to do with that, anyways, so there's no point."

The older man scowls, "Then why are you bringing her with you to the school on the day of Yaga Masamichi's trial at all?!"

"I told you, didn't I? Insurance," the white-haired teen drawls, then turns towards Shiki. "Hey, want to help out your favorite cousin, and maybe make a new friend while you're at it?"

"Alright," the little girl agrees. "Is this friend related to Yaga-san?"

"Yes! As a matter of fact, I'll be taking you to meet Yaga-sensei's son. Aren't you excited?"

"Are you kidding me," Kiyohira-sensei interjects from the side. The man's voice sounds completely done. "You're… bringing Shiki to the jujutsu school with you. So she can watch over Yaga's mutated cursed corpse doll for you, while the rest of you are tied up with the trial?"

"Watch your tone, Kiyohira," Satoru-oniichan says blandly, "That's a kid you're talking about, and his name is Panda."

Panda? That's an interesting name, very unique. Shiki doesn't think she's ever met someone called 'Panda' before.

Kiyohira-sensei makes a face, "I don't care what its name is. Shiki shouldn't be involved in any of this!"

Satoru-oniichan huffs, "And she won't be. This is mostly just in case those old fossils try something stupid during the trial, really. She'll be perfectly fine."

"'Perfectly fine?' Like how she was supposed to be fine when the Star Plasma Vessel–"

"Kiyohira-sensei," Shiki swiftly interrupts, before the man can finish his sentence… and potentially get himself killed. "It'll be alright. I'll only be in the school this time, and I won't be attending Yaga-san's trial. There's no reason for anything to happen to me."

"You don't understand," the man huffs irritatedly, "It's not just about the immediate danger, it's also the ramifications. The implications that would potentially follow. Yaga was already detained once before for his experimentation with abnormal cursed corpses. That his trial has now been reopened, right in the aftermath of what happened with the Star Plasma Vessel… this isn't a coincidence. Certain factions are attempting to challenge Satoru-sama again, by targeting his close associates. The last thing we need is for you to go and make a target of yourself in the middle of this mess!"

She knows this. "But I'm not a target, Kiyohira-sensei. I'm more of a… warning in this instance, aren't I? The faction that's behind this trial… includes several elders from the Gojo Clan, doesn't it? That's the reason why Yaga-san's case was reopened so quickly, despite his open affiliation with Satoru-oniichan. There are higher-ups hoping to rein Satoru-oniichan in by making an example out of Yaga-san–"

"Which still has nothing to do with you–"

"But it's likely that Yaga-san won't actually be charged with anything," the little girl continues easily despite the interruption. "So, there's also a chance that they'll turn their sights on his cursed corpse doll instead. But if I'm there, then they'll see that and know Satoru-oniichan anticipated their actions beforehand. And that would be sufficient warning, unless they want to risk escalating."

Kiyohira-sensei frowns. "… Because you're already associated with Satoru-sama? So they'll see you and consider it a warning? But even if that's the case, there are still plenty of other ways to protect Yaga's cursed corpse doll without risking you."

"But it doesn't send the same message," Shiki raises a hand and taps pointedly at her eyes. Cursed blue eyes, so similar to her cousin's, and yet so very different. "If I show up unexpectedly, then it will also serve to prove beyond doubt that Satoru-oniichan's influence in the clan is stronger than they think. Because I'm currently supposed to be isolated and confined to clan grounds, right?"

The man pauses. "Are you saying…?"

"I'm not interested in causing trouble. But, I don't particularly care for the sort of games that the elders play, either," the little girl shrugs. "You know that, Kiyohira-sensei. So… this is a good opportunity for me to make that clear as well, isn't it?"

Her teacher stares at her mutely for a moment. "… How long have you been aware of all of this?"

There's no easy answer to that question regarding the intricacies of clan matters, honestly. But if she were to look back on things…

Shiki had always been acutely aware that the Gojo Clan only wanted her for her cursed eyes, from the very beginning. All this time, even if most of the elders' maneuvering in the background went over her head, it didn't mean that she didn't notice anything. Shiki isn't a genius, but she's not an oblivious idiot, either.

The little girl sighs quietly, feeling distinctly tired.

By the time Shiki and Satoru-oniichan finally leave for the jujutsu school together, Kiyohira-sensei still isn't particularly happy with the entire affair. But he does not try to physically stop them, and that's probably the best possible outcome.

Her cousin tousles her hair, "Since when did you get so smart?"

Shiki doesn't even bother attempting to re-straighten her hair anymore by this point. "Since Yuzuki-san started handing me half the clan's historical records to read, I guess. We've had some… interesting conversations."

"Hmm. I didn't realize that inter-clan politics and internal affairs were something you're interested in," Satoru-oniichan comments. "Did you go looking for extra readings because the scrolls from your lessons aren't enough for you?"

"Not really. My lessons have been focused on jujutsu history so far, not clan politics," Shiki makes a vague gesture with her hands. "I'm currently learning about how Chinese Taoism affected the development of onmyodo during the Heian Era."

"I see," her cousin says in a markedly neutral tone, and does not elaborate.

… Shiki gets the vague sense that she might've missed something yet again, but shrugs and lets it pass. There's something else that she's a little more concerned about, at the moment.

"Satoru-oniichan?" she asks.

"Yes?" comes the distracted response.

"… Will Kento-ojichan be at the school?"

"Yeah, he'll be there at the trial. You'll get a chance to see Nanami again afterwards, don't worry," Satoru-oniichan smiles. "He's been doing well. Very healthy set of lungs. I wouldn't want to get yelled at by him again haha, put in a good word for me?"

Shiki smiles a bit at the mental image those words paint, although it's also heavily tinted by concern. Guilt.

She knows that Satoru-oniichan had sought out Kento-ojichan during the time she'd been hospitalized to explain the tumultuous events of her disastrous outing. Neither of the two had shared the full details of their conversation that day with her, but from the way that Kento-ojichan had immediately swept Shiki into a crushing hug when he'd seen her again, from the way that there had been a distinctly choked note in his voice when he'd breathlessly whispered, Thank gods you're alright…

Shiki had been glad to see that Kento-ojichan was alright, too.

There had been many, many things she'd wanted to tell him at the time, when she'd finally seen her uncle again –and just as many things that she didn't want to say. Things that she didn't even know how to begin going about saying.

I almost died. I killed someone. Kiyohira-sensei was upset. Are you upset with me? … Please don't be upset with me.

Shiki is pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her cousin's voice when he starts speaking again.

"Yaga-sensei has filled in for some of the first year classes before, too, so Nanami and Haibara will both be summoned for the trial. I'll bring Nanami with me afterwards, though," Satoru-oniichan tells her. "As for you… well, we really do need someone to keep an eye on Panda. The council already knows about Panda, and I don't trust them not to try and pull a fast one on us during the proceedings."

The little girl nods in understanding. "So I'll be with… Panda?"

"So you'll be sticking with Panda," her cousin agrees. "You're not wrong with what you said to Kiyohira earlier, but aside from that… I really do think you might be able to make a new friend. And if nothing else, at least it'll make the elders think twice about trying to lock you up in the future again! Probably."

She gets another headpat.

"There's no need to overthink things too much. Have fun with Panda! And remember to play nice."

Play nice.

She can do that.

.

.

As it turns out, 'Panda' is… quite literally, a panda. A fairly small panda, one that stands only slightly taller than Shiki herself in terms of height, but an honest-to-goodness panda nonetheless.

… At least that explains the name?

"So. Introductions!" Satoru-oniichan claps his hands together. "Panda, this is Shiki, my adorable little cousin! Also Nanami's niece. Try not to upset her, or you might find yourself turned into sashimi."

Shiki tries not to look too offended.

"S-sashimi…?"

The white-haired sorcerer ignores the nervous gulp from the talking panda in favor of turning back towards her.

His arm sweeps out with a flourish, "Shiki, this is Panda."

The little girl waits a beat for her cousin to continue… but no, apparently this is all that he has to say for Panda in terms of introductions. Somehow, she can't say that she's entirely surprised.

Shiki folds her arms across her chest and lets out a small 'hmph,' mildly put out. She thinks that she might finally understand why Kento-ojichan always tends to wear a flat, unamused expression on his face whenever Satoru-oniichan is around.

The teenager clutches at his chest and makes an exaggeratedly wounded sound in response to her reaction. Shiki swiftly ducks her head and hides a smile.

"Alright, I need to get going now. I'll leave the two of you to it, then." Satoru-oniichan straightens with an easy grin, "Be good! Don't do anything I wouldn't."

And with a conspiratorial wink and one last jaunty wave, her cousin spins on his heel and waltzes out of the room, the doors sliding shut behind him with resounding finality.

… Well. That's that, then, she supposes. Shiki turns her attention towards the other occupant in the room.

Mutated cursed corpse doll, Kiyohira-sensei had called it. Him, she consciously corrects herself. Satoru-oniichan had made it abundantly clear on the way here that Panda was his own person. This was, after all, a unique cursed corpse doll that had attained sentience and manifested a sense of self, quite unlike the mindlessness of most other cursed puppets that held little difference from any other cursed tools.

Shiki surveys the other child silently for a moment. Blinks, then leans forward.

"Why do you have three hearts?" she asks curiously. Or she assumes those are hearts, at least. The red lines scored across Panda cluster densely at three distinct, separate points on his torso… no, wait, that's not the right term for it. Cores? Right, cursed corpse dolls are made using 'cores.' "Three cursed cores, my mistake. Oh, that's interesting…"

The lines suddenly ripple alarmingly.

Shiki looks up, just in time to see how Panda's entire body shifts. The rounded lines tense and sharpen, bulk up with a harder edge. It's vaguely reminiscent of something almost… muscular. Misshapen, for sure. Long arms slam against the ground, hands curling into fists–

Wait, hands?

The little girl blinks, disconcerted. She's pretty sure that pandas have paws, not hands… not that Panda appears to resemble a panda very much anymore at the moment, which is probably a greater concern, going by the fluctuating cursed energy.

Shiki shakes her head and sighs at herself. It hasn't even been a full minute since Satoru-oniichan has left the room! … Maybe Kiyohira-sensei had a perfectly legitimate reason to despair over Shiki's distinct lack of social skills. Which probably hasn't been helped in the least by her longtime confinement to the clan compound.

"I bet you don't have very many friends, either," she tells the other kid, faintly commiserating.

"I do too!" comes an immediate protest to her words. It seems to have thrown the not-panda for a loop, the hostility in their stance replaced with confusion instead. "I… I have lots of friends!"

Confusion, with an undercurrent of something that sounds almost… upset?

… Shiki is starting to get the distinct impression that she may have messed up here, however unintentionally. Oops.

"I didn't mean any offense…" Shiki waves her hands in a vaguely conciliatory manner, feeling a bit at a loss as to what to do at this moment. Despite her cousin's joking words earlier, turning his sensei's 'son' into sashimi doesn't seem appropriate at all. "Um. Satoru-oniichan wanted me to stay with you for the duration of Yaga-san's trial… It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She's careful to try and present herself in a non-threatening manner as she offers her own awkward greeting, empty hands splayed open to prove that she's harmless… despite the knives hidden beneath the folds of her kimono. No need to mention that, though, right?

Panda stares at her for a long moment in complete silence, visibly tense. Then, "You talk funny."

"I do not," Shiki promptly denies. But wavers, as doubt seeps in through the cracks of her wavering confidence. "… Do I?"

Harsh edges gradually deflate and round out into something smooth once more. Panda gives a heartfelt nod, once more looking like a perfectly normal panda, for all intents and purposes –if pandas could stand upright on two hind legs and talk like a regular human.

"You do," he says, sounding vaguely sympathetic for some reason. "But it's okay, I won't make fun of you for it!"

"… Thanks?" Shiki wonders if she should be offended or not.

Panda nods seriously, sitting back on the ground in a light sprawl. Shiki follows his lead, taking a seat herself as well as she neatly folds her legs beneath herself.

The room is nice, clean and spacious –if rather empty. The tatami flooring isn't quite as nice as the one back in the Gojo clan compound, but perhaps that's only to be expected. Shiki has already been to Jujutsu High several times by this point, but the rooms in this particular section of the school are still new to her. She hasn't had reason to visit the barrier and containment rooms prior to today, and it's cozier than she'd expected, surprisingly.

Maybe it's nepotism? Panda is Yaga-san's 'son,' nominally, and from what she remembers Yaga-san is slated to be the next principal of the Tokyo jujutsu school.

The little girl's gaze flickers briefly to the sliding doors. Red lines gleam upon the wooden frames, but there are faint trails of something almost sky-blue curled over the surface as well. Likely indicative of whatever protective barriers or seals embedded into the wood.

Containment, or protection?

… Both, most likely. She'd suspected as much.

Although the reasoning that Satoru-oniichan had given to Kiyohira-sense for bringing Shiki out to the school today was ostensibly as 'insurance' for Panda's protection, it's probably not the full picture. There's most likely other factors at play as well –although her cousin isn't wrong in that Shiki would make a good deterrence against enemy action. Should any sorcerers be sent after Panda in the meantime, they would definitely think twice before acting if Shiki was present.

It's one thing to take an experimental cursed corpse doll into custody, but another thing entirely to take away a friend of a not-insignificant clan child. And even despite the various misgivings involved in Shiki's particular situation at large, there's no denying that the Gojo Clan is genuinely invested in her.

'Friend.'

… This would be why Satoru-oniichan had specifically asked if she would like to make a new friend earlier, then. Helping the 'child' of his teacher while getting Shiki out of the stifling clan compound for a while at the same time –two birds, meet one stone.

Typical Satoru-oniichan.

Shiki shakes her head with a sigh. It's not as if she's opposed to going along with her cousin's plans on the fly, but Shiki can't help but think that it would've been nice if he'd actually talked to her about it, rather than leave her to cobble the pieces together herself.

Maybe it's a clan thing? Who knows.

Panda is… surprisingly cheery and good-natured. Even though they'd started off on the wrong foot, it doesn't take long for the other child to become comfortable with her, chattering on about a cool beetle that he'd found out in the mountain underbrush.

Shiki, not having any particular feelings on bugs, hums lightly to indicate vague interest even though she doesn't follow the line of conversation very well.

Thankfully, Panda doesn't seem to be off-put when she quietly admits that she's never gone bug-hunting before. Instead, he puffs out his chest and declares that he knows the best spots to find bugs –and he can show Shiki all his cool findings next time! She can come along with him.

Shiki tries not to think about how she'll most likely be stuck in the clan estate for a month straight after her impromptu escapade today. It's still worth it, though. Daisaku-sama, for one, had not seemed inclined to loosen any of the restrictions on her until the next year, and Shiki–

It's not as if she doesn't understand that it's dangerous, this new world she now lives in. But if things continue forever like this, from weeks to months to years… how long will it take until hiding becomes a habit for her? Until it becomes an automatic response to anything and everything? Is she going to be stuck hiding for her entire life?

I refuse.

"You don't go out much, do you?"

"I do not, no." Shiki recalls a sandy beachfront and a brilliant expanse of blue water, glittering beneath the sun. Despite the way things turned out in the end, Okinawa had been… nice. She's not sure if she ever wants to go to a beach again, though. "What about you?"

Her playmate brightens. It's a little jarring, seeing such emotive, humanlike expressions on a panda's face, but Shiki has seen far stranger things by this point. Things that are far, far more disturbing than a fluffy cursed corpse doll determined to be friends with her.

"I go out lots!" Panda exclaims excitedly. Then deflates a little bit, "Only in the mountains, though. Dad says it's not safe to head into the city on my own. I dunno, I think I'd be fine! I'm great with directions!"

"… I don't think that's what Yaga-san is concerned about," Shiki says, as diplomatically as she can. Considering that Panda looks like a… well, panda, there's a very obvious reason why Yaga-san would want to keep him away from public venues. The sort of attention that a 'human-like panda' would draw from the public eye couldn't be good for jujutsu sorcerers, who mostly operated discreetly from the shadows in secrecy.

"Eh?"

"It's nothing," the little girl sighs.

Still. The prospect of being restricted to a limited area is something that Shiki can relate to, especially given her circumstances, and it makes her a bit more sympathetic towards her new friend. In a way, both of them have been restricted like this for their own safety and protection.

(Until the day they become strong enough to stand by themselves.)

The conversation moves on as the two grow more familiar with each other. At some point, Panda reaches behind himself and pulls out a stack of paper triumphantly, and Shiki gets an impromptu crash course in folding paper stars.

"If you fold a thousand of them, then you can make a wish!"

Shiki tilts her head, confused, "I thought that was cranes?"

"Uhh…"

It's a moot point in the end, though, as they stare blankly at each other and come to the inevitable realization that neither of them know how to fold paper cranes. Might as well stick with stars, in that case–

And then the door slams open with an unceremonious thud, sharp and jarring.

Shiki knows, even before she turns to look, that it's not Satoru-oniichan. Nor anyone else that she recognizes, for that matter.

"In accordance with the current regulations, subject 'Panda' is to be taken into custody until such that–" The self-important look on the haughty stranger's face disappears the instant he makes eye contact with her. "You… you're…?"

She can see the moment it clicks for him. A tiny little girl with snow-white hair and cursed blue eyes… the distinct features that so loudly announce her identity to all and sundry are on full display. She's not even making a token effort to wear sunglasses. Zero deniability.

There's a pinched expression on the sorcerer's face now, one that almost makes it look as if he'd bitten into a lemon.

"Greetings to the blessed child," he says curtly.

Back straight, shoulders relaxed, chin lifted. Shiki recalls Yuzuki-san's advice, and dips her head slightly in acknowledgement.

"Greetings," she responds serenely. In contrast to her carefully-projected calm, Panda is noticeably tense beside her. Shiki pats his paw, trying to deliver a silent message of Don't worry, it'll be alright–

Ah. The sorcerer is openly frowning now, and not even bothering to hide it. Probably because Shiki had just made it blatantly clear whose side she was on here.

"Gojo-sama, I must request that you remove your presence from that thing." The man's voice is clipped, short and perfunctory. "That's a volatile experimental body, an abrupt mutated cursed corpse of unknown–"

"You will not take Panda," Shiki shakes her head as she cuts him off. "You do not have the authority."

Taking Panda into custody while Yaga was currently facing trial was something that depended entirely on one's perspective, honestly. If viewing Panda strictly as a cursed corpse, a cursed object –then yes, dangerous objects being seized and confiscated was something perfectly normal for the higher-ups to demand in a situation like this. But by this point, Shiki had no doubts that Panda was his own person and sentient, she could see it. It made sense for Panda to be watched and confined, but not unilaterally dragged away, never to be seen again.

The sorcerer scowls, taking a threatening step forward. Shiki mentally prepares herself to grab the knives she'd hidden on herself, just in case. "'Authority?' My authority is absolutely unquestionable, you–"

"Are you sure about that?"

The man stiffens, and whirls around to meet the new arrival. It's not Satoru-oniichan, the voice isn't right –not to mention, her cousin should still be at Yaga-san's ongoing trial at the moment– but it still sounds vaguely familiar, for some reason…?

"Gojo Jihei," the antagonistic sorcerer grits out, clearly disgruntled. "Why are you here?"

Ah. It's Jihei-san, Daisaku-sama's aide. Shiki remembers seeing the brown-haired man following after the wizened elder at more than one clan meeting. He'd also… been the one who'd brought Shiki to Kiyohira-sensei's doorstep what seemed like a lifetime ago. She sees him around occasionally, enough that he's a familiar face, even though it's always to carry out Daisaku-sama's orders.

From that perspective, it's fairly obvious why he's here, following Shiki's escape from the clan compound.

Gojo Jihei inclines his head, an elegant motion. "Kamo Nagaharu. I believe it would be best for you to leave now. If it's of any consolation, please rest assured that the abrupt mutated cursed corpse will not be removed from this room. The contaminants for this room remain secure."

"… Is that how Gojo Daisaku-sama is playing things?"

Jihei-san smiles pleasantly. The expression does not reach his eyes.

"It would be best," he repeats himself, soft and casual, "For you to leave."

There's a moment of stilted silence, before Kamo-san backs down with a slight huff. Shiki gets the feeling that she's missed something again –not that that's anything new at this point– but still, it's good that the situation hasn't… escalated.

Her fellow clansman casts a pointed look towards where Shiki's hand rests not-so-discreetly over her knife the moment the Kamo sorcerer is out of sight.

"Shiki-sama," Jihei-san sounds distinctly pained, "I sincerely hope you weren't planning to cause another uproar with the Kamo Clan while Lady Matsuhime is still on the warpath these days."

"I wasn't going to attack him," Shiki looks away in favor of smoothing out her kimono instead.

"Then I must thank you for your restraint," the man says dryly.

For a moment, silence falls between them.

"… Is that all? I would've thought that you'd be here to take me back immediately."

Jihei-san shrugs. "Daisaku-sama had already been notified the moment you stepped outside the compound with Satoru-sama. He's certainly not happy about it, but… Muneyoshi-sama managed to talk him down. Although, I suspect you'll have a stern talking-to waiting for you after you return."

Shiki nods. A stern reprimand is only to be expected, given her actions, but she's still somewhat surprised that overbearing Daisaku-sama didn't tell Jihei-san to drag her back to the clan compound immediately the moment he found her.

"… Can returning wait until I've seen Kento-ojichan?"

The man pauses. There is a moment where he regards her silently, and his countenance softens.

"Yes, certainly. That's fine."

Shiki dips her head in thanks. "I appreciate it, Jihei-san."

The sorcerer waves a hand as he looks away, omitting any verbal response.

"'Kento-ojichan?'" To the side, Panda suddenly perks up and makes a sound of dawning comprehension –Shiki had honestly almost forgotten about him for a moment there, whoops. "As in, Nanami Kento?"

"Mhm. My uncle."

"Oh, gotcha. Wait… but isn't Gojo-san your cousin? How does that even work?"

The little girl sighs, suddenly inexplicably tired, "… It's a long story."

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