.
There is a small collection of people waiting for them when they arrive in the Tobiume family's section of the clan compound. Kiyohira-sensei steps forward with a brief, perfunctory bow, and the motion is echoed by the other Tobiume clansmen behind him.
"Uh," Kirara halts awkwardly in his tracks, then quickly shuffles a few steps so that he's standing behind Shiki.
To the side, Kinji not-so-subtly stifles a laugh at Kirara's actions, which earns him an elbow to the ribs from his classmate.
"We welcome your return, branch head." The words are a little mixed and uneven, instead of coming out as a unified greeting. Which makes sense; Kiyohira-sensei has never really been a stickler for decorum the way certain other elders are, which in turn means that he's never seen the point in getting the Tobiume to neatly rehearse this traditional greeting in preparation for any of Shiki's temporary visits to the compound. To him, it's enough to simply ensure that the Tobiume greet Shiki in her capacity as the branch head like this.
In Shiki's opinion, even the greeting itself is meaningless –but she is aware that there are others in the clan who would not see it that way. And if there were those who became aware that the Tobiume did not properly respect their young branch head, then that opened up its own avenue of potential troubles that Shiki would prefer not needing to deal with.
Thus, her only reaction is, "It's a pleasure to be back."
… Even though she really can't say that it's much of a pleasure, considering the reason why she returned to the clan compound this time around. At least it's nice to see Kiyohira-sensei again, though.
Her teacher casts a searching glance over her group, "I see that you've brought quite a few visitors back with you this time around. You couldn't have sent word of this ahead of time?"
"It was a spur of the moment decision," Shiki responds.
"… I guessed as much," Kiyohira-sensei sighs gruffly, and motions them in through the gates. "So. How long will you be staying this time? I assume that you're here because of the results of the recent clan meeting over the ruckus that the Yagyus are making."
Takagi-sensei suddenly chokes on thin air, apropos of nothing. Kiyohira-sensei flicks his eyes towards the younger man, assessing, but ignores him for the moment.
"You would be correct," Shiki nods. "I'm meeting with Daisaku-sama tomorrow."
"Hm. Not today?" Kiyohira-sensei raises an eyebrow.
That had been her initial plan, but, "There are a few other things I'd like to catch up on first. And Hayanari-san offered to readjust Daisaku-sama's schedule."
"Did he, now?" Kiyohira-sensei pauses, and turns towards the young man in question. "Daisaku-sama won't mind it?"
"I am certain that he would not," Hayanari-san answers with a respectful bow towards Kiyohira-sensei. "If anything, I believe that Daisaku-sama would also appreciate having an additional day to take care of any outstanding matters on his end before meeting with Shiki-jousama."
Kiyohira-sensei lets out a light huff, "And mentally prepare himself for it too, I take it?"
"It would be rude of me to speculate on the venerated elder's hypothetical personal reasons," Hayanari-san says blandly, his expression unchanging.
Kiyohira-sensei shakes his head in amusement, "I suppose you have a point."
Shiki looks between their byplay consideringly. Kiyohira-sensei seems to be more familiar with Hayanari-san than she'd expected them to be. Perhaps that shouldn't be such a surprise though, given that Hayanari-san appears to be a trusted assistant of Daisaku-sama's. She also distinctly recalls that Hayanari-san had been one of the clansmen present at Kiyohira-sensei's side during Obon this year, and that would also account for their evident familiarity with each other.
"That aside," Kiyohira-sensei turns his attention back towards her, "I see that you've also brought a good number of visitors with you."
"Hi, Kiyohira-sensei," Kinji chirps, giving the burly man a casual wave.
Kiyohira-sensei stares at the boy for a long moment, deadpan. Kinji continues smiling.
"What? I mean, he did teach us a bit in Kyoto, didn't he?" Kinji nudges Kirara.
"Only a few elementary basics relating to jujutsu," Kiyohira-sensei sighs. His firm statement and clarification instantly quells the faint unease that Kinji's words had stirred among the other Tobiume clansmen present. Clearly, no one had forgotten how Hakari Kinji had been detained in Kyoto under suspicion of having stolen clan secrets, even as baseless and short-lived as the entire experience had been.
"Yeah, that!"
Kiyohira-sensei sighs again.
"… We should move this conversation elsewhere." The man's gaze flickers briefly over the other Tobiume present. He clears his throat, and raises his voice authoritatively. "Everyone is dismissed. You may return to your own tasks."
There is a slight pause that meets his words, a few people exchanging silent glances with each other for the briefest of moments. But there is no one who questions Kiyohira-sensei openly or argues against his orders. One of the men is the first to move –Gojo Hijiri, if Shiki recalls his name correctly– and dips his head in a short bow towards Kiyohira-sensei before turning and briskly walking away.
It serves as an unseen signal of sorts; slowly, the small crowd disperses, as each person returns to their own tasks.
"… Are there more people here than last time?" Shiki remembers the Tobiume being quite small in terms of their numbers, and while most are familiar faces to her by this point, there are a few that look new.
"We do have several new members who were adopted into the Tobiume line," Kiyohira-sensei explains. "Although I don't suppose you've had a chance to see it in the report yet. And, not all of the ones you saw just now are actually Tobiume. Minako-san got into an argument with her in-laws last week that spiraled out of control a bit, and she ended up bringing her husband and children back to the Tobiume with her… and somehow a good number of their cousins started showing up one after another like stray cats afterwards. I'm still trying to get to the bottom of that mess, before you ever so kindly gave me a new one to deal with on top of it just recently."
Shiki blinks, then pointedly looks away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Kiyohira-sensei rolls his eyes. Despite the complaint in his words, there's nothing in his tone that indicates he's actually upset or blaming her for this 'new mess.'
"Come," he beckons her. "I know that there are various things that you'll need to be updated on before meeting with any of the elders… ah. I believe that I'm getting ahead of myself. You should take a moment to properly settle your guests first, before diving into your work. You're not bringing them along with you to any of the clan meetings, are you?"
"Of course not." The elders would riot if Shiki did such a thing… hmm. Maybe she should shelve that idea for a later time in the future.
"That would be for the best," Kiyohira-sensei nods, oblivious to her musings, and lifts his gaze towards her classmates and teacher. "Since Shiki was the one who brought all of you here, there is no one who can technically force you to leave against your will. In the unlikely situation that there is anyone who attempts to do so, then please notify me or one of the nearby staff and we will sort out the situation. Please do not take a page out of Shiki's book."
… So maybe Kiyohira-sensei was a little miffed that Shiki had added more trouble onto his already-heavy workload as the sole Tobiume elder.
"You won't have anything to worry about on that front," Takagi-sensei mutters under his breath.
"I most certainly hope not," Kiyohira-sensei grumbles.
The two men suddenly share a long look with each other, filled with understanding.
Shiki resists the urge to roll her eyes, and motions for her classmates to follow her. "I'll show you to the guest quarters before I leave you to your own devices."
"Ooh, is that permission to look around this place on our own?" Kinji perks up.
"It depends on what you define as 'this place.'" Shiki thinks about it for a moment, "Within the Tobiume's sector, you may roam as you wish. As long as you do not disturb any of the clansmen in their private residences, that is."
"Yeah, that's kind of obvious," Kinji bobs his head, nodding agreeably. "So… do you have a map, or something?"
"… I do not." It's not something that Shiki has ever really needed. As a young child, she'd mostly stayed with Kiyohira-sensei in his old residence, and she'd never been gripped with a burning curiosity to thoroughly explore her new surroundings. There had always been servants to guide her where she needed to go, too, and eventually she'd ended up memorizing the layout of the entire compound naturally over the years.
"Oh. Is that like… a security thing?" Okkotsu-san asks thoughtfully.
"Maybe? … You can ask one of the serving staff for directions, if you're lost. And…" Shiki pulls out a small silken pouch kept in the sleeves of her kimono, and rummages through its contents. Ah, there it is. "If you're worried about accidentally wandering beyond Tobiume grounds, there's an easy way to identify the borders."
She raises her hand, lifting the item that she just procured.
Kirara leans forward curiously. "That looks like a… flower? Is that a wooden flower carving?"
"It's a stylized plum blossom. The symbol of the Tobiume lineage," Shiki explains. "If you see it carved onto the buildings as decoration, then it means that it belongs to the Tobiume."
And so saying, she pats the building that happens to be next to them –on one of the wooden posts, there is a small plum blossom, just as she'd said.
"Huh," Kinji also leans forward to take a look. Kirara peers curiously over the older boy's shoulder. "… That makes things easier, then."
"Are you sure it's… okay, for us to just wander around?" Okkotsu-san asks cautiously. "I mean, I might be reading things wrong but… your clan is super traditional and everything, right? People won't be bothered by it?"
Shiki shrugs, "They might be curious, since the clan compound doesn't see outside visitors very often. And if anyone tries to bother you over it–"
"Please at least attempt to refrain from maiming them in response," Kiyohira-sensei's voice sounds sharply from behind her.
"… That's not what I was about to say." Shiki feels faintly wronged by the assumption.
Kiyohira-sensei rolls his eyes. "Threatening to maim someone also counts. Not that I suspect anyone will be giving your guests any trouble, but…"
The man walks over towards them. He brushes past Shiki, and comes to a stop in front of the three boys, towering over them.
"Do not cause trouble for Shiki," he says. "Is that clear?"
"Yessir," Kinji tosses Kiyohira-sensei a lazy two-fingered salute, unbothered.
Shiki blinks at her teacher. "… Are you expecting trouble?"
Kiyohira-sensei pauses briefly. "Not as such, but… well, I suppose that we'll have time to talk things over later, since you won't be meeting with Daisaku-sama until tomorrow."
"Alright, then." So there's some sort of trouble that Kiyohira-sensei suspects might happen, but it's not large enough of a problem that it's an urgent, pressing issue that needs to be dealt with immediately.
Kiyohira-sensei pats her on the shoulder. "Go get your sensei and fellow students settled in. I have an idea of what you're thinking by bringing Okkotsu Yuta with you… and I doubt any of the clan elders are going to be blind to it, either."
"I told Satoru-niichan I would watch over him."
"And you're certainly living up to that promise," Kiyohira-sensei sighs. "… I don't suppose he predicted any of this?"
Shiki shrugs noncommittally. She wouldn't have put it past her cousin to have considered it as a possibility, but he's not omnipotent. He couldn't have known that Shiki would decide to kill two of the higher ups during the time that he was out of the country.
Kiyohira-sensei is quiet for a moment. "Is… is Kento aware of what happened?"
"Yes." Choki had been the one to quietly suggest to Shiki that she keep her uncle informed of what she'd done. I'm certain that Nanami-sama would prefer to hear the news from you yourself, instead of through any others who may twist the situation, ojou-sama. She appreciated the thoughtful suggestion from her assistant.
Ken-jichan hadn't been happy about it at all, and their conversation had lasted quite some time yesterday –one of the reasons why Shiki had been late going to sleep. He'd been frustrated about the higher ups and their machinations, but he also hadn't been entirely happy with Shiki, either. Logically, her uncle understood why she'd done it, but…
…
Shiki doesn't suppose that there's a good answer to this dilemma. Rules exist for a reason. But the elders and the way they keep manipulating things to their favor with impunity… that's not something that's acceptable, either, and Ken-jichan is of the same opinion as Satoru-niichan that there needs to be change.
If it had been Ken-jichan in her position… he probably wouldn't have killed the elders.
But what would he have done?
Shiki had stated to the higher ups that she would kill them, if they overstepped the line she'd drawn. They'd then proceeded to overstep it. Then, what would their reaction be, if they realized that her words were as empty air like the lies they breathed? How would she be able to make them listen to what she was saying in the future, if they believed that she feared them?
A warm hand coming down to rest on her shoulder breaks her out of her thoughts; Shiki glances up towards Kiyohira-sensei who looks down at her knowingly.
"Get your sensei and classmates settled," he repeats himself, "And you can come find me to discuss anything you wish afterwards."
Shiki nods, "Alright, Kiyohira-sensei."
Another brief pat on her shoulder, and the man withdraws his hand from her, leaving behind it the cold imprint from a sudden absence of warmth.
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"So. The two higher ups that you killed," Kiyohira-sensei states straightforwardly without preamble, once Shiki finds him in his office. Choki had once again pulled through for her and found one of his clansmen to serve as a guide for Shiki's guests during their short stay in the clan compound, allowing Shiki to cut her explanations short and return to Kiyohira-sensei. "Have you decided how you'll be proceeding with the fallout from it all?"
"Suspension from school, isn't it?"
Kiyohira-sensei stills for a moment, then sets down his pen and looks up from the stack of papers in front of him. Reaching up with his hand, he removes his set of reading glasses and sets them aside on the table. The movement is smooth and fluid; the movements of his puppetry-based prosthesis indistinguishable from those of his flesh-and-blood limb.
"You're going along with what the clan decided?" he frowns slightly. "Tell me what you're thinking."
"It's inconvenient, but also convenient," Shiki responds with a small shrug, taking a seat across from Kiyohira-sensei at his desk. "I'm going to accept the suspension. It'll make it easier to negotiate with the Yagyu and interrogate their members for information on Geto-san's whereabouts."
"Geto Suguru…" Kiyohira-sensei's eyes narrow. "Yes, I've heard about that. The Yagyus purchased a cursed spirit from one of his associates, if I'm not mistaken."
"Yagyu Nariyasu admitted to it," Shiki confirms for her teacher.
"How convenient," Kiyohira-sensei mutters. "And at a time when our clan head is out of the country, too…"
"Which is why we shouldn't let go of the opportunity." If Satoru-niichan were here, he would most certainly follow up on this promising lead. Geto-san was very good at covering his tracks.
"Even if it's at your own expense?" Kiyohira-sensei asks roughly.
"I'm not really losing anything," Shiki points out. "Even if I'm suspended from school, it's not like I won't be able to see my classmates. It's only really inconvenient in regards to Okkotsu-san, since it's been determined that he is to stay in the Tokyo school as an incoming student next year."
"Do you have a plan to deal with that?" The man folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his seat.
"Of sorts." Shiki waves a hand in a 'so-so' gesture. "In the worst case scenario, I'll still be staying on school grounds, just not participating in lessons. There would be a lot of grumbling from it, though, which comes with its own issues."
"And the best case scenario?" Kiyohira-sensei arches an eyebrow. "Don't tell me it's getting the kid out of the Tokyo school, not after all the trouble you and our clan head went through to get him in there in the first place. And even if you do remove him from the school, there's absolutely no way that anyone in the administration is going to sit quietly if you bring him back to the Gojo Clan with you."
Yes, Shiki doesn't suppose that any of the higher ups would be happy if the Gojo Clan came into possession of a third Special Grade sorcerer. The entire reason why they'd made a play to gain control over Okkotsu Yuta to begin with was in hopes to get someone to act as a counterbalance to Gojo Satoru. In their eyes, it was already bad enough that an impressionable child was being left in the Tokyo school, where the Gojo Clan's influence was strong. But if Okkotsu-san was welcomed into the Gojo Clan on top of that…
Shiki imagines that there would be a lot of discontent directed towards the Gojos in that situation, to put it mildly.
Still. "My best case scenario doesn't involve removing Okkotsu-san from the Tokyo school to keep him with me."
"Oh?" Kiyohira-sensei tilts his head at her.
"Satoru-niichan is concerned about the higher ups sinking their claws into Okkotsu-san while he's not around. That's why he asked me to watch him," Shiki lays out the facts. "What he's concerned about is Okkotsu-san's wellbeing. It doesn't necessarily have to be me who's watching over Okkotsu-san in his stead. He–"
"If you're thinking that your classmates will be enough to convince the higher ups to think twice before messing with the kid, I can guarantee you that definitely won't be the case," Kiyohira-sensei interrupts with a frown.
"No," Shiki shakes her head. "I was going to say, 'He can do it himself.'"
Thrown for a loop, Kiyohira-sensei stares silently at her. Shiki returns the gaze levelly, patiently.
"… You're saying that Gojo Satoru can do it himself?" he asks flatly.
"Mhm."
"And how would he even attempt to go about doing that?" Kiyohira-sensei's voice is incredulous. "He's busy enough with his own work as a sorcerer, and the projects that he's working on towards reform between them. So how in the world is he going to find time to stay in the Tokyo school… and… watch…"
The man's voice trails off slowly, realization dawning.
"… He wants to be a teacher?" Kiyohira-sensei shoots up to his feet, alarmed. "Why? Does he even know how to properly teach?"
"Satoru-niichan helped me train my cursed technique," Shiki defends loyally.
"And there's still a giant crater in the eastern training field from whatever it was the two of you did the last time you had a training session together in the compound," Kiyohira-sensei fires back immediately, clearly unconvinced.
Shiki opens her mouth, and pauses. "It's still there?"
That's surprising. It's not as if the Gojo Clan doesn't have enough funds to perform repairs for structural damage caused by training accidents, so why–?
"Apparently, Takatomi-sama thought it was funny," Kiyohira-sensei mutters. "He also left orders to leave it there until New Year's, because it will 'serve as an object lesson for those who may think to do unnecessary things in the meantime.'"
"Takatomi-sama?" Shiki blinks. "I was under the impression that he doesn't support Satoru-niichan. Has that somehow changed?"
"Somewhat. He still constantly disagrees with many of the reforms that our honored clan head desires to make, but in certain matters… I suppose you could say that he's fallen into line. For now." The burly man sighs, rubbing his head as he slowly sinks back down into his seat. "What Takatomi-sama hates more than actions that he views as detrimental to the Gojo Clan are traitors. Those who look to undermine Satoru-sama's authority for trite reasons."
"… That's rather hypocritical of him, isn't it?"
Kiyohira-sensei lets out a sharp bark of laughter. "Yes. But if you ask him, then he'd probably tell you that he only does so for noble reasons –ones that will serve to benefit the Gojo Clan as a whole, in the end."
Gojo Takatomi is someone who is of the belief that he knows what's best for the clan, and will oftentimes act in accordance to those beliefs. Which isn't necessarily a good thing. His authority has notably decreased since Daisaku-sama rose to power in the years following Satoru-niichan's ascension to headship, but Takatomi-sama still remains as an influential figure within the Gojo Clan even now.
"We've gotten rather off-track," Kiyohira-sensei murmurs. "… So. Our honored clan head is planning to become a teacher at the jujutsu school? … There's no way the higher ups are going to agree to this."
"Technically, the appointment of a teaching position isn't something that needs to be approved by the council," Shiki counters. "And if I've already been suspended from school, then the higher ups will be hampered in the actions they can take. If they proceed to bar Satoru-niichan from taking a teaching position after I've already gracefully accepted 'punishment,' then it'll seem like they're deliberately acting against the Gojo Clan."
And even though it's true that the higher ups would dearly like to curtail the Gojo Clan's growing power, they also wanted to do so in a way that made them seem virtuous and reasonable –to have the moral high ground, so to speak. To carry and portray themselves in a way that made them seem justified in their actions and decisions.
As if anyone would be fooled by such a thinly-veiled facade.
But still, it was something that the higher ups cared about, unreasonable as it seemed in Shiki's eyes. And as long as it was something that they cared about, then it was a tool that could be used against them.
"Suspension is only a token punishment for you, so it's not much of a penalty to begin with," Kiyohira-sensei points out. "But… I see your point. If the Gojo Clan gracefully assigns punishment to you when they could've argued otherwise with what the Yagyu elders pulled, and then the higher ups turn around and block such a trivial request from the Gojo clan head to take up a teaching position… it's not going to look good for them. If that's the case, it might actually sway several of the other sorcery clans towards the Gojo Clan's side, if they see that the higher ups are biased."
"And that's something that Satoru-niichan could make use of as well." If Shiki understands her cousin's plans correctly, the 'reform' that he's after isn't something that can be accomplished through his own efforts as a single person, is it?
"… We could also argue that, as the only other officially-ranked Special Grade sorcerer who stands on the side of the administration, our clan head is in the perfect position to mentor another Special Grade potential. Only the Gojo Clan has experience raising Special Grade sorcerers in this day and age, after all. And… Gojo Satoru becoming a teacher to mentor Okkotsu Yuta in the Tokyo school instead of within the walls of the Gojo clan compound could also be seen as a gesture of goodwill, if phrased correctly." Kiyohira-sensei falls silent for a long moment. "How… exactly how long has Satoru-sama been planning this?"
"I think he's had the idea to become a teacher for a while now." Shiki doesn't have the ability to read her cousin's mind, but she knows that he wouldn't have talked about becoming a teacher to Takagi-sensei the way he did as a joke. It's something that he's genuinely been considering, so… well. Far be it for Shiki to pass over the chance to offer up a good opportunity to Satoru-niichan for him to put his plans into action.
Kiyohira-sensei sighs. "… Keep me apprised of this. I… should probably also find that clan head of ours for a talk after he returns to the country."
Shiki nods agreeably.
"Alright. Choki brought over the documents on the Zenin Clan that you asked for, earlier–" Kiyohira-sensei gestures towards a tall pile of papers stacked to the side on his desk, "–so let me know if there's anything you'd like me to help you with, there. I'll organize the reports for the Tobiume for you to view after your meeting with Daisaku-sama tomorrow. Does that sound good?"
"Yes." Shiki reaches for the documents, appreciative of her assistant's speedy efficiency in meeting her requests. "There are no outstanding matters on the Tobiume side, is there?"
"Nothing that requires your immediate attention," Kiyohira-sensei shakes his head. "I've been busy recently, since there are a few minor matters that came up… but that can wait until you're done dealing with the more pressing issues here."
"Thank you, Kiyohira-sensei." Shiki is grateful that she has her teacher to help her split her workload.
"You can thank me by causing less trouble for me in the future," her teacher responds, already turning back to his own work. Despite the sharp admonishment in his words, though, he isn't actually upset. "Stop staring at me and get started with your reading. There's a lot of documents for you to go through."
Shiki smoothly turns her gaze towards her own towering stack of papers waiting for her. "Of course, Kiyohira-sensei."
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Extra.
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"Eh? You mean he's her dad?"
"Not really, but. Pretty much?" Kinji slings an arm around the younger boy's shoulder and leans in to whisper, "Shiki is really comfortable around him and trusts him. And, according to her, Kiyohira-sensei has been teaching her since she was six, and she's also been living with him all this time. Think about it. That's more or less a dad, right?"
Okkotsu furrows his brows, "I… guess…?"
"Kiyohira-sama is the one who's accompanied the ojou-sama the longest," their guide chimes in. A young man who is dark-haired and raven-eyed, with features that bear a distinct resemblance to one Suzurigi Choki.
Suzurigi Mutsuo, the serious young assistant had introduced him as. My cousin, who currently works under Kiyohira-sama.
"Really?" Kirara makes a small sound of interest. "Even longer than Nanami-san?"
"Well…" Mutsuo-san hums. "I suppose it depends on how you look at it? Strictly speaking, Nanami-sama has known the ojou-sama since before she came to the Gojo Clan, given that he's a close blood relation. But… it is Kiyohira-sama who raised her, more or less. Nanami-sama lived in the student dormitories in the Tokyo school at the time, while the ojou-sama resided with Kiyohira-sama in the clan compound."
"Huh." Shiki had only said that she'd grown up in the Gojo Clan, and that Gojo Kiyohira was her swordsmanship teacher. Everything else that Kinji knew about their relationship had been inferred from the way that the two interacted with each other. Kiyohira-sensei was a little gruff sometimes, but he was a good guy –and he'd been so worried when Shiki had been injured fighting that zombie curse-guy during Obon. Kinji had half-expected the man's brows to furrow permanently, with how hard he'd been scowling all the time back then.
"Sorry, who's Nanami-san?" Okkotsu asks with his hand half-raised like he's still sitting in a classroom.
"Shiki's uncle." Oops, they'd forgotten to update their new classmate on the gnarled mess that was Shiki's family background. Well, it wasn't usually relevant, though; Kinji thinks that they could be forgiven for this oversight.
It's interesting to walk around the compound of a sorcery clan like this. A little weird, since everything is old-fashioned in terms of its design and structure, but Shiki did say that the Gojo Clan was a very traditionalist clan –despite being progressives in a political sense, apparently. Sort of?
Whatever! Just thinking about all the messy political stuff gives Kinji a headache, and he thinks that Shiki probably has the right of things, not wanting to be involved with it at all.
… Even though, unfortunately, politics seems to always have a way of dogging at their every footstep in the form of meddling higher ups and conservative elders.
Makes Kinji want to punch something, almost.
Whoops, this probably isn't the best time to be going off on that sort of mental tangent.
"… yes. Aside from me, most of our other cousins also serve the ojou-sama and her related household," Mutsuo-san says.
"Wow. All the Suzurigis, huh?"
"The Suzurigi Clan is committed to serving Gojo Shiki," the young man responds lightly, with a smile that's just a touch too wide with something sharp behind it.
Kinji tilts his head, because that's also an interesting way of phrasing. "I thought you guys were supposed to be one of the Gojo Clan's vassals, or something like that?"
"We are," Mutsuo-san nods firmly. "The Suzurigi Clan has served the Gojo Clan faithfully for generations upon generations. And in this generation, the clan is dedicated to the ojou-sama."
Takagi-sensei also seems to catch on to the slight oddity in Mutsuo-san's behavior. "If you don't mind my asking… is there a reason why the Suzurigi Clan is, ah. Dedicated to Gojo-san?"
"Because she's someone worth following," Mutsuo-san answers immediately. "Because she sees us, and acknowledges us for our service. Because she would never ask of us more than what we're able and willing to give."
Takagi-sensei pauses. Kinji thinks that he can hazard a guess as to what their teacher is thinking –probably that Mutsuo-san's description of Shiki clashes slightly with the image of the 'strong and untouchable sorcerer' that Shiki has going on for her, most of the time. "Oh. Is that really…?"
"Why would I lie about this?" For a moment, Mutsuo-san seems almost amused. "You must not be aware of what most clan sorcerers are really like, Takagi-san. Because if you did, then you would know that a sorcerer like the ojou-sama is a pleasure to serve."
… It makes sense, Kinji thinks. Shiki isn't compassionate, and empathy seems to be beyond her most days. But she has a strong sense of responsibility, and he can see how that might appeal to those who follow the Gojo Clan. And even though Shiki often has trouble understanding people, she can also be oddly considerate at the same time–
Emphasis on the 'odd,' that is.
Kinji doesn't really mind it all that much, but he can see how others –like Takagi-sensei– might find the little ojou-sama off-putting because of it.
"I-I see," Takagi-sensei says, clearly not seeing.
"You don't," Mutsuo-san points out mercilessly, then lets out a slight laugh. "But that's okay. I wouldn't expect a non-clan sorcerer to get it –just know that the entirety of the Suzurigi Clan serves the ojou-sama, and Choki will probably be the first to knife you in the gut if you ever betray her. Now, who wants to see the koi we keep in the gardens?"
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…
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