𝙳𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚒 𝙱𝚘𝚢 𝙵𝚛 𝙵𝚛

↪︎ Slowly, those arms enclose. Is he doing it right? Is he being the proper big brother one should be?

“𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚏 𝙸𝚖 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗’ 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛..“

↪︎ He feels so helpless at times like these.

↪︎ And now, in a sense, Misa is here. She shares his grief. Applying some form of relief that he can lean on.

↪︎ Arms outstretch, unsure if he’s really even allowed such comforts. The welts break. Falling into overwhelmed streams of emotions that silently trickle and fall away.
⇅

↪︎ He could never allow his true emotions to show.

↪︎ That he was tired. That he was scared. Scared that he couldn’t take care of her properly. That he would fail in all aspects.

↪︎ There was never a guiding hand. Denji had to learn on his own what it meant to care for someone like that.
⇅

“𝙰𝚑-..“

↪︎ His mouth parted once more. He was just Denji.. The corners of his lips would rise. Welts form in the unrestrained emotion.

↪︎ He’d always cared. He’d put Nayuta first at the cost of everything, sometimes, that destroyed him, but Nayuta was just a child.
⇅

“𝚁𝚒𝚙𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍. 𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜?“

↪︎ The black string she’d seen a few times throughout but never questioned. That dangled from his chest. Best be careful to the saw that would spring forth.

“𝙶𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚊 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚕.. 𝙸 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎.. 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢..“

↪︎ A broken laugh turned into a mixture of coughs mixed with blood.

“𝙸𝚖.. 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚟𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎.“

↪︎ Though blood helped. He knew how her looks mattered for her type of work. His bite isn’t exactly something that won’t leave a scar. It’s bound to leave something heavy and he won’t do that.
⇅

“𝚆𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍..“

↪︎ At least they linked on that part.

↪︎ Finding Asa. Or at least Yoru. Knowing she was alright would set some ease to his mind. A crunch of glass as he’d turn and view down the road.

“𝙰𝚗𝚢 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝?“

↪︎ There wasn’t a single wall that remained untouched.

↪︎ A walk towards the hole planning to chase the devil down.

“𝙶𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙸𝚕𝚕 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚊 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚛. 𝚂𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚊’ 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍?“

↪︎ Ever since the justice devil. He’s been trying harder to be better about that. Even if it seems to get him in more trouble.

“𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠. 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍, 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕 𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢𝚕𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚜, 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 ’𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜.“

↪︎ A small look to the hall.
⇅

“𝙸 𝙳𝙾𝙽𝚃 𝚂𝙼𝙴𝙻𝙻.“

↪︎ He shouts defeatedly.

“𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢..“

↪︎ A sigh.

“𝚂𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚊’ 𝚜𝚘 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝙸 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢? 𝙳𝚘 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊 𝚍𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗’ 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚡 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝..?“

↪︎ Do his job better? Even if he did need to eventually kill the devil. Keeping people safe was also part of it.
⇅

↪︎ Denji lays everything at the table.

↪︎ Pulling a chair out for Nayuta while standing himself. The home was, to put it mildly, just getting started. No TV or anything. There was a futon that he’d been sleeping on but that was about it.

↪︎ Not much to do for Nayuta.

↪︎ He’d give a smile. In its own way, this was its own little reward. One he’d lean on for a little while at the least.

↪︎ Broth, ramen, a soda.. would the two really mix that well? Probably have been better to think that out before just agreeing. Oh well, he promised it.
⇅

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑. 𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚜’. 𝙸 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛..“

“𝙸𝚏 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗’ 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐. 𝙸𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍.“

↪︎ A shaky but determined glint. One that clearly showed his want to protect Nayuta from whatever may come.

↪︎ Usually. Whenever he told someone this. His title. The cool guy who saved those in need. The hybrid that all devils feared? He would say it with such bravado.

↪︎ This time it comes out without the backbone behind it. Like he only wanted to be Denji in her eyes.
⇅

“𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎..“

↪︎ Another breath taken before he steeled himself. His face a bit firmer now that he was speaking on himself.

“𝙸𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛. 𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚋𝚛𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚝..“

“..𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸𝚖 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚊𝚠 𝙼𝚊𝚗.“
⇅

↪︎ There was a long breath and sigh given. His face squeezed into itself. Clearly giving this information out truly worried him but the way she spoke to him. He couldn’t turn that away.

“𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕. 𝚂𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝.“

“𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚖𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚍, 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜.“
⇅

↪︎ A damned fool, that’s what he is. Even in this moment of genuine care for Nayuta that he now knows they both share. This touch. He can’t help but partly like it.

↪︎ His lips twitch with the truth behind it. Every mention of another devil only dragged it further from his depths.
⇅

Good episode.

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㋛ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I just hoped on. I was watching anime with some of the students. They got my watching doctor stone 😭

Replies soon!

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㋛ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Sleep devil kicking my ass and winning. I have a good few threads to get back to. I promise tonight all of them will be replied to tonight.

⠀⠀
㋛ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Restarting a reply because I didn’t like it 😭 one moment 🙏

⠀⠀
㋛ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Idk how I haven’t done it yet but I’m listening to the ost for the Reze movie. Without dialogue and the animation to distract, it really just drowns you with its sorrows 😔

“𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝙸 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝. 𝙸 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎, 𝙸𝚖 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚋𝚛𝚘!..“

↪︎ Her truly knowing what Nayuta is. It would mean her learning about what he is. Would she view him as some freak? Keeping such a thing hidden?

↪︎ Dragging her into this. It meant putting her in danger. It meant her knowing of the devil hunters and all the calamity that came with it.
⇅

↪︎ A hand pivoted to the back of his neck. Awkwardly caressing at it. For someone so usually laid back, this was so out of character for him.

“𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚜..“

“𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚕, 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚑, 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚕’ 𝚜𝚒𝚜’.“

↪︎ He gives off a gentle sigh. Possibly the worst liar but he didn’t want to involve her.
⇅

“𝚆𝚘𝚊𝚑.. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚒𝚝? 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎!“

↪︎ Consider him awestruck at her even if it doesn’t last.

↪︎ The mention of Nayuta. Makima. It causes his jaw to lock back. Face visibly showing its own discomfort at the mention.

“𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚖’..“

↪︎ The pressure is a little surprising but he still speaks muffled by the smush of his cheeks.

“𝙸𝚏 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍.. 𝚂𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗’ 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍.. 𝚆𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎..?“

“𝙴𝚑𝚎𝚑..“

↪︎ Confused little smile.

“𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛..? 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚐?“

↪︎ Eyes flicking up and down.

“𝚄𝚑, 𝚄𝚑, 𝚄𝚑, 𝚄𝚑.“

↪︎ Sneezes.