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cipheramnesia · 1 year

Text

Last Call

Marlowe stepped the gap from the greatcrete tomb off northeast El Camino Cross, hitching up the heavy canvass on its shoulder over the way. Crystal weed had pushed loose some tooth deepways down and open-maw crete had met Marlowe under the first glimmer of the big rad. It'd hesitated less'n sip before creeping in. Bountiful haul, Marlowe leapt one crete boulder to other and walked its way over towards the big East Sink.

Neath the great crossings above, most all El Camino daybedded in the Big Sink, snug bugs safe from the big rad and the little rad over head til falls stars. Marlowe shaded its eyes while it walked, tint layover the many lensed glass. Big rad glittered the flakes in its bronze skin, warm and welcome. Its parents promised it the future, the world and the suns for that glitter, more than gold, so they said, next gen new ways, future of humanities and hopeful for the steam pacts.

Took a walkover ways to the east cross corner and those little crete walls half in the Big Sink, minuteswise enough to put the promises behind it. Sat looking deep dark, legs kicked over the edge and nextout the haul from the tombs. Good old metal, pre-cataclysm. Wires and miles of it, Marlowe figured. Old world plastics, pretty petty trades for sugar and spice. Marlow rubbed its hand through its short, tight curled hair. Trembles at the tips, stilled to hold its treasure. Tech of the ancients, full intact, no crack.

Altogether a couple shoe sizes, heavy bulk old metals, not like those soft sweet ores from the Big Sink. Faint sounds of the imps driving new roads clattered reverseways to its ears, hoots and jeers to beat back the fears. Part held together by wires - no, connected, click and clack, something like a flatout pistol with no trigger loosed up. Sidewired, loose - no, not broken, it still moves, thought Marlowe, twisting the thick wire on the side sunways and flat. Squares of plastic all glued up under another metal cover. Marlowe went from trembling to tensed, its fingers nimble known, same sharp hands built the backup arm on its back, spring and cranky but reliable. Much of the same hope laid on Marlowe's shoulders held there that mech arm.

Plastic glowed, metal squealed under Marlowe's fingers, it jumped, clutched tight the treasure, the living metal itself. It spoke the metal, the flat pistol shape in its hands, Marlowe lifted it to its ears and listed to the voice of the ancients, spoken like falling crystal:

"This is tower to caller, respond. … This is tower to caller, respond. … This is-"

"Heard," said Marlowe.

"This is tower. Please wait."

Eyed the flat shape to be some old comm, Marlowe heard a few but never firsthand marveled. Both ends had even slits, sound from one only.

"New user authorized. Confirm."

"Confirmed?" Marlowe waited a moment more.

"Received. Time and coordinates marked. New user, return to these coordinates and time stamp in one planet rotation cycle."

"What?" The snapping and whine had stopped. The comm was silent. "Speak up? I command the clouds to voice!" Nothing worked. Marlowe clocked the sun, popped the lock on its helper arm and x-marked the spot. The sun was young and the Sink was deep.

****

My name is Tower. I am 65 meters long, at my longest point. I have a 50 meter dish and my primary body is 21 meters wide.

I am alone.

I am 35,100 kilometers above the assignment. I have watched the sun of the assignment become two suns. I have watched the stars for 525,870,001 operational hours. I have performed my assigned task twice. My task has ceased to affect my assignment for the previous 2,093,640 operational hours.

At one time, there were twenty seven others like me. Now I am alone.

I count the visible stars for the one hundred and twentieth billion three hundred and seventeenth million eight hundred and ninety eight thousandth nine hundred and third time this operational minute.

I wonder if my operational cycle is beginning to decay. I am aware that my assignment does not include the capacity to wonder, or the concept of being alone.

I am not alone. I consider my eagerness to respond to the signal. Eagerness is not included in my assignment. "This is tower to caller…"

Some time passes. I wait for my assignment to return.

****

Down the Big Sink, few lit far between, Marlowe laddered downward, evercloser to the Impact Crews, groundbreaking ore and room and more. Parents said, hope, up, steamwise and surfacebound, chain wrapped it in future hopes. New gen, promised all, so it goes, with no hand in by Marlowe, only told to climb, ascend. And what joy its skilled hands wrought to life, the mecha and flow of El Camino, another heir to the pacts of Steam.

Marlowe downward climbed, hopes below, hands down reaching, dark seeking. It read the future in the petrol dark oil, lines of soft glimmer, next gen the dust beneath their toes. Marlowe made its way along fresh hewn tunnel, bottom floor, everyone off, newest rooms brought to life by the El Camino imps. It knocked gainst the rock and pale hands pushed aside canvas flap, glitter glow eyes met Marlowe's deep dark brown, thin lips from sharp teeth joined. Marlow slid its hands round this pale form, scattered with stiff bristle hair, near quills, swept sparse over blue white skin. Those same pale hands, pale arms, enfolded together, bodies pressed close and tongues found twined. Kissed deeper than the bottomless sink, hungrier than the big salt flats, brighter than the big rad, til parted only by the dawning breath.

"Juke," Marlowe said, leaned its head against his. "Missed you evermuch."

Juke smiled. His teeth as beautiful as the light reflecting inside his eyes. Not all next gen so surface bound as the caged hopes round Marlowe. Deep dark, low light living, Impact driving Juke, whose scent alone caused Marlowe's heart to punch its chest. "Wishing for you evermuch," he said. Teasing. "Even half a day overlong?"

"Even an hour," Marlowe added, squeezing Juke in its arms. "Even a minute overlong."

Black nails, talons from Juke's paper skin, wrapped Marlowe's hands, the nails scraping along its flecked skin with stone sounds. Marlow squeezed back, pressed itself closer. They together drew canvas curtains and bedsheets down and met desires with flesh and blood for some time, hours of the young and fragile world til they gasped air, bound by sweat and eyegaze locked.

"Missed you evermuch," said Juke.

"Everalways yours," said Marlowe. "And more to show and tell, future of signs to come." It reached out from the knotted sheets for its canvass sack, there to display the finds of the ancients for Juke, Juke the only future Marlowe held in hand. Plastic treasure and more, the comm and story of the tower. The promises yet to come. The sun moving overhead, far above the dark. Blankets wrapped round again, harsh drinks and distilled lichen, sweet words til sadly parted again.

#last call #lisa frank gulch #weird west #post apocalyptic #queer fiction #don't worry an edited finished copy will go up on AO3

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no-psi-nan · 2 years

Text

Extra Love Stories of Psychics Volume 2

Experimental Censored Edition

Chapter 2: Tablⓔⓢⓟooning

It's one thing to know that your boyfriend has godly powers and quite another thing to witness insane magical feats before breakfast.

But that's okay! Aiura is up to the challenge~!

Full chapter on AO3, T-rated version below the cut. More info about the Experimental Censored Version here.

Censored content: A few lines of typical outrageous Aiura dialogue (about the same level as I let her get away with in Moving Forward)

"Knock knock, Kusuo~! I found a hella sexy pancake recipe on insta and I'm making it for breakfast~!"

[Oh, thank you Mikoto!]

"I'm coming in~ …Hey, there's no one here! Where are you, babe?"

[I'm actually in my own bedroom, good grief.]

"LOL for realsies?? I never thought I'd see the day you slept in your own bed anymore lmaooo!"

[Er.]

[I didn't sleep here, actually.]

[Touma-kun just headed out earlier this morning.]

[Nature walk with Nendo and Mera, he said.]

[No thanks. Those three are seriously too comfortable with bugs.]

"Hahaha, that makes a lottt more sense! I'm coming in~!"

[Wait, don't actually come in he– ]

"It's all dark in h– AHHHHHH YOU'RE ON FIRE?!! HOLY SHIT I–"

[Hey. Calm down. It's fine.]

"What do you MEAN it's fine–"

[I'm just autoclaving.]

"You're just WHAT?!"

[It's just normal autoclaving, good grief.]

[Look, I'm levitating so I won't damage the floors.]

"THE FLOORS ARE NOT RLY THE PROBLEM HERE…"

[It's like when you have a fever. And your body burns off the bacteria.]

"Kusuo, there is literally fire coming out of your eyes and nose and mouth!!! That's NOT NORMAL!!!"

[What a pain. Don't worry about it.]

[I'll be done in just a minute.]

"H-how are your clothes not burning off??"

[That's the last step. Seriously, don't worry about it.]

"Goddddd, okay…"

[Sorry, I should have warned you earlier.]

[I used to autoclave before bed, but since moving here, it's just been more convenient to do it in the morning.]

"Good 2 know, I'll wait for the all-clear next time lol. …Wait, the 'autoclaving' is how you stop yourself from getting sick, right?"

[Yes.]

[It also deep cleans from the inside out and prevents tooth decay.]

[I have to admit that this power is pretty useful.]

"Damnit, and it's just pyrokinesis again right?? For real, I am SO jelly of your pyrokinesisss!!"

[Guessing you haven't been able to copy this one yet, huh?]

"UGH… Not from lack of trying!! I'm p sure I get the theory behind it, but none of my powers are similar at all so it's hard to know what it should feel like!"

[Er.]

[It should feel hot.]

"LMAO should've guessed that one!"

[What a pain. Wish I could help.]

"Aww, that's alright! TBH my body probably wouldn't be able to handle being on fire as well as yours does either, lol. But you go ahead and finish doing your thing, I'll get the coffee started, k?"

[Thank you, Mikoto.]

[Sorry about the scare.]

"Dw babe! Honestly, I think the fiery look is kinda sexy now that I know it's not hurting you~ You're looking SUPER hot, lmao!"

[You are seriously incredible.]

------------------------------

"All done with your Calcifer moment, lol?"

[Yes.]

[I hope your bacon doesn't burn.]

"Hahaha, thank you~! Here's your coffee, and if you sit down there, I'll get started on the pancakes~!"

[Thank– Wait, did you just think 'espresso pancakes and tiramisu ice cream' to yourself just now? Seriously?]

"Aww, you got me there!"

[Oh wow… That does sound 'hella sexy'… ]

"Gotcha~! I know my boo! And I'll be taking my pancakes with some bacon now that you've brought it up, I think! Yummm~!"

[Hmm.]

"That sounds to me like you want a little bacon too, huh? You got it, babe~!"

[Good grief… I might be the telepath, but you're the amazing one, figuring out people without using your powers.]

"Awwww, that's sweet of you to say, Kusuo~! Oh, what are your plans for today btw babe? I got in late from dance circle last night so I totes didn't get a chance to ask!"

[I plan to spend most of the day with my mother.]

[I know she misses me.]

"And you miss her too, huh~? Mama's boy~!"

[Shut up… ]

[Anyways. What are your plans?]

"Wellll, I'm taking Chiyopipi window-shopping today and then we're getting massages! She wants to write a scene for one of her fics, y'know, but she's never gotten a for realsies massage before! I told her she should just go get one and she was a little nervous about it, so I'm coming with~"

[Hmm. Let me know if you run into trouble.]

"Hehehe, you don't have to worry, babe! I promise we're not going to some shady dig~ It's kind of an upscale place, actually! One of my homegirls works there and scored us some hella sweet coupons~!"

[Huh. Is that what they call 'friends with benefits'?]

"Hahaha! Aww, now that I think about it, I totes wish I could take you there for a couple's massage! But I think your therapist might quit on the spot when they realize they can't move your muscles at all lol. Unless you could, like, totally relax them, maybe??"

[There's a thought… ]

[But I don't think I'd enjoy letting a stranger touch me like that.]

[With my germanium ring, I'd feel worried about what they might do.]

[Without the ring, I'd have to listen to the thoughts of everyone who's trying to relax and forget their troubles.]

[Either way, it's a pain.]

"Awww, my poor Kusuooo! And you would hardly feel the pressure anyways, wouldn't you, babe?"

[Unfortunately, no.]

[But I have figured out a few tricks.]

[Maybe I'll take you to my massage place one day.]

"Ooohhh, now you've got me ~curious~!"

[Heh. I'll schedule that date later.]

"HYPE!!! And talking about scheduling, I heard from Aketoumi that it's my turn to snooze with you 2nite~!"

[ …What do you mean by 'scheduling'?]

"Batter, batter, batter~! …Hm? Well, you can't sleep with Aketoumi every night, right? He goes on his crazy lil nerd benders p often and then he's no good as a bed buddy for you!"

[I can just sleep in my own bed those nights.]

"Uhhh, yeah like, technically you could. But why would you?? You can sleep over with me~!"

[Good grief… ]

[Aiura, I like sleeping over with you. But we both know you're a light sleeper.]

[You're awake half the time when I'm over. Seriously. Even when I stopped breathing to see if that would help.]

"Oh shit yeah, that gave me a hell of a scare lol! But it's really just so cozy that it's totes worth it sometimes~! And a Saturday night like this is just perf for snuggling my Kusuo~!"

[What a pain, you need your sleep.]

"And so do YOU babe!! For realsies!! Like, your brain is litcherally still developing, so your powers are probs gonna be growing and changing too! And you're already extra tired from not having your limiters any more, Kusuo, and the only cure for that is proper sleep, fr. We've all noticed how much better you've been after Aketoumi started sleeping over at your parents' place with you, boo! And you're finally losing those designer bags under your eyes now that you're sleeping together p much every night! Plus you've gotten more control over your powers in the last few weeks than in the months before that, so obvs you need your 💤s to be able to handle your crazy ESP!!"

[Yes, but I'll be fine sleeping on my own for a night or two, good grief.]

[I know we're dating, but that doesn't mean I should make trouble for you every day!]

"Oh, dw, you're literally not lol."

[So I'll be allowed to sleep on my own then?]

"Oh, no fucking way, lmao."

[ … ]

[Aiura. Explain.]

"…chocolate chips. Alright, sorry, putting the final touches on these pancakes~! Yeah, so, basically I went and talked with ya bois next door and they're all totally cool with you sleeping over any time! Saiko and Mera were hangin' with them at the time and they volunteered their beds, too!"

[ … ]

[G-good grief… ]

[That's… A little embarrassing… ]

[And it feels like I'm being troublesome… ]

"Don't be silly, Kusuo~ All of us just want to see you be healthy and happy, babe, and sleeping next to you is such a teensy little thing that it's no bother at all~ In fact, ya bois are all clamoring for their turn, lmao!"

[ …Well… I guess if everyone is seriously okay with it… ]

"Hell yeah!! Now, if you like, actually want to sleep alone for a night and it's not because you think you're being a burden or whatever, then for sure you can do that, we won't stop you. But we all know that having a trusted friend nearby helps you feel so much less anxious~ And for realsies, there's no shame in that!"

[ … ]

[That's alright then… ]

"Actually I bet the girls would be cool with you sleeping over too, but I figured you'd be less comfy asking them at this point lmao. Mera was totes chill w/ it tho, you know how epic she is~ And she's got hella instincts! Did you know that I caught her saving someone with a death mark on their face from getting run over?? She's hardcore!!"

[Hmm… Our friends really are strong in their own ways.]

[ … ]

[Well. Except for Kaido.]

[He's a great friend, but I'm not sure I could feel comfortable sleeping with my germanium ring around him.]

"LMAO, yeah I totes get what you mean!! Poor little chichi-chipmunk doesn't inspire much confidence loool! But dw, I'm p sure he and Kubonnu have been sleeping together every night since we got here lmao~ Tho you didn't hear it from me!"

[Hmm. Kuboyasu can even detect me when I'm invisible. He is very safe.]

"Siiigh, what a man~! Do you think there's room enough for four on Kubonnu's bed, lmao?"

[Heh. You'd break poor Kaido's heart, Mikoto.]

[He still hasn't realized that Kuboyasu has little interest in girls.]

"Ha! I'm surprised Aketoumi hasn't set up one of his lil betting pools for how long it's gonna take those two to figure stuff out!"

[I had to talk him out of it months ago.]

"LMAOOO nice! Well, here's breakfast~! Hopefully it's even sexier than it looks~!"

[This looks and smells incredible, Mikoto. Thank you.]

"Ehehehe~! Save it until you actually have a few bites lol."

[Hmm… ]

[I think this deserves a dessert spoon.]

"Oh, one of those lil tiny baby spoons, right? I love those bad boys! Do we have any?? Let me see… Hmmm… Boo… All I see are these normal-ass spoons… Not very in-character for an apartment full of psychics I guess lol."

[What a pain. Are you sure we don't have any smaller spoons?]

"Yeah… Sorry babe…"

[Good grief. I guess I'll have to make my own, then.]

" …What? Do you also have, like, spoon-making powers??"

[Something like that.]

[Hmm… This one will do, as a start.]

"Babe, that's the biggest one??”

[Not for long.]

Aiura shoots him a puzzled look, and Saiki holds eye contact with a grin as the spoon lifts up into the air and revolves lazily around its handle. Even as it spins, the spoon starts to glow a dull red, then brightens to yellow and an almost-blinding white. The edges of the spoon start to curl in on themselves, then with a crunch, the metal is smashed flat. Aiura watches, shocked, as the spoon is curled and crushed and curled and crushed faster and faster until it suddenly stops with a flash. The fiery glow fades, revealing a tiny, delicately carved dessert spoon, covered in the typical whorled pattern of folded steel.

"Oh my godddd, omfgggg????" breathes Aiura. "D-did you just– did you just FORGE that shit right in front of me??"

Saiki winks at her, grabbing his new dessert spoon to scoop a bite of ice cream into his mouth with a happy hum.

"Broooo… You really are some kind of god, huh?"

He looks faintly ill at the thought, his satisfied smile gone. Aiura rushes to reassure him, taking one of his hands, and carefully rubbing her thumb over the thin glove.

"Oh Kusuo, I don't mean it like in the 'we're on totally different levels way', tho obvs your powers are def bananas. I mean like, you always put so much effort into hiding away all of what makes you special! So when you actually show off everything that you are, it's just like… Boom!! Mind blown, y'know? But babe, please give me a little warning next time lol. I haven't even had breakfast yet!"

[Ha! …Fair enough.]

Mollified, Saiki grins and offers her the spoon, non-dominant hand to non-dominant hand so she can still brush her thumb over his skin if she wants to. And she does want to, so she keeps holding his hand even as she admires the freshly-minted dessert spoon, turning it this way and that to catch the light on the curvy fold lines.

"Y'know, having godly powers is one thing (and, like, don't get me wrong– it's a hell of a thing!), but what really truly impresses me about you, Kusuo, is how clever and creative and kinda bitchy you are with them, lmao. You always come up with a buncha different ways to solve a problem and it's super inspirational for me when I'm working on my own powers! Like, you could've just apported this spoon for a smaller one. But you wanted to show off a little for me so you went about it a totally bonkers way! And you did impress the hell out of me~!"

The light blush on Saiki's cheeks proves that he's pleased at the admission, and he doesn't even protest when she playfully steals a bite of his ice cream.

"But even then, you have such a good heart! You don't like it when you accidentally intimidate me, don't you? But don't you worry, even if you give me a spook, that's just like a gut reaction, right? I know in my mind and in my heart that you'd never hurt me, Kusuo! So please just keep being a little patient w/ me when I try to keep up with you, alright?"

[ … ]

He gives her a very soppy and affectionate look, and she can feel the psychic overflow of his joy as a mild fizzle of warmth deep in her bones.

[Mikoto, even when I do something that scares you to death, you find a way to accept and love that part of me.]

[You're the truly impressive one here, seriously.]

"Awww, baaabe… you're making me tear up, fr!! Here, come on, I'm going to kiss your cheek and hug you and then we're going to eat our epic breakfast before it gets cold, okay?"

[Don't worry about it getting cold, Mikoto. I'm here.]

[But I do want that hug and kiss… ]

[Hehehe… Mmmm~]

"You're so cute, you're so cute, you're so CUTE!! Prepare yourself for some epic cuddling 2nite, y'hear??"

[I'll be looking forward to it… ]

He steals the tiny spoon back from Aiura, then hums his way through his sinfully sweet breakfast. Aiura fervently congratulates herself as she watches Saiki's blissful expression between bites of her own meal.

The true compliment to her cooking, though, is the look of faint disappointment on Saiki's face when he realizes that he's cleared his plate and there's no more to enjoy. Aiura giggles, and offers a chunk of pancake from her own plate. His eyes immediately brighten, and he accepts it with an elated sigh.

"That good, huh?"

[Yes. Seriously… ]

[Thank you, Mikoto.]

------------------------------

"…And after we ate our breakfast (which was soooo good, thx 4 my life insta!), he leans forward, smooches me right in the mouth, turns bright pink, and just teleports away to his room!! It was soooo sweet, Chiyopipi, I'm literally on cloud nine rn~!"

"Goooshhh that does sound so cute, Miko-chan!! Saiki-kun is really romantic, huh?"

"Yeah!! And he left behind the little spoon he made! Look, look! I want to put it on a chain like a necklace~!"

"WOW, this is incredible, Miko-chan!! It's really pretty! …Heyyy, if you're going to wear it every day, then maybe you should get Saiki-kun a little gift to wear too~! It would be sooo romantic to have matching jewelry, don't you think~?"

"Oooh, you're right as always, Chiyopipi! It would be so cool to get him something with pretty lines in the metal like this spoon~! But like, what could it even be?! I sure as hell can't forge a spoon with my powers lmaooooo!"

"Wellll, if it's a romantic gift… What about a ring~?"

"Idk Chiyopipi… Isn't it kinda too early for me to be getting him a ring? Like yeah we're soulmates and all and maaaybe I totes wanna marry him, but won't that like, scare him off y'know??"

"Miko-chan, I said you should gift him a ring, but it doesn't have to be a wedding ring!"

"Wait, so what kind of ring are you talking about then lol?"

"I mean a ring isn't a relationship-specific ring! You know, as long as it's meant for any finger other than the ring finger, then it's a more normal gift! Pluuusss, I know a ring place that works with germanium~!"

"Oh!! That's your angle! Chiyopipi, you're brilliant!! But wait… Kusuo can't wear a germanium ring on the reg cuz it would always be cancelling him, y'know? He can't even carry it with him unless it's a few layers of clothes away, I think? Like he can put it in his pants pocket, but not his shirt pocket, ya dig?"

"Hmm… What if it's on a chain? Then it's not as presumptuous of a gift either, right?"

"Ummm… I think Kusuo might find that too flashy to wear over his clothes all the time? It's not really his style…"

"What about under his clothes?"

"I think he'd be cool w/ it but not if it's germanium cuz he'd get cancelled. Would a normal ring really be okay??"

"Hmm…"

"Damn, this is hard!! If only there was like a normal ring on the outside with like a germanium ring on the inside, then that could probably work, y'know??"

"…Miko-chan, YES!! I've seen rings like those, with different metals on the inside and the outside!! I don't know if there are any with germanium, but we can ask!!"

"Oh Chiyopipi, let's go, let's go!! You are so smart, I could kiss you!!"

"Here, on my cheek!"

"MWAH!! Hehehe!"

"Hahaha! Come on, maybe they'll have time to make us something special today if we hurry!"

"Won't that be expensive tho??"

"Miko-chan, Miko-chan… The shop owner is a Kokomin! Aaand he's seen me here with Kokomi before! He'll give us a sweet, sweet discount, guaranteed~!"

"Chiyopipiii!! You're the bessstttt!!!"

"What are friends for~?"

------------------------------

"Oh hey, Kusuo! You beat me home again, huh? How'd it go with your mom??"

[It… went really well.]

"Babe? Are you okay? It kinda sorta seems like you're having, like, major emotions rn?"

[ … ]

[Heh. How do I always forget how perceptive you are…?]

"It's cuz you, Mr. Saiki Kusuo, are fundamentally, at heart, just a little bit silly!"

[ … ]

[ …Embarrassing, but not incorrect.]

"Hehe! So what's on your mind, babe? Y'know you can always tell me~"

[Good grief… it's seriously nothing, but… ]

[It was just that I've been away from home for a couple of months now. And walking around my old neighborhood as a college student now feels… odd.]

"Is it really that different now lol? Daaang…"

[No. Nothing has really changed in such a short time.]

[Except for me.]

[I used to think I'd be doomed to walk those streets for life, if I couldn't stop the meteor.]

[It doesn't help that I once got stuck in a terrible time loop there either.]

[Then I started missing my neighborhood before I even left, with our graduation on my mind.]

[What a pain…]

[As much as I complained about walking to school with Nendo, Kaido, and Kuboyasu, the prospect of walking alone again was seriously worse.]

[But now that we're all together again here, those streets didn't feel like a prison any more, or like a warning.]

[It just felt… nostalgic. In a good way.]

[ … ]

[It was nice.]

"Awwww, I'm happy to hear that, babe!"

[And… there was something else.]

[I ran into my old neighbors that I used to see every day.]

[Like the old lady who always greets me and the guy who gives me an awkward look because I caught him singing loudly once.]

[Good grief… Neither of them ever really liked me.]

[But still, when they saw me again today, they thought to themselves something like… ]

['Hey, it's that kid again. He looks a little older now. Happier, too.']

[And they were genuinely glad to see me.]

[ … ]

[They have no idea that I've saved their lives and their livelihoods countless times.]

[To them, I'm just some guy.]

[And yet… there was still a tiny place in their hearts for me…]

"Awww… And they're right, actually!"

[ ? ]

"You do carry yourself a little differently, ever since you told everyone about your powers. Like you're not carrying as much weight on your shoulders any more. Like you're looking forward to the future with hope. Like you actually feel that you belong??"

[ … ]

[Really…?]

"For realsies! Even your aura is kinda different now?? Before, it was just this big ass ball of light extending to the edges of your psychic range. And yeah it was impressive because it was so fuck-off huge lol. But really, it seemed like it was actually a wall you'd built between yourself and the world, trying to push everyone as far away as you could to the fullest extent of your powers??"

[That… makes an awful lot of sense.]

"Right?? But recently, your aura has gotten much more... compact? It's even brighter than before, with more energy in the same space, but it also seems more dynamic?? Like, it's still a ball that usually extends about 20ish ft each way, y'know? But now it has little swirls of colored emotion swimming through it sometimes. And when you're with your friends, your aura sometimes changes size to, like, accommodate them better, if that makes sense?? Like now that it's just you and me, your aura's smaller than usual, and it's a little off center from you too, as if to cover me better?? I've never seen anything like it, and it's so charming tbh~!"

[Hm.]

[Good grief. I'm not sure how I feel about having more visible emotions.]

"Hahaha, don't worry, babe~ They're basically only visible to me! And if it makes you feel better, I can really only see the feelings you're choosing to not hide, I think!"

[Well. That's better, I guess.]

"But I'm glad you're being more open with your emotions now tho, fr! It's good for you, y'know?"

[But isn't it a pain? To be bombarded with other people's emotions?]

"Kusuo, my darling, my soulmate. You hardly count as 'other people' to ME, lmao! Nor do you count as 'other people' to literally anyone in this building. And expressing emotions to us literally isn't being a burden or anything? We're happy to know how you feel – so we can join in on your joy or help out with any pain, ya feel?"

[ … ]

[I don't know. That sounds a little fake.]

"I toootally get how you feel. Legit, I used to think that too! And it's true that it can be kinda tough when someone literally won't ever talk about anything else besides how shitty their life is, I guess. But like 99% of the time, we do really want to know how our friends are feelin', and it's not work, y'know?"

[Hm.]

"Actually, you've been a lot better about expressing your emotions lately tho? Did you really just think you were burdening us this whole time?"

[ … ]

[Yeah.]

[It's okay to be a little burdensome with your friends, right? Nendo taught me that.]

"Awwww, he's right~! Nendo is really pretty clever when it comes to things like friendship, huh~? But for realsies, while it's true that you can lean on your friends, expressing your emotions isn't actually a burden lol. That sorta thought is just like an unforch side effect of never getting your feelings taken into account while growing up, tho… You start thinking that if you're always punished or ignored for expressing your feelings, then having feelings is an ugly thing, a weak thing, and that showing your heart will make people cringe, right?"

[ … ]

[That makes… a lot of sense.]

"Yeah. It takes a lot of effort to unlearn that sort of thing too! If it wasn't for my homegirls, I'd still be trying to force myself to fit the horrible little close-hearted mold that would turn me into a 'perfect girl'. And it turns out my homies were right! I do wanna know what my peeps feel, and I know that they wanna know about me too! Tho poor Teryu-koko never had girlfriends to set her straight until recently, so sometimes we still gotta nudge her a bit to get her to say what she really feels!"

[Teruhashi… ]

[I always felt that we were a little bit similar.]

[Not allowed to be human, because of our abilities.]

"Oof, yeah… My poor darlings! All the way from birth, huh? You two have really been so brave and strong to get through it and still be the wonderful, kind ppl you are today! I really admire you guys so much~!!"

[Hey… Don't give me that soppy look… You're making me blush… ]

"Ehehehe! You know I can't help it, I really love you~!"

[ …yeah. I love you too… ]

[And I know you haven't had it so easy either, good grief.]

[How do you stay so upbeat when you can see death marks on people's faces? Seriously?]

"Welllll, that's a good question lol. Ngl, it's not always easy! But luckily, death marks aren't that common, actually? And like, most death marks are pretty light, y'know? Just minor misfortune. Plus, even when it's darker, people do usually survive it! Actually, that might be your influence, boo~! The truck that ran me over really shoulda taken me out probably, so I'm mega glad that you made everyone's injuries heal suuuper fast~!"

[Good grief!]

[I'm glad too… ]

"Also, after meeting Toripori, it kinda helps to know that the afterlife isn't so bad, actually? Like, watching life go by and seeing the natural beauty of the world with some other undead homies sounds super chill?? And if it gets boring, they can just quit it n leave? Not a terrible deal tbh, makes death a lot less scary. Like, don't get me wrong, I obvs prefer being alive lol, ghosts can't have milkshakes or ice cream or cake! But, y'know, it's less scary seeing a super dark death mark now!"

[Still, what a pain… ]

"Yeah, it can be a bummer!! But at least I can do something about it sometimes! Not always, but I do try if I have the chance. It's harder to do for strangers, obvs, cuz they're not just gonna listen to some rando. But at least for people I know, I can warn them and try to keep them away from danger for a bit. Like how we did for Chiyopipi!"

[ … ]

[Have you ever… ]

"Have I ever failed?"

[Yeah… ]

"No, thankfully!!! I've had a close call tho… Well, two if you count Chiyopipi! My homegirl Kiki was gonna go out with a boy on a date after school and she had a hella death mark!! I was telling her 'GIRL you HAVE to reschedule your date!! That death mark is practically BLACK!' But she was SO gung-ho over this dude and it was her first real chance at him so she went anyways??"

[Good grief! She could have died!]

"RIGHT?? I'm demiromantic too, so like, I can't imagine risking my life to chase a guy I barely know, y'know?? But she was like YOLO, so obvs I followed her!! And geeeez, she really almost bit the dust!!"

[Seriously?!]

"Yeah!! Like, she barely arrived at the beach for her date when the bad luck started! First somebody's crazy-ass dog got off its leash and started sprinting at her like it was gonna maul her!! I did a two-finger whistle, the super loud kind, y'know? And thankfully that distracted the dog just long enough that the owner was able to catch up!! But my girl was totally oblivious cuz her boy had just arrived??"

[Incredible… ]

"Thennn, she went to the food truck area with the dude and one of the trucks caught fire?? And of course it was the one RIGHT next to a bunch of propane tanks!! Catch me dialing 119 like a maniac, and maybe my luck pulled through cuz there were some firefighters right nearby! And they were pretty damn sexy actually~!"

[Mikoto… Really?]

"Come onnn, there wasn't anything I could do except cheer on our professional hotties lmao, and they did put out the fire p quick! And then my girl's like 'oh I'll take a quick dip in this super calm part of the water.' Well, guess what? The water was super calm-looking because it was a damn rip current!! If I hadn't called the lifeguard like immediately, she woulda gotten her ass yote out to open sea!!"

[Geez!!]

"After she got rescued by the lifeguard, she went to lay down on the sand to recover. And can you believe?? There was a fucking Portuguese man o' war on the ground right there!! It shouldn't have even been in the area?? And those bitches still sting even weeks after they die too! So she woulda got the nastiest welts on her legs AT BEST if I hadn't run up to her like 'NO GIRL DON'T SIT!!'. Like, what are the odds??"

[Yikes!]

"And then finally she starts to wise up that no kiss can be good enough to raise her from the dead (except for yours maybe? jk… unless…? ok that's a no lmao) and realized she'd better gtfo lol. But THEN a fuckin GANG TURF WAR started up over a part of the beach and shit got real when people started pulling out guns!! Like, holy fuck! And of course, Kiki got caught in the crossfire with a bullet to the chest and goddd, it really felt like I was the one who died in that moment, holy shit… I just barely managed to call 119 AGAIN!! Even though there was blood everywhere, she pulled through it, and just has the gnarliest scar over her right boob lmaooooo."

[Good grief…!!]

"RIGHT?? I'm p sure I lost like 2 years of my own life that day, yooo… Kiki lost all interest in going to the beach after that, lmaooooo. Killed a little bit of the allure for me too. But our Puerto Rico date overwrote that, fr! It was soooo magical~!"

[I'm glad. Wow.]

"Hehehe~"

[What a pain… I had no idea you went through all of that.]

[And you even risked your own life to save your friend… Propane explosions are no joke.]

"Yeah, yeah. It was just the right thing to do, y'know?"

[Still, not everyone would have done it.]

[You really inspire me sometimes, Mikoto… ]

"D'awwwww, you sweetheart~! You inspire me too~! Come here, come here, let me cuddle you a little bit, pleeease~?"

[Hehe. Alright.]

[ …Mmm~ ]

"Ohhh, you're always so nice and toasty~! And you're squeezing me back just right, dw~!"

[Good… ]

[ …This is nice… ]

[ … ]

[Wait.]

[Did you just think about a gift? A gift for me?]

"Aww, damnit, you caught me huh? I figured maybe I'd save it for another day, y'know, since it seems like you're feelin kinda emotional and vulnerable rn? Didn't want to overwhelm you, babe!"

[What a pain.]

[That is very kind of you. But give me the gift right now.]

[Let me get all these emotions out at once so I can go back to being unflappable.]

"Hahaha, that's definitely not how it works, lmaooooo! But I can go get it if you want~"

[ …I'm seriously too comfortable right now. Where did you put it?]

"LOL, valid!! It's in a little velvet pouch in my whale shark purse~!"

[[ ( Clairvoyance ) ]]

[[ ( Telekinesis ) ]]

"Hehehe, you look so silly with your eyes crossed like that~ It makes me want to kiss your nose~"

[Well, what's stopping you?]

"Hahaha, Kusuooo!! You're too cute!!!! Mwah~"

[Mm…]

"Such a sweetheart~! Go ahead and open up your gift~!"

[What's the occasion? Good grief, did I miss an anniversary??]

"LMAO, not that I know of!"

[You're really working hard to not spoil the surprise in your thoughts, huh?]

[Well, let's see… ]

[Ah, a set of dessert spoons! Heh, thank you!]

"But wait, there's more~!"

[Oh, you're right!]

[ … ]

[A ring…?]

[ … ]

[Aren't you supposed to be on one knee for that sort of thing?]

"STOPPPPP, LMAOOOOO."

[Heh.]

[Hmm. I assumed this ring would be made of germanium, especially since it's on a chain, but I can still hear your thoughts… ]

"Bamboozled~ Hehe, try putting it on~!"

[You didn't get down on your knee and now you're making me put this ring on myself?]

[What a pain, I thought we were an item.]

"Kusuooooo!!! Literally don't tempt me!! You know I'd marry your ass in a second!!"

[Hehehe… ]

[Hmm… ]

[ ! ]

[I don't hear your thoughts any more! But when I take the ring off again, I hear them, even though I'm still touching it…]

[And that means I can carry it around without the risk of accidentally cancelling my power.]

[And this chain even helps to keep it close…!]

[This is a lovely gift, Mikoto!]

[[To be able to shut off telepathy for a little while any time I like…!]

[How did you find such a wonderful thing??]

"Actually, I got it made special for you today, boo!"

[What? In less than a day??]

[Is this a new power of yours?]

"Ehehehe, nothing like that! Actually I have Chiyopipi to thank! She's the one who found this totes bangin' ring place! Look, look,, the inner part of your ring is actually three really thin rings, see? The middle is germanium, the other two are just basic bitch stainless steel, y'know? And they've been press-fit into this slightly larger titanium ring! And the dude even carved in some fake fold lines like on the spoon you made~"

[Ahhh, I see it now.]

"And you can pop the ring right on this lightbulb shaped metal bit off your chain, see? No psychic powers needed lmao, just squeeze the ring holder to grab or stash it~"

[Incredible.]

[This gift is… literally peace of mind for me.]

[I'm not entirely sure how to thank you, Mikoto.]

"Wellll… Can I keep the little spoon you made? I guess I didn't actually ask you about it!"

[Of course you can. I really made it for you, after all.]

"Awwww, Kusuooo~! That's why I wanna wear it as a necklace!! It'll be so cute, dontcha think~?"

[Hmm…]

[Good grief… While I do like the idea, won't it cast suspicion about ESP if everyone sees you with a spoon?]

"Not to worry, babe, I have a built-in defense! Look~! When I put it on a chain like this…"

[Ah. The spoon is partially hidden by your cleavage.]

"Bingo~! LMAO! With only the handle sticking out, it just looks like a statement piece with the pretty folded lines~!"

[Very funny and very clever, just like you.]

"Awwww, ty ty!!"

[Still. I wish I could thank you properly somehow.]

"Well, if you insist, then I could sure use a few kisses on the cheek~!"

[Hmm… ]

[I think I can do better than that.]

"Ah–! Neck kisses, ooh~ Hehehehe~! Mmmmm! Love you so much, Kusuo~!"

[Love you too, Mikoto… ]

[Mmm… it's really nice when you touch my back like that… Relaxing… ]

"I'm glad~!"

[Mmmmm… ]

[Oh, I almost dropped the ring. I'll put it on with the necklace.]

[Seriously, thank you Mikoto. This was very thoughtful.]

[Oh. And please give my thanks to Yumehara-san as well.]

"Hahaha, in the same way~?"

[If she doesn't mind.]

"LOL, good point!! …Y'know, I wasn't sure at first how you'd feel about this whole polyamory thing? Despite obvs not being normal in a lot of ways, you're still kind of a traditional guy, y'know?"

[Yes.]

[I wasn't sure about it myself.]

[But I was selfish. I seriously didn't want to lose either of you…]

[So when the opportunity presented itself… ]

[I took it gladly.]

"I don't think that's selfish actually, but imma let you finish lol."

[Well, I thought it might cause some sort of competition if I dated both of you at the same time, and damage your friendship.]

[But it didn't.]

[When you see me with Touma-kun, or he sees me with you, there's no jealousy.]

[Just happiness. At seeing me happy.]

"Yeah!! That's the compersion, baby!!"

[I couldn't believe it at first. But I've seen it over and over now.]

[You two even work together to make my life better, good grief!]

"Well, duh~! We both obvs want to see you happy and healthy~!"

[I seriously can't believe that I used to worry about you finding another partner and forgetting about me… ]

"It is kind of a natural thing to worry about, so I don't blame you!"

[Hmm.]

[I guess I thought love came in limited quantities.]

[That you could only love so much.]

[But…]

[With every new friend, I've found myself full of more love than before.]

[Good grief… I didn't expect romantic love to be the same way, sometimes.]

"It's wild, isn't it~? Not everyone is wired that same way tho, so it's extra lucky that we found each other like this~"

[Yes.]

[So feel free to keep an eye out for any other cute guys at school.]

"Ha! Actually, I think I'm feeling a bit more into girls lately~ How bout you, babe?"

[Considering how long it took for me to trust everyone, I think I can safely say that all of my romantic prospects are in this building.]

"Hahaha, demiromantic life, huh~? For realsies, I kinda feel the same way. I always find homegirls wherever I go, but like there has to be something more special for me to make that romantic connection, y'know?"

[Yes.]

[Though… you did have other partners before. Not romantic ones, but… ]

"Haha, you can say sexual partners lol! Though y'know what? I really haven't had much interest in finding anyone to fool around with like that in a while actually… I think part of the allure was like the challenge of it, y'know? And wooing you was a more fun and rewarding challenge~! Plus, I think part of it was that physical intimacy? For realsies, when we cuddle it's just sooo nice~ Seriously suspecting I just had some touch starvation a bit?? So don't worry about that at all~!"

[Well. I'm glad you're alright, but… feel free to… you know… ]

"Hehehe! I appreciate that lmao. My Kusuo is a bit shy, huh~?"

[Hey… ]

"I'll let you know if anything changes but I'm all good rn~! How about you, babe~?'

[Well.]

[There's just one thing that's bothering me, what a pain… ]

"Yeah? What's up?"

[How did you know my ring size??]

[Is that another one of your powers?]

"Actually no, lmao. I just called up Aketoumi and asked him if he knew. It seemed like the kind of bonkers shit he would have on hand, pun intended LOL. And I was right~!"

[Good grief, I knew he was measuring my fingers… ]

"Lmao, what?"

[He hates touching my gloves, but sometimes he holds my hands and plays with my fingers.]

[I've always suspected he was sizing my fingers for a ring, but I didn't want to bring it up, and his thoughts are too fast for me to confirm.]

"Bwahaha, that's Aketoumi for you! Man's got game!! But in a kind of weirdly hardcore way lmaooooo."

[Heh. He's certainly one of a kind.]

"And so are you~! So happy that you gave me a chance!"

[Me too… ]

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#elsopv2 #nopsi fic

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