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hotshotsxyz · 2 years

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on couches and the universe

(buddie) (683 words) (6x11 coda) in which margaret buckley is NOT allowed to be the solution to the couch problem <3

The couch doesn’t fit.

It takes everything Buck has not to burst out laughing, because of course it doesn’t. Why would it? It’s not like his Mom had painstakingly measured the entire apartment while Buck watched bemusedly from the chair. Oh wait.

“I just don’t understand,” Margaret says, hands on her hips. “It should be perfect!”

“Maybe it’s a sign from the universe,” Buck says with a half grin. “I have to find my own couch.”

Margaret frowns. “I can find the right one for you, I know it.”

“Look, Mom, it’s fine, I’ll get one when I get one. It’s not like it was with my leg, I can get up the stairs just fine.”

Margaret swallows and looks away uncomfortably. “Evan—” she starts, but then doesn’t say anything to follow.

Buck grimaces. Instinctively, he wants to apologize for bringing it up, but— the voice in his head that apparently turns into bizarro Bobby when he’s in a coma tells him he’s got nothing to apologize for, and he’s pretty sure it’s right.

After a moment of tension, Margaret sighs. “I’d better go call the store to return this.” She steps back into the kitchen, away from the couch that refused to wedge itself in place under the stairs.

Buck hesitates a moment, then steps out on the balcony to make a call of his own.

“Hey,” Eddie says, soft and warm and familiar, and in a moment all the tension Buck hadn’t realized he was carrying seeps from his shoulders.

“Hey yourself,” Buck replies, leaning against the wall and looking out at the city.

“How’s the new couch?” Eddie asks, and this time Buck doesn’t even try to stop himself from laughing.

“It doesn’t fit,” he chuckles.

“And that’s funny because…?” Eddie asks. Buck care hear the bemused smile he’s sure adorns Eddie’s lips.

“Because!” Buck says, gesturing wildly. “The universe or something.”

Eddie is silent for a few moments. “You know,” he says, a little more deliberately, “I think I’m starting to buy into this universe you keep talking about.”

Buck gasps dramatically. “You, Eddie Diaz, a believer?”

Eddie huffs out a small breath. “Yeah, well, something obviously has it out for you and couches,” he says.

“Nah,” Buck replies. “It’s just helping me keep the space open for the right one.”

“Maybe so,” Eddie says softly.

A comfortable silence envelops them, interrupted only by the distant sounds of traffic. Buck’s pretty sure he could stay like this for hours, quiet, resting, listening to Eddie breathe on the other end of the line. His mind wanders, though, and within minutes, Buck speaks again.

“I think I need to ask my parents to go home,” he admits, glancing back at the sliding glass door to make sure it’s closed.

“Why?” Eddie asks, not judgmental or even particularly curious. Just… giving him space.

Buck chews on his lower lip. “In my dream, my parents were there, right? And it was—it was almost happy, you know?”

Eddie hums an acknowledgement but says nothing.

“And they’re trying, I know they are,” Buck continues. “But there’s all this history, and I can’t help but think they wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t been, you know, already here.”

“You’re allowed to need some space,” Eddie reminds him gently.

Buck ducks his head and smiles. “I know,” he says. “I think I just—need some time to separate this version of my parents from the ones in my head.”

“Well, you might not have a couch,” Eddie says, “but I do. It’s yours, no questions asked.”

Buck laughs softly, “I might just take you up on that,” he says.

“You’d better,” Eddie says. “I know it’s only been a day, but Christopher’s been vibrating out of his skin asking to see you.”

“I miss him too,” Buck says. “I think—I can’t just run away from this, you know? But uh—”

“After,” Eddie says, when he doesn’t complete the thought. “Talk to them, and then as soon as you’re done—we’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll be there soon,” Buck says softly.

“I know you will.”

#as far as i'm concerned this is canon #i'm probably not allowed to say that about my own writing but im RIGHT #eddie's couch is the solution not margaret's <3 #911 #911 spoilers #911fic #911 fic #buddie #buddie fic #abbie writes #userceecee

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rahuratna · 1 month

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The Transformation of Nanami Kento, Part 9: Side story

As requested by @tsukimefuku , here's a little glance into how Ijichi and Nanami-pom handled the other transformed mascots. Shoutout to Sanrio for the inspiration!

Ijichi had breathed a silent sigh of relief when the rogue curse user had been found. The thought of Nanami having to remain in his transformed body for too much longer had been playing on his mind, even as he attempted to continue with his normal duties. The curse user, who the file had named as Ichimura, was now in captivity, and a team had been dispatched to the daycare facility where the other victims of his transformation had been kept.

Glancing over the file, Ijichi shook his head in slight disbelief. What a strange and, quite frankly, alarming ability. Even though Nanami was that much stronger, he had been rendered weak and vulnerable through the curse user catching him off guard. The fact that Ichimura's victims had all been transformed into cute mascots for the benefit of the children attending the daycare was ... its own can of worms.

Setting the file aside, Ijichi picked up the phone and dialled the number for the requisition department. He had ordered Nanami-pom a few extra sets of clothes, in case the hunt for Ichimura dragged out. There was obviously no longer a need for them. Ichimura had quickly crumbled during interrogation, faced with the slightly unhinged cheeriness of Gojo. He had agreed to undo the transformation on all of his victims, provided he received breaks in-between to recuperate his energy.

"Hello? Yes. Yes, this is Ijichi. I made a request yesterday afternoon for the ... yes. The clothes. Well, we've managed to capture the curse user, so there will no longer be a need for them. You can cancel the order."

There was a slight pause as Ijichi's frown grew.

"What was that? Oh, but ... really, I assure you, there's no need for them any more. No, I'm quite serious. What ... I mean, yes. Yes I agree that the clothes are ... cute, but ... Well, he's going to be transformed back within the next twenty four hours. So really, there's no need ... Wait, what?"

He listened for a minute more, eyebrows rising into his hairline.

"Excuse me? Have I heard you correctly? Ma'am ... absolutely not! I will not ... Yes, I know! I heard you the first time. The clothes are ... sweet and fashionable and nunu, but if you think I'm going to force one of our grade one sorcerers to model clothes for you and take pictures of him while he's in this state ... well you have another think coming!"

Slamming the receiver down, Ijichi huffed out an indignant breath and glared at it.

The nerve of some people!

At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door. Ijichi straightened his suit jacket, hoping that nobody had heard the tail end of that altercation.

"Er ... come in!"

There was a pause, before another soft knock sounded. Dropping his pen, Ijichi immediately noted that the sound was coming from rather low down on the outside of the door, and there was also a soft snuffling that could faintly be heard through the crack of the hinge. Exclaiming softly as he realised who his visitor probably was, Ijichi rose and made his way over to the door, opening it carefully.

Nanami-pom stood outside, alone. He was dressed in his tiny pyjama set, since his suit had been sent for dry-cleaning after the battle in the amusement park. He looked up at Ijichi, soft hazel eyes holding an air of expectancy. Smiling, Ijichi stepped aside, and the soft patter of small paws sounded on the wooden floor of his office as Nanami-pom entered and hopped up onto the sofa.

"Ah, Nanami. Is there something you need?"

Nodding, Nanami-pom pointed with one small paw at the door, then at the clock. Glancing at the time, Ijichi's eyes widened as he realized that the retrieval team would be back at any time.

"Oh, I see! Are they bringing Ichimura's employees here to the managers' offices?"

Receiving another floppy-eared nod, Ijichi hurriedly rose and grabbed a file from the shelf, flipping through to the necessary forms.

"I'd better get these ready then. They'll have some paperwork to do once the transformation has been undone and Ieri checks them over ... Nanami, would you mind helping me communicate with them when they arrive? I'm sure they'll be agitated, and exhausted, with all they've been through. Ah, let me also call Nitta and arrange some food, clothing and toiletries for them ... "

As Ijichi wrapped himself in a growing cloak of preparations, Nanami-pom sat attentively on the couch, following the proceedings. Now and then, he would lift one ear, listening carefully if he thought something was of particular importance. Nitta arrived soon, pushing a large cart piled high with supplies.

"Ijichi, I've got the care packages here. If this is their stop point, we'll leave them here in your - "

She stopped short as she caught sight of Nanami-pom, her eyes widening to impossible proportions. Nanami-pom regarded her gravely before hopping down from the sofa and approaching. Nitta appeared to be holding her breath. One small paw extended out to her and she bent hesitantly and took it between her fingers. In his current signature greeting, Nanami-pom placed his little snout within her cupped palm and sniffed slightly. Nitta looked like she was about to hyperventilate, when Ijichi cleared his throat and gave her a warning glance.

"Ahem ... Nitta. The supplies?"

"Eh? Oh! Right. Here, um ... yes."

Nanami-pom suddenly looked alert, one ear raised. Nitta straightened and glanced down the hallway before freezing in place.

"Oh. Oh, wow."

Ijichi joined her the doorway and immediately saw the cause of her exclamation. The retrieval team had brought the employees of the daycare with them ... and boy, was this a sight.

It seemed that Nanami's transformation had been but one possible pathway for the curse to effect a change. Coming slowly down the hallway, some clasped in the arms of the burly security personnel and sorcerers, some riding on their shoulders, some sleeping in small carriers, were a range of living mascots. Ijichi spotted a Cinnamoroll, a Hello Kitty mascot, a rather disoriented looking Keroppi, a shy Melody, a tiny Pochacco and a bright eyed Chococat.

The strange convoy found its way to Ijichi's office, dropping off their cargo and completing the necessary paperwork before the manager was left in his office with Nitta, Nanami-pom and six rather distressed looking transformed humans. He turned to them slowly, ignoring Nitta's quivering form beside him. It was quite evident that the younger assistant was itching to pet a few of them.

"Um ... good day."

Failing to think of anything else, Ijichi fell back on customary politeness.

"I am Ijichi, manager to sorcerer assistants at Jujutsu Tech. So ... I know this must all be a lot for you to absorb. And I understand the kind of ... trauma you must have suffered over the past few days."

At this, the Chococat let out a miserable mewl and the Keroppi croaked loudly.

"Yes, yes. I know. I've dealt with many cases of transformation before ... none quite so ... but that's beside the point. We will see to all of your needs and get you back to normal in no time at all. The culprit who has done this to you has been apprehended and is currently in our custody."

The Hello Kitty mascot hopped slightly up and down in celebration, while the Cinnamoroll looked angry and wrapped its ears around its own neck in imitation of what it would like to do with Ichimura.

Ijichi coughed slightly and waved a hand at the cart of supplies.

"Assistant Nitta will supply you with something to eat while you wait, some clothes, if you wish them, and some other conveniences. And - oh. Nanami, you wish to help too?"

Nanami-pom solemnly stepped forward and nodded, bowing to the other mascots in the office. Their eyes were drawn to him and the chirruping, croaking and other sounds emanating from the small group died down.

Thus far, Nanami had never uttered anything at all in this form. At first, Ijichi had wondered if it was because he was incapable, but Nanami-pom had, on occasion, made small sounds that indicated his silence was more of a conscious choice.

Ijichi soon learned why.

Nanami-pom looked up at Ijichi, and the manager cleared his throat.

"Everyone, this is Nanami. He is one of our grade one sorcerers and was transformed by Ichimura while pursuing him. Nanami was instrumental in capturing Ichimura, and thanks to him, Ichimura is ... incapacitated. Even in this form, Nanami is quite the capable sorcerer, you see. Please refer to him if you need anything further, or some advice on how to manage your situation while we organize the reversal of your transformation."

The mascots slowly gathered around Nanami-pom, something akin to respect and admiration in their large, shiny eyes. He began to communicate with them, Ijichi and Nitta looking over in surprise as a series of the most adorable barks and yips escaped his snout, his soft, floppy ears lifting and waving first one way, then the next. He gestured with his paws and the other diminutive heads nodded strongly in agreement with him.

As Nanami-pom spoke, the change in the other mascots became more pronounced. Their eyes widened with awe, their small mouths lifted and curved in smiles, and the Hello Kitty was hopping up and down again. Whatever he had said had obviously encouraged them and given them hope.

Eventually, Nanami-pom turned away and looked over at Ijichi, straightening his small pyjama shirt in a very familiar manner and nodding with dignity. Ijichi cleared his throat.

"Thank you very much, Nanami. Um ... I'm not sure what you said to them, but I'm sure it helped."

Nitta received a call on her phone at that moment.

"Hello, Nitta speaking. Ah! Yes, Gojo, he's here. All right. I'll send him through."

She turned to Nanami-pom and lowered her voice slightly.

"Nanami, Gojo wants you in the interrogation room. Ichimura has recovered enough to start with undoing the transformations. He can start with you."

Nanami-pom seemed to consider this for a moment before shaking his head firmly. Nitta looked confused.

"But ... don't you want to turn back immediately?"

The small yellow-furred form turned back to the other mascots, who were still gathered around him. He raised a paw, pointing firmly at each of them, before gesturing to himself.

"You ... you want them all to go before you have your turn?"

Another nod. The shy Melody and the tiny Pochacco were looking at him with teary eyes, while the Cinnamoroll put aside its angry posture long enough to place a comforting paw on Nanami-pom's head.

Ijichi straightened and nodded firmly.

"All right. So be it. Nanami, I think you should go to meet with Gojo. We'll let him know your decision and get started with reversing these transformations as soon as possible."

If only Ijichi had realised that it would come to this.

Ichimura turned out to use up a great deal more cursed energy reversing the transformations than effecting them in the first place. He needed extended breaks between each of the employees who visited him. It didn't help that they had to see him in order for the effect to occur.

The Cinnamoroll had been reversed into a burly security guard who had promptly attempted to give Ichimura another beating. Ijichi had managed to hold him off, but had decided to keep a closer watch in future.

The remaining hours were spent seeing to the other mascots sequestered in his office. It seemed that being turned into these forms also changed certain aspects of their personality. Things that were far less noticeable in the stoic Nanami-pom (who, despite his equanimity, obviously enjoyed riding around on people and had a mischievous streak where a certain white-haired sorcerer was concerned) were very evident in his mascot counterparts.

The Keroppi seemed to enjoy playfully hiding Ijichi's stationery and having it show up in unexpected places. The Hello Kitty was constantly giving the rest of the mascots hugs, and Ijichi certainly wasn't exempt. He'd had to gently pry her off his leg more than once so he could get up to go to the photocopier.

The small Pochacco turned out to have a huge appetite, and it had stolen and devoured Ijichi's lunch along with most of the snacks he kept in his cupboard, turning to face him eventually with a guilty expression and a mouth smeared with strawberry jam. And on top of all of this, there was the Chococat who kept camouflaging into the furniture and sending Ijichi into a panic when he couldn't find him.

The shy Melody seemed very taken with Nanami-pom. It kept borrowing Ijichi's pen and scrawling out malformed pictures of him. In all the pictures, he was holding her hand. Upon looking at them, rosy red patches would appear on her white-furred cheeks and she would hurriedly crumple the page, only to start up on a new drawing almost immediately.

In time, the office slowly emptied of its strange little occupants, as each of them was collected to be taken to Ichimura. As each regained their human form, they were shown to Ieiri's examination room for a quick medical and then to the neighbouring offices for completion of their paperwork. Most of the employees hurried back to their homes and families after their ordeal, but all of them left behind some form of communication, asking for their thanks to be conveyed to Nanami-pom.

He had, apparently, reminded them of the rights of the worker, their entitlement to suitable working conditions, and employment that they genuinely enjoyed. He had also given a scathing review of emotionally abusive employers, which the daycare workers had heartily agreed upon. Each of them had vowed to seek out more fulfilling employment in the future.

Many months later, Nanami received a letter in the mail at Jujutsu Tech. He's just returned from a mission and was sipping some coffee in the staff lounge when Nitta delivered it to him. When he'd queried about who it was from, she'd mentioned one of the daycare employees who'd probably wanted to thank him for his help and encouraging words.

Bemused, Nanami had opened the letter, only to find a scrawled drawing of the shy Melody holding hands with him, with a red blob above them that appeared to be a heart shape. Below it were the words:

Thank you, my magical hero.

P.S. There will never be a Pompompurin as cute as you!

Nanami carefully folded the letter and placed it in an inner pocket, thanking his lucky stars that Gojo hadn't been in the room when he'd opened it.

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