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Those two are not familiar faces.
Twilight keeps his eyes trained on them under the shade of his hat. A man, probably in his thirties, blond hair and tinted glasses. A boy, about highschool age, pink hair, crescents under the corner of his eyes. They're speaking to each other. Nothing worth noting. They wouldn't warrant more attention than the customary scan-of-the-crowd he always does; except for the fact that he has never seen them before. He's only a few blocks away from home, walking Bond along with Anya. And he's never seen them before.
Which means they're not from around here. He mentally flips through the identities of everyone who lives around the area and all their acquaintances. No match. That's reason enough to put him on edge. Who are those people? What business do they have here?
“Papa?” Anya tugs on his sleeve. He glances down. She seems to no longer be interested in the dog plushie on the shop’s display. She looks… at the strangers Twilight was also looking at. “Do you know those guys?”
Was his stare that obvious? Or is this just another instance of Anya’s terrifying perceptiveness? “Not really. Don't stare, Anya.”
Anya gives him an unimpressed look. Well, he did stare first, but that's beside the point. “Pink hair,” she points out, somewhat nonsensically. At least without also pointing a finger at them.
He nods. “The pink hair does look similar to yours.” He blinks. Does this mean Anya recognizes them? Or at least, the boy? Are they somehow related to her past before the Forgers, before the orphanages and several previous canceled adoptions? “Do you know them?”
Anya frowns. “I don't.”
Bond borfs, as if weighing along with something Twilight can't decipher.
“Well, alright,” he hesitantly says. For now, he should just get them home. He’ll have to investigate more after he drops Anya and Bond off. It's no good if they’re compromised this far into the mission. Moving out would be too much of a pain. He’ll have to call Franky to watch them for a bit— “Wait, Anya?!”
Anya has slipped his attention again and takes her chance to run off. To… approach those unidentified strangers. Bond tugs on his leash, and it doesn't take much more convincing than that to get Twilight to chase after her.
“Anya!” Good thing the girl has stopped a little way away from those two. He reaches her side in no time, pulling her back by her scruff. “Come on now, what did I say about running off on your own?”
He immediately notices that she's shaking.
“Anya?” He tugs at her to take a better look. Her face is frozen in fear. Bond whines and nudges her with his snout. What? What's going on? Is she about to get sick from the crowd again? It's been a while since that happened. And it's not much more crowded than usual. What gives?
Unfortunately, their commotion has caused the two to turn their heads to them. Ah. There goes Twilight's chance of not catching their attention. He’ll have to be more careful. He shifts their positions so that Anya’s a little bit behind him.
The boy says something to the man. It's… in another language. One that Twilight doesn't recognize. Not Ostania’s mother language, not classical language. Not even Westalis’ any of three major languages. Foreigners? From which country? How did they get into Ostania? It's not really known to be one of the most welcoming countries for tourism. Moreover, once again, why doesn't Twilight recognize this language? Did he dedicate so much of his time for Ostania-Westalis-related everything, he neglected his international studies this far?
The man says something back to the boy, still in the same language. If they continue that, sooner or later they will attract attention. So they're probably not here for anything malicious. Speaking in a foreign language is possibly the quickest way to sell themselves out, if they were. Or were they just that much of amateurs? But if they were, it wouldn't be possible for them to get into Ostania in the first place. Some sort of reverse psychology? But why? Getting noticed by the SSS, for any reason, is always more trouble than it's worth.
Twilight remembers he should probably say something. Regardless if they would understand it or not. Anya is still hiding behind his leg, barely peeking a hair out. He'll eventually have to decipher what that means, too. Is her apprehension caused by these strangers, after all? He has to account for her affinity to sniff out, or rather, run straight into danger. If they do spell trouble, it's better to handle it as soon as possible.
He removes his hat, smiling an apologetic Loid Forger smile. “Gentlemen. I’m sorry if my daughter has bothered you. I assure you she doesn't mean to get in your way.” He nudges the girl. “Hey, what do you say to them, Anya?”
Anya peeks out a bit more. She doesn't look as frightened as before, but still somewhat disturbed. Another gentle poke finally got her to mumble a barely audible ‘sorry’.
“Oh, no, it's fine.” To his surprise, the man responds in Ostania’s preferred language. Bilingual? He doesn't really smile, but he does give them a curt nod. “I understand children can be curious.”
Twilight keeps his own smile. “They sure do.”
The boy asks the man something in the other language. The man responds again. At this rate, they're going to attract attention to themselves and to Twilight, who is also talking to them. And he's still with Anya and Bond. It's incredibly risky.
“I hope this doesn't offend you, for I mean no harm with my question.” The other man turns his attention to him again. “But are you not from around here?”
It's clear that they aren't, but there are still things to learn from how people answer obvious questions. The man says, with that unchanging flat inflection Twilight's been hearing from him so far, “We aren't. To be quite honest, we're rather lost at the moment. We got separated from our… companion, who knows the way around here.”
“I see,” he responds sympathetically, automatically. So they have another unknown person around the area, and no one knows their whereabouts. That makes things more complicated. “And you can't reach your companion?”
“Not exactly.”
“That's a shame.” Because Loid Forger would be concerned and would want to help out. “Not that you asked for advice from a stranger, but there's this cafe just around the corner that is famous around here. If there's a chance someone has seen your companion, or if your companion goes looking for you two somewhere people tend to visit, I’d say that cafe would be your best bet.”
It's also a WISE-owned front that would keep them under their tabs and by extension, Twilight's, but he omits that from his explanation.
“That is much appreciated.” The man is polite, but so far, he also doesn't really strike him as friendly. Twilight can deal with polite and distant. “If it isn't any more trouble, may I ask how to head there from here?”
Before Twilight can explain, he feels another tug on his pant leg. He looks down, finding that Anya is now a quarter way out of her hiding. “The hot choco mash-mel-low place?”
He sighs. He knows where this is going. “Yes.”
“Anya knows the way.” She puffs out. She finally steps out, standing between Twilight and the other two with her hands crossed in front of her chest. What is she going on about, now? She glances up at him defiantly. “We can get there together.”
Twilight gives her a sour smile. He’d rather investigate them without Anya around. “I don't know, what about Bond?” He gestures at the dog’s leash. “Maybe we should just direct them there and then head home.”
“Bond will be fiiineee!” Anya stomps her tiny feet. Bond borfs, somehow sounding like he's backing her up. “He’ll be a good boy and wait outside with the puppy cup.” Bond borfs again, more excitedly. “Pleaseee, Papa!”
“You just want the hot chocolate marshmallow,” he says, exasperated in the way only Anya can make him. Anya puffs her cheeks, not denying him. It's more trouble than it's worth to argue with her when she gets like this. And he'd really like to avoid a tantrum at the moment.
Well, in any case, against two enemies, he’d probably be enough to protect her. He trained Bond too, and experience told him that the dog sure gets serious when the situation calls for it. By leading them, he can make sure they choose the safe routes to reach their destination. And should things escalate, he'd have enough backup in a WISE hot spot.
All of this for the mission, of course. He can't have Anya injured gravely in any way that would impede on Operation Strix.
He looks back to the other man, apologetic once more. “So you’ve heard her. Would it be fine if we joined you for a bit more?”
“I actually think that would be nice.” The man bows. His hands stay by his sides, instead of raising one up to salute by his heart. Another different custom that is out of place here. “Thank you for the help again. Sorry for the late introduction, my name is Nanami Kento. It’s nice to meet you.”
Nanami Kento. Twilight expected it, but of course the man has an unconventional name as well. It doesn't ring a bell. He flips through every name he has stored in his memory again, just in case. Still no dice.
“And this is my ward.” The boy beside him jumps when he realizes Nanami has shifted the conversation to him. He waffles for a bit before following the older’s lead and bowing his head.
“H-hello! My name is Itadori Yuuji,” he introduces himself, the language awkward on his tongue. The double L’s in his “hello” almost rolls as an R. But he does seem to know it a bit, if just to introduce himself. And his enthusiasm almost makes his effort come off rather endearing. “Nice to meet you!”
Twilight smiles, making sure it's non-judgemental. “I’m Loid Forger. This is my daughter, Anya. Pleasure to meet you both.”
“I’m Papa’s daughter, Anya!” Anya repeats. “This is our dog, Bond!” Bond borfs along. “You guys are Mr. Nanami and… Dory?”
Itadori laughs. He crouches down to match Anya’s height, grin wide on his face. “I-ta-do-ri.”
“It-uh-dory?”
“Yes, yes!” Itadori nods excitedly.
His energy seems to be infectious, as Anya bobs her head along with him, all previous uneasiness nowhere to be seen. “Big Bro Dory! We have the same hair!”
Itadori blinks, before he positively beams. He doesn't bother correcting the name Anya is using to call him. “Yes! Pink hair friends!”
He ruffles her hair, to Anya’s scream of delight. Twilight resists the urge to pull her back and keep her close to him. She's within arm's length should that ever be necessary.
Nanami’s sigh shifts a part of Twilight’s attention away. He’s also looking at the two, before he turns to Twilight to give him a sort of grimace. “I suppose I should say sorry about him, too.”
Twilight’s next smile comes a bit easier. That gentle irritation, at the very least, is unmistakable in its familiarity. “It’s quite alright. Shall we?”
Their walk to the cafe is rather uneventful. Other than Itadori pausing to gush over Bond every other step, and Anya clamoring to climb Itadori, and Bond being jealous of Itadori hogging Anya before he realizes the boy’s presence also means extra attention to him, and the three of them causing a ruckus in general. Somehow it comes naturally for Twilight and Nanami to take turns admonishing them. Two instead of one still amounts to little success, apparently.
By the time they reach the cafe, Anya is propped up on Itadori’s shoulders, and they are deep in a very specific game that can only be invented and understood by two people with limited vocabulary, either from being a struggling first grader or someone who barely speaks a different language, that Twilight can’t possibly make heads or tails of.
They sit at the table next to the window facing outside, so to let their companion notice should they ever pass by. Twilight manages to wrangle Anya enough to get her to sit next to him instead of next to Itadori like she insisted. Because nothing might have happened so far, but he's not about to start tempting that to change. It's easier to reach her when she's by his side instead of across him.
“Hello! How can I help you?” The agent stationed as the server asks, as he mouths at the same time, “Agent Twilight! Is everything alright?”
“Black coffee for me, please, with cream on the side.” Twilight makes his order. “Everything’s under control for now. Just keep an eye on these two, and find some intel on them if you can.”
The agent nods, smile still in place. “Got it. And the others?”
“Choco mash-mel-low!” Anya jumps up and down. She leans forward on the table to inform Itadori, very seriously, “You gotta get the choco mash-mel-low too, Big Bro Dory.”
“Okay.” Itadori nods, just as serious. He turns to the server. “Choco mash-mel-low, one more.” He copied Anya in how she says marshmallow, making her giggle.
“Of course! And for you, Sir?”
“Black coffee for me. No sugar and no cream, please.” The server nods after Nanami finishes his order, moving to leave them. As he walks away, his footsteps say, “I’ll keep you updated, Agent Twilight.”
“Ew.” Anya scrunches her face at Nanami. “Mr. Nanami, if you drink that you will get tummy ache like Papa.”
Itadori stifles a laugh behind his hand. Twilight feels a burn on the tips of his ears. “Stop that, Anya.”
“I’ll be okay, I’m used to it.” Nanami doesn't even pause before he responds. He's very matter-of-fact and no-nonsense even to smaller children, it seems.
Anya clicks her tongue in what is clearly an imitation of something Becky Blackbell did. “Papa used to be okay drinking it too, then he drinks too much and get tummy ache all the time.”
“Anya…” Anya purses her lips at him, as if daring him to lie and say that she's wrong, thus forcing her to say more incriminating things. Itadori’s chuckles are not that hidden at all.
“An adult’s stomach can get rather sensitive.” Nanami nods solemnly. Now Twilight can't be sure if he's just indulging Anya or if he's also making fun of him.
“Nanamin doesn't like sweets,” Itadori says, smiling a conspiratorial smile that he shares with Anya. Anya’s mouth opens in a disbelieving ‘o’.
“I try to maintain a healthy diet,” Nanami rebutts him immediately.
“Anya likes peanuts!” Anya adds in. Twilight sighs.
He engages in some more small talk with Nanami as Anya and Itadori continue to discuss the inherent depressing nature of adulthood. Twilight does his best to not let the topic bother him. Anyway, so far, what he's learned about the two is that: they're here for a job, a sudden call as such that they didn't have much information to navigate around on their own, and their companion, the only one who basically guarantees their survival, accidentally got separated from them.
An eyebrow-raiser all around, Twilight surmises. He'd like to think of himself as a pretty good judge of character; they don't seem to bear any ill-will, if a bit secretive about the true nature of their job. But there's no such thing as being too careful, for a spy.
At one point, Nanami’s eyes suddenly flick up to somewhere behind Twilight, in the middle of something he is saying. When he finishes his words, he sighs, the sound of it as if signaling that a particular misfortune is about to join them.
What Nanami seemingly thinks of as a particular misfortune comes in the form of a man stopping beside their table. He’s tall, is Twilight’s first thought—maybe taller than him by a scant few centimeters. And then he's stuck in the what the hell is that style supposed to be, of it all. Nanami fits right in with his neat suit and tie, even if his glasses are of unusual style, and that the pattern of his tie doesn't really match the rest of his outfit. Itadori, a bit less mainstream, with his bright-colored hoodie layered with a black top, but Twilight had chalked it up as some trend for teenagers that he couldn't possibly follow.
If the three of them were to walk together, however, this newcomer destroys all their chance of blending in. He wears all black, with his jacket collar hiked high up. His hair is a full shock of white that contrasts his outfit, yet his features are otherwise youthful. To top it all off, he wears a black piece of cloth that covers his eyes. There's no outward struggle in the way he walks, making one doubt there's something actually wrong with his vision. His smile is affable enough, but Twilight can't help but to think that his whole existence is designed to turn heads. In conclusion, the last thing a spy would want to be.
“Yo!” he greets cheerfully, raising a hand. He then continues speaking, in the same language the other two originally used. Itadori turns his head, brightening significantly as he greets back. On the other end of the spectrum, the acidic quality of Nanami’s reply transfers even when he speaks something Twilight can't catch. The other man laughs, the sound all too unrepentant. He drags a chair from another table and sits himself at the end of their booth.
They speak some more, frustrating Twilight further by the sheer fact that he can't possibly know what's being talked about right in front of him. The server agent arrives at their table again with their order. He shoots Twilight a barely concealed wild look. Twilight smiles back as he says his thanks; he also would like to figure out what the hell is going on.
The blindfolded man watches them get their drinks and pokes the server before he could leave. “And a strawberry parfait for me.” He grins at the server’s stuttering retreat. Compared to Nanami, his speech with the language sounds less natural, but he's definitely more fluent than Itadori.
“And this is Gojou, the missing coworker we were looking for.” Nanami remembers his due diligence. For all the story about how lost in the city they are without him, he sounds nearly contemptuous of the guy.
“I’m the missing coworker? But I thought it's the two of you that got stranded!” Gojou laughs. “Aren't you guys glad that I found you? Well, to think that you already made friends, though.” He directs his beaming smile to Twilight, and he thinks that maybe he can understand Nanami’s immediate disagreeable attitude a little bit. “But yes, the one and only Gojou Satoru, at your service.”
Twilight pulls his lips to a smile nonetheless, because you need those when meeting new people. “Loid Forger, and this is my daughter Anya.”
…Speaking of Anya, she has been a bit silent, hasn't she?
As soon as Twilight finishes that thought, a weight hits his arm. He looks down, to find Anya leaning to his side, curled up and shivering. Her eyes are unfocused, followed by red slowly dripping down her nose. He catches it with a handkerchief before it can fall on her dress.
“Anya,” Twilight calls, shaking her shoulders gently. She doesn't respond. Shit. So she's feeling unwell after all? But still, there's hardly any crowd around! What triggers it this time? He can't know for sure. Is she too tired from the walk? It can't be, they didn't go far before they eventually got distracted. “Anya.” She continues to shake and not answer. And Twilight still doesn't know what he's supposed to do whenever one of these episodes happen to her.
“Oh, dear.” He vaguely hears Gojou’s comment, and registers Itadori’s panicked calls of Anya’s name. Gojou’s words, this time around, carry some serious tone with it. “That can't be good.”
Twilight carefully turns his gaze at him. “Do you have something to share?”
Despite his new seriousness, Gojou’s smile stays. “That I might be of help. But only if I have your permission to touch her.”
Twilight holds Anya a little closer, fully aware of the tenseness in his jaw. Gojou raises his hands, palms out; a universal sign of surrender. “Just my hand to her forehead. You have my word.”
Hardly assuring, if at all. But there's still no improvement on Anya’s part. The red on his handkerchief is only growing. He turns to Nanami, whose concern, Twilight finds, reads the easiest from all his other subtle expressions. It leaves a bad taste in his mouth to have to take the word of a stranger, but between the two, he’d choose to take Nanami’s first.
Nanami nods, understanding what Twilight is asking without so much words. “I don't respect him, but I trust him.” Gojou protests in the background. “He'd be able to help.”
“How, exactly?”
“Please, Mr. Forger.” The way Itadori asks is almost as desperate as Twilight feels. “No time, no time.”
It's the urgency in his tone that has Twilight reluctantly nodding at Gojou.
“You can keep holding her,” Gojou says. “Actually, probably best to keep holding her.” That goes unasked, even without the instruction. Gojou holds his index and middle finger out, lightly tapping Anya’s forehead. Her shaking stops at once.
With his free hand, Gojou pulls one side of his blindfold up. It reveals a bright blue eye that glints and swims almost unnaturally. White eyelashes bat across as he blinks, and Anya responds by slumping against Twilight, releasing a shaky breath.
“Papa,” she whimpers, and Twilight hugs her in kind. He wipes her nose and stores the handkerchief when it's clear that the nosebleed has stopped. Nanami and Itadori share a relieved exhale from across them.
“How are you feeling?”
“M’fine now,” Anya mumbles against his suit. “Choco is here?”
Twilight frowns, rubbing her back. “It is, but you can drink that later. Are you sure you're okay? We can make another order for takeaway and go home.”
Anya shakes her head, slowly peeling herself off of him. “I wanna eat here.”
Twilight rests a hand on her head. To steady her as she straightens in her seat, obviously. “Don't push yourself.”
“M’okay.” Anya shoots him a small smile. She pulls her cup closer to the edge of the table. As she licks the marshmallow fluff from the spoon, her face melts into a happy smile.
“Good?” Itadori asks hesitantly. He doesn't specify if he's asking about the drink or about how Anya is doing. Anya nods anyway, pushing the other cup his way.
“Quick, quick, while it's still warm.” Itadori smiles at Anya’s urging, sipping from his own cup. Anya giggles at the white mustache that earned him.
“Man, what a surprise, though.” The grating lilt is back in Gojou’s voice. He leans a cheek on his palm, smiling that glittering smile once again. “You shouldn't eavesdrop, Little Miss.”
Anya purses her lips. She gives Gojou a sideways glance, while her hand continues scooping marshmallow from the cup. Twilight taps her shoulder so that she focuses on what she's putting in her mouth, because she's a messy eater enough without the distraction. In exchange, he regards Gojou with his own mild smile.
“While I thank you for… helping her,” he starts, the words reluctantly scraping out of his throat, “might you tell me what just happened?”
“Oh, but it isn't anything,” Gojou sing-songs. “Anya-chan, was it? I think she just got a bit overwhelmed.”
Twilight narrows his eyes. This man just got the usual cause of her episodes in the first guess. And his weird comment from before, what was that supposed to mean? It doesn't answer how, “In other cases, that's usually why, but it isn't very crowded around here.”
“Aah, well, some people’s heads can get very crowded, y’know?”
“Gojou-san,” Nanami warns. Gojou shrugs, Nanami’s glare sliding off of him with the motion.
Twilight is not to be deterred. That statement hardly makes any sense, so he switches perspectives. “Then, what exactly did you do to help her?”
“A little sensory blocking goes a long way. Oh!” Gojou accepts his parfait order from the server, immediately digging in with gusto. The agent shoots Twilight a look that offers an out should he ask. He's faintly aware of how agitated he is, but he has to see this through. He sends the agent back. Gojou is still munching on his sweet treat as he says, “In any case, I doubt anything this bad would ever happen again.”
“Did you take it away?” Anya asks. Twilight pauses as he tries to decode what this could possibly refer to.
“Not forever, no, just while I’m here!” Gojou answers without missing a beat. Twilight nearly jumps as Gojou’s hand is suddenly on Anya’s hair, ruffling lightly. He didn't see his hand move. How did the movement escape his notice? At the very least, Anya doesn't look uncomfortable, if still slightly sulking.
Twilight turns to Nanami, hoping for some degree of explanation. Nanami pinches the bridge of his nose and releases another deep sigh.
“Let’s just say that he’s some sort of psychic.”
And that explains—huh?
Twilight stares at Nanami. He doesn’t look like someone who would joke for the sake of joking. Especially not when the person he’s talking to clearly wants this to be a serious conversation. He turns to Gojou next. Which is a mistake, because the man is still very absorbed in the task of inhaling his dessert. On the other hand, Itadori and Anya seem to be sharing the sentiment of pretending not to hear the conversation going on over their heads.
“You’re saying my daughter is troubled by… paranormal matters,” Twilight says.
Nanami sips his coffee. “You could put it that way.”
When he looks at her, Anya has a bead of sweat visibly dropping on her pale temple. She tilts her body away from him, before pointing a nervous finger at Gojou and mumbling, while not making eye contact with anyone, “H-he’s annoying me, Papa.”
“Huh?!” Gojou yells, parfait finally forgotten. Itadori’s drink bursts from his mouth. Nanami continues sipping from his cup, expression constricted. “How could you say that, Anya-chan?! After I helped you?!”
Anya flutters from side to side, still not meeting anyone’s eyes. “It was your fault in the first place…”
“Oh, is it like that, now?!”
Twilight finds himself lost as the conversation picks up volume around him. So was Nanami being serious or not about Gojou being a psychic? They said they were coworkers, does that mean both Nanami and Itadori also work in that field? What does a psychic even do, anyway? In the first place, do paranormal things even exist?! And why does Anya seem to immediately click with them?!
…Oh, is that it? Is this another game like the one Anya was doing with Itadori, but with Nanami and Gojou in on it? And Twilight is just too inept to understand it? He’s a fool! He thought he got Anya all figured out by now, but how could he miss this? If he can’t even figure out the game his child is playing when total strangers could immediately get in on it, how will anyone believe his disguise of being a good father? Is Operation Strix doomed?!
These analyses take half a second to run in his brain. Outwardly, they’re only signaled by a discreet inhale. Calm down, Twilight. It’s not too late yet. He laughs along with the ongoing conversation, patting Anya’s shoulder. The girl pauses the argument to peer up at him, before finally laughing awkwardly, the way she does when he finally figures things out. Yes, everything is fine. Perhaps Twilight should thank the other three for opening his eyes to understanding his daughter more.
They leave the cafe after everyone is finished with their drinks, with Twilight insisting on paying. Well, it’s paid from WISE’s budget, anyway. Their goodbyes are stalled as Itadori has a dramatic sendoff with Bond, who is just happy to be coddled. Anya pats his shoulder consolingly.
“Again, thank you for the help,” Nanami says, bowing his head. “And for the drinks.”
“Please, don’t mention it.” Twilight waves his hand with a smile. “It was fun spending time with you. I hope the rest of your work goes well.”
“Yes, I hope so too.” Nanami glances at Gojou, who laughs, as if getting some inside joke from the look alone.
“I’ll make sure they don’t get lost again.” Gojou salutes at him. It’s still not a reassuring promise, to Twilight’s ears, but Nanami doesn’t contest it, so he must truly trust Gojou to get the job done when it comes down to it. “C’mon, Yuuji! Let’s head back.”
“Aww,” Itadori complains. He finally releases Bond from his hug. He turns to Anya, and ruffles her hair with a plain affectionate look on his face. “Bye bye, Anya-chan!”
Anya pats his cheek in return. “Bye bye. Be safe, Big Bro Dory!”
Itadori’s face twists in brief confusion, before he seemingly just accepts Anya’s cryptic messages for what they are—incomprehensible things you should probably just nod along to. “Okay, I will!”
He keeps waving his hand as he walks away to follow the two adults.
“Are those Loid and Anya that I see?”
Twilight turns his head to the side. Yor is walking to approach them, still wearing her uniform from the City Hall. Has it been that late? Come to think of it, the sky is already turning orange. They really spent too much time just talking when they only went out for a walk.
“Mama’s back!” Anya cheers. She catches Yor’s hand as she reaches their spot in front of the cafe.
“Good work today, Yor.” Twilight smiles.
“Thank you, Loid.” She blushes shyly. She lets Anya swing her hand back and forth, hiding her smile with her free hand. Bond nuzzles on her leg. “You haven’t gone home from your walk?”
“We helped some guys!” Anya reports. “They were looking for their friend, and we found him!”
“Well, I don’t think we really helped them that much,” Twilight puts his hat back on. After all, Gojou was the one who found them. They hardly searched for him.
“Oh, so you’ve been spending time with them.” Yor looks to where their new acquaintances are walking away. Maybe she saw them talking while they’re saying goodbyes. She smiles at Anya. “Did you have fun?”
“Yeah! Big Bro Dory is awesome!”
As Anya regales their heroic tale of the day to Yor, Twilight looks over to the others. They’re still walking away, Gojou in the middle of Nanami and Itadori, with his arms around their shoulders. Nanami leans his body away however far he could, while Itadori nods along to whatever Gojou is saying. Now that Yor is here, maybe Anya can get home with her, while he goes out to investigate them more. After all, he hardly learned anything about them from today. It would help his peace of mind if he could tail them just for a little bit…
“And Camila gave me a new recipe today! I wonder if I should try cooking it for dinner?” Yor’s words register back to Twilight’s ears, and he turns back to look at her, to find that Anya also shares his blanched look. Bond whines and bites at his pant leg.
“P-Papa! I want Papa’s cooking!” Anya announces urgently. She slips out from Yor’s grasp to hold his hand instead.
“Ah…” Yor deflates. Twilight grimaces. “I guess I’ll have to rely on Loid again today.”
“Please, Yor, you already help a lot,” Twilight quickly reassures her. “You can, er, help with the side dishes today.” Well, it would be better if she just handles their tea and cleanup as usual, but he’ll get to that later. At least, it’s enough to brighten her expression again as she nods enthusiastically.
When he turns to take a last look to where Nanami’s group was walking away, he can’t see them anywhere. Twilight narrows his eyes. Huh. They couldn’t have walked that fast. Where did they go? They couldn’t have just disappeared into thin air. …Could they?
“Let’s go, Papa.” Anya tugs on his hand. Now that they’re safe from the threat of Yor-made dinner, she happily takes her mother’s hand again, a fact that Yor is also clearly pleased about. Bond borfs, tail wagging as he waits for them.
Well, the investigation can come later, he guesses. For now, he walks with his family back home.