Golden Scars

Chapter Two: Rainy Weather

Rain drops slowly roll down across the window pane as I stare outside into the garden. I hear the wall phone ringing distantly from the room next door. Shapes of words and voices seeps through the paper thin shoji doors. The door behind me opens to reveal my brother and my future second in command, "Takara! The Gojo heir is asking for your presence. He broke another vase."

A smile quirks at the corners of my lips as I think of the clumsy prodigy. I sign to my brother, Tell him I'll be over there in a minute.

I rush over to my drawers and pull out my materials. I get to see my new friend!

🏺🏺🏺🧿🏺🏺🏺

That was the fifth vase I broke this week to have an excuse to see Takara Kubo. I have really lost it, all for one girl. There is a light knock at my door, "Lord Gojo, the Kubo Heir is here."

"Excellent!" I run past the servant and down the hall to find the raven haired beauty. I infectiously smile as I stare at her, "Do you have the stuff?" She nods and I gesture for the Kubo siblings to come inside. I sit down across from Takara. "So I've been wondering, is it true that you can turn into a giant snake because of your golden eyes?" She nods as she studies the broken vase. "Have you ever turned into a snake?"

For a moment she freezes before she nervously glances around. Suddenly her eyes take on this haunted sort of look. Almost as though she sensed that I was going to speak, she stops me and signs, I'll explain, just give me a moment. She gently takes my hand and starts drawing phantom kanji with her pointer finger, The only way I can tell you is this: why do you think people found my father's body burnt to a crisp?

It was so obvious and yet no one wants to acknowledge it: the only person who is capable of killing a man like that is none other than the heir of the cursed technique: Kiyohime's Blessing; in which only the women of the Kubo clan that inherent yellow serpentine eyes will be able to take on their cursed ancestor's snake form. And that little arsonist is sitting across from me crying, "I understand and I hope he suffers."

It was sadly an open secret that Takara's father was physically abusive towards the heir and her immediate family. People had seen the poorly covered black eye and bruises; the way the kids had always worn long sleeves. There's a famous saying that a cornered animal will bite back, I wonder if that's what happened with Takara when she killed her father? Her silence only further convinces me that she killed him in self defense and that her mother took the fall for her. I stand up and go into the hall where I find Chiko sitting outside, "Can I trust that you won't hurt my sister? She's all I have left."

I stare down at the young one eyed boy. How did he lose his eye that night? He probably lost it in a fight against his father. Their story is actually quite common in the world of Jujutsu sorcery. The Kubo clan is in fact a rarity within the generally patriarchal structure of Jujutsu families. The Kubo family's inherited curse technique can only be used by the women of the family. Only those with the golden eyes are given the right to rule. This fact has made their family a constant target for misogynists from other predominantly male led families. It only makes sense that they wouldn't trust me...but that doesn't mean I will give up.

"How about we make a binding vow?" I suggest.

"Why would I do something like that?" The confused boy asks.

"I don't know, I guess I just think that life will be more interesting with the Kubo family as my ally." I stretch my hand out to him; he takes it.

Cursed energy courses and exchanges between us; Chiko Kubo speaks, "Satoru Gojo I want you to swear right here that if you ever hurt my sister that I can strike you once with skin on skin contact."

I laugh, "Ya know, I like you. Yeah I swear here that I, Satoru Gojo will allow Chiko Kubo to strike me once with all of my defenses down, should I ever bring harm upon Takara Kubo. So how's that for you?"

"You're fucking insane." He says in exasperation with me. 

"You just found out?" I continue down the hallway to the kitchen to ask for tea.

✨✨🌻✨✨

After Gojo silently left, I get sucked into what feels like an endless void of guilt. The first time I transformed into a snake, I killed my father. It was a stormy night and my father was in a particularly foul mood. He came at my mother with a knife but instead he cuts my brother's eye out as he dives between my mother and the knife. I remember a spark and suddenly I was bigger. My body moved of its own accord and I suck him into my innate domain. The air around us is cold with death and darkness closes in on us. A large bronze bonshō bell falls on top of him, trapping him. I follow my instincts and wrap my newly serpentine body around the bell before alighting myself aflame as I cook my father alive. The thing within me that snapped reattaches itself as I slowly come to my senses. My father is finally dead...but I was one who did it. I took my father's life and all of our lives are about to fall apart. To top it all off, my mom decided to take the blame for my actions. She can never return to the Kubo family again. The ground erodes away beneath me and I am on my knees in fear; fear of the punishment I will receive, fear of never being able to protect my younger brother. I just wanted to protect my little brother and make him stop!

I feel a hand lightly touch my shoulder and I move on instinct; hands moving to break the neck but I stop short at a flash of baby blue. It's only Gojo. Instead of looking at me with fear or disgust, he instead looks at me with concern. "I still like you...even if you ever did something bad."

My heart tightens at his vaguely comforting words. I sign to him, I trust you. 

"Then how about you start calling me Satoru."

I'll call you Toru and I'll call Suguru, Sugu. I want to start trusting others once again.

Satoru's eyes are swimming with unfamiliar emotions. "That's fine I guess."

The rain continues to patter against the house as the storm passes us by.