animated | 📖 INBOX: hotel caelum

[ At least Charlie isn't alone in feeling that instant attraction, though he hates to make assumptions, it is encouraging that Nanami was the one to make the offer to dance.

Charlie settles in to lead, and guides them along with well-practiced ease. He seems perfectly at home here on the dance floor, chatting and dancing, tail wagging with enthusiasm. ]

Just a bit. You're a stoic kind of guy. Not that I mind.

[ Besides, the subtle shifts in Nanami's expression and the wagging of his tail tell him that there's a soft, marshmallow center in this man just waiting to be unearthed. ]

So, tell me about yourself. What do you do? What are your hobbies and interests?

[ The thing is Nanami doesn't really know what to do with instant attraction. Sorcerers don't exactly have the privilege of relationships and he's loathe to have a one night stand with someone he's going to be seeing quite regularly. But then again, he's not really a sorcerer here anymore, is he? He's not leaving anytime soon and things are a little different for him. Ugh. What a pain. Life was easier when he just said no to everything.

But he likes this. He likes the dancing. He likes the chatting. He wants to talk to Charlie more, because he's endearing and interesting. So, he'll try not to fuck this up. ]

I'm glad.

[ That he doesn't mind. That it isn't a turn off. That Charlie's still willing to talk to him.

At the question, he pauses and considers. ]

I... [ He's not supposed to tell anyone but. Then again Gojo tells everyone and it's not like it matters here, does it? So. ] Fight monsters only a select few people can see, for the government. And mentor students who train to fight the same. It takes up most of my time.

Otherwise, I like to read. And cook.

[ It's not like Charlie headed out to a hotel in the stars with the intention to hook up with anyone, either, but as ever, he's open to the possibility. Dating is a nightmare when he can't tell his partner about a whole half of who he is, and all of the magic that just sort of permeates Charlie's everyday life scares people off after a while anyway.

So why not here? Why not take this opportunity to be fully honest and to get to know someone and see what happens? They've only talked a couple of times now, but Charlie likes Nanami. He's a good conversational partner, and a good dancer once he settles into it.

Might as well let whatever happens... happen. ]

You don't happen to call those monsters "curses," do you?

[ They'll get back to the reading thing. ]

[ Yes, that's it. Whatever happens happens. Nanami is trying not to think too hard about it.

Still though, there's a look of surprise on Nanami's face when Charlie drops the word curses on him. It makes him pause for a second before he catches himself and returns to their slow dance, hands gripping tighter to Charlie for a moment. ]

Ah, you've talked to Gojo-san. [ Wait, wait. ] Or... Itadori-kun? Pink hair, scar over his nose and lip.

[ It would be Yuji who would spill the beans as well about what their life is like back home. Though, who could blame him, after all the things he's seen and done? Nanami doesn't hold as much ire towards him for being so open with their profession. ]

[ Ah, seems his guess was right on the money — that much is obvious before Nanami even answers. In fairness, he'd react the same way if someone just up and started talking about something specific to his own magic out of the blue.

He gives an apologetic smile, stepping back into the dance easily once they resume. ]

The latter. We met earlier. He was telling me he went to school with a panda and I just had to know more.

I hope the kid's not gonna get into trouble. I don't think secrecy matters that much out here.

[ On one hand, he feels the initial reaction of disgruntlement at knowing the thing they have to hold the most secret is not being held secret at all anymore. On the other, Charlie is right and secrecy doesn't hold much weight out here at the hotel. Nanami sighs a little, mouth curling into something a bit wry as he thinks about it. ]

No, I wouldn't trouble him over it. Gojo-san, his teacher, is also here and just as open about what we face back home if not more so. It's only me who has trouble adjusting to being open about it. A hard habit to break after years of secrecy.

[ He lifts a shoulder in a shrug and the arm he has around Charlie curls a little tighter, unthinkingly stepping closer. This close, he can smell the scent of the soap Charlie uses and it's... nice. This whole thing is very nice. ]

I am trying to approach these things a little more openly while here, but I can still be caught off guard.

[ Oh. Well, he's not going to complain about the sudden bit of closeness. They were already close to begin with, of course, but now he can appreciate the solid warmth of the man in front of him. It really is quite nice. An unexpectedly pleasant surprise. ]

Nah, I totally understand. Here, I'll trade you: I'm a wizard, and back home, we're supposed to keep magic a secret. It's nice to be able to share it with people now, but also kind of strange.

I keep thinking I'm gonna get caught with my hand in the proverbial cookie jar, you know?

[ Oh! A — a wizard? Like someone who uses magic? Nanami has so many questions, immediately, and most of all he wants to see what exactly Charlie can do. He wonders what type of magic he uses and if it's anything like the cursed techniques that the sorcerers use. But that's a lot of questions all at once so first, he nods. ]

That's exactly the feeling. We have... elders who enforce most of these rules. If I were to be this open about it with strangers there, I'd likely have my job stripped from me and be cast out of our community. Not something I'm keen to have happen.

[ But then again, he's from before the elders made the decision to let society at large know curses exist after what happened in Shibuya. It's even more troublesome now to deal with. ]

Here, it's different. Plus, there are no curses to exorcise in the first place, which I appreciate.

Mm. We have something similar. Not elders, per se, even if all of them are like a hundred years older than I am. Still, I'm with you. Not keen to find out what happens for breaking the rules.

[ His shoulders twitch in a shrug. They can leave that subject behind for now, anyway. It has a tendency to get grim, at least for Charlie, who has watched more than one person quietly disappear for stepping out of bounds. ]

I mean, that's good, right? [ No curses. ] Means you can enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

[ It is a grim topic and Nanami is fine to move on from it when Charlie does. Instead nodding at his follow up statement because yeah, it is good. ]

I've been fighting curses since I was fifteen. This is the first time I've had a break in... a long time. I intend to enjoy myself, yes.

[ Of course, there was the period of time he quit being a sorcerer but that wasn't exactly a period of rest for him in the end.

His tail wags a bit then as he thinks about it, because even with the conversation — they're still dancing and it's nice. The corner of his mouth twitches a little, pleased as he adds — ]

This is a good start.

Fifteen, huh? Damn.

[ He's not so presumptuous as to think that Nanami has anything other than a normal human lifespan, so perhaps comparatively it hasn't been that long. Still, it's been long enough. Making kids fight anything when they're still kids is too damn soon.

Ah, but there goes that tail again, bringing a smile back to Charlie's face. ]

I'm glad you think so. I'd hate to be the only one out here having a great time.

[ A nod here because yep, fifteen. That's when he started at Jujutsu High, when he learned about curses, when everything changed for him. It wasn't... fun, let's say.

But this is fun and when Charlie smiles, the tail wags even harder. It's completely giving him away, but he doesn't seem to mind too much. No, as long as it's making Charlie happy, he's kind of okay with having a tail. ]

You're not. Can I ask more about you?

[ He wants to know about Charlie. What it's like being a wizard. What his life is like. He seems like a personable and good natured kind of person and Nanami likes that, for sure. ]

[ He might actually come to miss that tail when it's gone, a little window into what Nanami is thinking behind that stoic gaze, but perhaps for now he can use it as a guideline to figure out what the rest of the man is doing when his tail is going crazy.

God, it really is so cute to see when he's enjoying himself, though.

(Thinks Charlie, a man whose own tail has barely slowed down this whole time.) ]

Of course. Fire away, I'm an open book.

[ Nanami has absolutely noticed the lack of slowing down from Charlie's tail and it makes his chest kind of warm. Though he's not sure if Charlie is just happy because of him or just in general. So, he's trying not to assume anything and just enjoying what he gets in the meantime.

But his own tail is wagging, at a slower pace. A little shyly, even. He just... feels good. He likes this. So, he considers his question to Charlie as Charlie offers himself up. ]

I suppose my first is the most obvious — what type of magic do you do?

[ Can't it be both? Dancing is nice, and he'd be happy doing it regardless, but the company makes it that much better. ]

Oh, I'm an Animator!

[ His ears perk a bit. For as much as he loves dancing, he really loves talking about magic. ]

That means I can enchant and control inanimate objects. If you've ever seen that Disney movie where Merlin makes all the dishes wash themselves, I do that kind of thing.

[ It can be both, true. When Charlie lights up talking about magic though, Nanami's heart maybe does a little flippy flip inside his chest but. Let's not. Talk about that. He really is incredibly endearing.

It takes a moment for Nanami to land the reference but he's still a millennial and watched plenty of animated movies as a kid, both Japanese and English. So, yeah, he gets it and that mental image is enough to let out of an amused huff, nodding in response. ]

It must be useful. I know someone who sort of does similar, but his work is around animating stuffed creatures exclusively. The panda Itadori-kun mentioned to you is one of them, but he actually gave it real life instead of just animating it. Something that took a lot of work.

[ His gaze looks away, expression turning thoughtful. He's trying to make some logical leaps on the rules of magic based off of the things he's read and what makes most sense to him. At his next question, his gaze returns to Charlie. ]

Is it... the type of magic where you wave a hand and things happen or does it include runes and spells and the like?

[ Meanwhile, Charlie is most decidedly not a millennial, though he definitely has the heart of one. There are many more references than that to be made, just keep chatting with him. ]

Oh really? [ He's learning so much about this panda. ] That sounds seriously impressive. I've only ever managed something close on accident. The suit of armor in my bookstore gives me attitude and I have no idea how that happened.

[ Wyn is like the teen daughter he didn't ask for who also happens to be very adept with a sword. ]

Runes, and we use those to write the magic. It's like putting together complex math instead of waving a magic wand and making things happen.

[ He will keep chatting with him. And figuring out the references he makes. Just you wait, if he has to do research, he will. He wants to know all about Charlie. ]

Suit of armor? [ wait. ] Bookstore? You own a bookstore?

[ Nanami's eyes seem to light up a little at that because... well, he likes books. He likes bookstores. He's a voracious reader and now he's learning that the cute guy he's dancing with has a bookstore, it's a little... well, Charlie's hitting all the right notes, let's say. ]

And, right, ah. That must take a lot of studying, no?

[ Ah-ha, he knew he'd get him with the bookstore. (As if he was not showing signs of being Gotten already.) Lucky him that this handsome guy he's chatting with and dancing with also seems to love books just as much as Charlie does.

It's not very obvious, that shift in Nanami's expression, but Charlie certainly catches it, and he finds himself utterly charmed all over again. ]

I do own a bookstore. Imagine how excited I was when you said you like to read.

[ They're definitely hitting all the right notes for each other, it seems like. God. He can't not ask this man on a date after all this. He's too perfect. ]

Mm. It does. A lot of study and a lot of time. I love it, though. Magic is one of my favorite things, right up there with books.

[ It's probably not very obvious, no. But with how close they are and the lack of sunglasses on his face, Nanami isn't able to hide how much he likes that. His expression softens just a little at Charlie's words, even if remaining mostly neutral, and he nods his head. ]

I can imagine. Well, if you ever want to talk books, consider me engaged.

[ Nanami isn't thinking about asking Charlie out after this because he's just used to, well, not doing that. But he likes the other man so much, is finding him so endearing, the idea of not having more of his time after this is almost too much to bear. ]

... I can picture it, you, studying magic. [ And the image is a nice one. ] Is animating all you do?

[ As a rather quick study, Charlie is beginning to pick out some of those subtleties. The micro-shifts in expression that Nanami's tail tells him mean much more than they'd appear. ]

That's a dangerous thing to say to me. I'll probably talk your ear off.

[ Not that he gets the impression that Nanami will mind. Quite the opposite, actually.

Anyway, at the question, he nods a little. ]

It is. It's a complicated magic system to learn, and you can either learn the basics of a bunch of stuff, or pick a Specialization and really delve into it. A lot of people choose the latter because that's what's socially acceptable, but I do it because I think it's interesting.

[ Speaking of that tail, it wags a little harder at Charlie's comment even if Nanami doesn't seem to express anything else at it. And he replies with an easy — ]

I wouldn't mind that.

[ Which is tantamount of explicit flirting for Nanami. If anyone he knew heard him say something like that to someone, he'd never live it down. Especially Gojo. Which, thank god, Gojo's distracted right now. This would be terrible otherwise.

But Nanami likes Charlie, and his voice, so he wouldn't mind hearing more of it at all. ]

Got it. That seems similar to most education, doesn't it? You find what you're passionate and delve in. To try and master everything is impossible. Are there many other Specializations?

[ Oh. For all that Charlie has read and assumed about the other man, it's surprisingly nice to get confirmation from Nanami himself. It makes his grin hitch wider, and he definitely logs that bit of info away for later. ]

There are nine officially sanctioned, including Animation, and one officially... shunned, I guess. That one's Necromancy, before you ask.

[ There's a nod there as he takes in Charlie's answer and looks considering at the mention of necromancy. ]

Huh. Understandable that that's the one that's shunned. There is someone from my world with the ability to possess corpses by replacing their brain with his own. It's a terrible thing and looked down upon and that's just his innate ability. It reminds me a bit of what I'd call necromancy.

Replacing brains with his own? That's some horror movie stuff right there.

[ What the fuck, Nanami's world. ]

Sounds like the people where you come from have some crazy abilities.

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