Work Text:
Jiji Enjoji's soul is gentle and warm just like the luxurious futon the boy sleeps on and like the rays of the sun warming his tanned skin. Evil Eye finds Jiji's soul comfortable to sleep wrapped up in it during the daytime, but a gilded cage is still a cage. It wants to be free. After its short miserable lifetime stuck in a dark cell starving to death and centuries of its unlife tied to that house, anything less than being free in the world is a torture. To be able to listen and see and feel and taste Jiji's freedom is an aggravating tease. That spoiled idiot doesn't deserve everything he takes for granted in his soft, easy life. Not his health. Not his home. Not his parents. Not his easy access to food every day. Not his toys. Not his friends. Nothing.
Lucky bastard's whole existence just pisses it off.
If not for the clash between nature of the spirit that Evil Eye grew into and the human's gender, it wouldn't be trapped in this soft warm prison in the first place. Evil Eye is a yamanoke. A rare, powerful, ill-tempered and malicious mountain kami. A kami out right, not just 'like a god' like that defanged Turbo Granny told the humans. That know nothing, weak new age urban yokai who thinks she's so much better just because she's more mature than it. [It ignores the fact that yamanoke are also new age spirits because it's a lot cooler than a fast grandma.]
[It should really punt that possessed cat doll the next chance it gets.]
Evil Eye's nature as a yamanoke, especially one with a potent evil eye, does have it's draw backs, however. It is not a physically violent spirit by nature, so without a physical body it can only rely on spells like casting it's evil eye to effect others. It so very much enjoys the option to be physically violent, it will go for the option of physical violence so long as it is an option, which is in effect as long as it possesses Jiji's body. It's spells don't work as well on boys cause their ki's not as compatible, so it should have been fine. But using its evil eye on Jiji, twice over even, has apparently driven this kid a bit mad. Or rather, worsened what madness was already in the corners of his mind. Which was fine when that madness was helpful, when the boy refused to listen to warnings and offered himself up on a platter insisting that they were the same and misjudging Evil Eye's intentions.
But now the boy thinks he has some kind of right to trap it and teach it like it's some wayward infant. The nerve. And that was only when Jiji's fractured mind wasn't swinging wildly in the other direction, craving his own oblivion and subconsciously trying to offer Evil Eye control. Rude. Like it needed the help. Jerk. A game's not fun if it wins because the other forfeits without it having to put in any work. It put in work and planning to snatch this body fair and square, that their situation is so flip floppy fucked because Jiji is a boy and strong enough to be a rival shouldn't be resolved by the boy giving up.
It wants to fight!
Admittedly, it would be difficult to fight the way it really wants to with meat and blood and pain what with the sharing a body thing. But some kind of fight is possible! Their souls can interact. Their minds can interact. They can work out something when Jiji stops being a little bitch about his feelings!
A whole bunch of moaning and crying from a big kid is just plain pathetic.
Jiji watches the musicians set up their equipment with a mask of cheer on his face and a pit of dread growing in his belly. Evil Eye pays attention with increasing wakefulness as the sun starts to set. The musicians are going to have something to do with the exorcism being set up, a distraction maybe? As if that would work. It laces roots of its power deep into Jiji's too warm, too masculine, too soft, ill fitting soul. The boy's ki readily envelops the spirit in a tight embrace, subconsciously ready to hold on and resist the attempt to separate them.
Working together like this, no one could hope to defeat their combined spiritual power.
……
Damn, but that music is really good tho?
In a moment of distraction the priestess' spell wedges itself between Evil Eye and Jiji's soul trying to pry them apart. Evil Eye felt itself being torn out of the warm blanket of Jiji's soul, its power flaring as it tried to hold on causing the boy's body to start unevenly levitating and contorting.
That music is so damn distracting!
Spiritual holdfasts rip against the assault of the spell. Evil Eye grasps desperately to hold on to Jiji's soul while Jiji's ki tries desperately to grab the spirit back. Angry spectral tears spill from its eyes as it kicks against the power of that girl, Momo, sinking into them no doubt trying to further wedge them apart. Frustrated sobs tear out of the spirit's throat as it grabs desperately at Jiji's body and soul as Evil Eye feels parts of itself starting to painfully disintegrate.
It's not fair! Not fair! Not fair not fair not fair!!! It just got out! It just got a good healthy body! It just got toys to play with! It's Not Fair! It doesn't want to die again!
Jiji is crying too, begging and pleading with the priestess to stop the exorcism. It twinges a memory seared in the back of Evil Eye's mind. Two desperate, trapped children wailing together facing the death of one while the other tries in vain to prevent it.
Evil Eye's head hurts. Its heart hurts.
Jiji is a fool. Too kind hearted and too trusting by halves. The boy is also a massive coward. Too afraid to show his messier emotions or the ugly edges of his soul. Jiji stuffs down all his negatives like that will make them go away if he acts like they don't exist enough when they're actually festering into something worse that will explode one day.
But Jiji is strong. Powerful enough that when fully trained he could be a match for even a god like Evil Eye. Powerful enough that they could probably play on equal footing some day. That's worthy of a crumb of its respect at least. And maybe…
Maybe…
Maybe Evil Eye should look out for Jiji the same way the boy is trying to look out for it? At least, just to return the favor. Evil Eye could even help Jiji grow into a better version of himself, someone who's unafraid to snap his fangs when he wants instead of plastering on smiles and shrinking himself for others.
That might be a different kind of fun.
The ritual ends. The fire is put out. The musicians pack away their instruments.
Evil Eye's whole being aches as it curls deep into the delicious warmth of Jiji's soul as the boy's ki wraps protectively around it. Evil Eye spends some of its youki on healing the parts of it that crumbled away from the exorcism. The sprit felt the bone deep exhaustion of its host, could tell that Jiji was subconsciously spending his own ki to heal his strained and cramped muscles.
Hunger yowls sharp in Jiji's belly and both of them feel it like a wound with how much energy they spent during and recovering from the exorcism. Hopefully, that priestess starts cooking dinner soon. Maybe it will be able to convince its host to forgo his manners and eat till their belly aches from fullness.
Speaking of the priestess, she says something that catches their attention. She wants to make the Evil Eye a member of her family. How…absolutely insane of her. Did she share the same misplaced absurd compassion as her granddaughter? Why would she want Evil Eye as family? Its own parents had taken one look at it when it was born the wrong colors and too sensitive to light and decided that it wasn't worth their love and care. Its parents had sold it without even trying to haggle a higher price to the Kito family as a sacrifice to appease the serpent god's wrath.
The Evil Eye doesn't trust this woman or her word. She probably just wants to get its guard down to make it easier to kill. Or maybe she's trying to trick Jiji? That would be… worse. That would be meaner than trying to trick Evil Eye because Jiji actually trusts this woman. The betrayal would wound him badly, just like Evil Eye's did, and the boy would just stuff down the emotion till it rotted his soul and broke him. Evil Eye would at least curse the woman and try to kill her for betraying it.
"Okarun! I want a hug!" Jiji says wobbly as he peels his exhausted body from the altar and rushes for his friend. That stupid unobservant boy doesn't notice the scent of petrichor or the start of the drizzle.
They switch by the second they reach that Turbo Granny colt boy. The dominance of their souls flip. Jiji's warm spirit sinks down into Evil Eye's cool depths. In that split second that Evil Eye gets control of the body it seriously considers uppercutting Jiji's friend before his mind registers the transformation. Violence is tremendously tempting but… it supposes that it owes Jiji at least one favor for saving its unlife.
Evil Eye wraps Jiji's strong arms around the boy's tiny twig of a friend. Nonfatally crushing the other teen to Jiji's plush and muscular chest. This is a hug, apparently. Evil Eye's first—no, it did hug that one child that one time, so its second hug. Ever. Jiji's friend is surprisingly warm, [or maybe its just because Jiji's body cools down significantly when Evil Eye is in control?] and the other boy's heart starts hammering in his narrow chest as he realizes the potentially deadly situation he's in.
It grins maliciously with a mouth full of fangs at the Turbo Granny boy soaking up the boy's fear as well as the warmth radiating from his bony body. It would be so much fun to torture and kill this kid, it wants to so much… Jiji's belly rumbles with gnawing hunger and the spirit does consider eating Jiji's friend too, causing its host to go still in the back of its mind and very quietly plead for Evil Eye not to do that.
The Cursed House springs into existence to protect Evil Eye from the hot water being thrown its way. To bad for Jiji's allies that only the boy its squeezing into Jiji's torso can even hope to match its speed and reflexes, even if the Turbo powered boy is very bad at fighting. Said boy wiggles in its arms, changing into his long and lanky yokai form. Evil Eye might get wounded by the boy's sharp mask muzzle, but not enough to stop it from breaking the boy's spine and crushing the boy's ribs like it's so very tempted to try.
But… Jiji would hate that and at least for the rest of tonight it will respect his wishes. Besides, Jiji's skinny bony friend would make a terrible meal. Unlike the Kito men, Turbo Lad barely has any meat on him, Evil Eye would still be terribly hungry even if it ate every last scrap of the kid. Also the hot blood might make it and Jiji switch [unless it can do something to make their shared hold on the body favor Evil Eye again, that is]. And while it might be funny to watch Jiji freak out, it'd be a waste of a kill because Jiji wouldn't eat the corpse and would just vomit up the bite that Evil Eye could swallow down before switching.
Evil Eye snorts dismissively at Jiji's friend struggling in its grasp and very blatantly lets the scrawny boy-yokai go when the other starts trying to use his legs to push out of the hug. Then Evil Eye kicks the Turbo Lad across his hardened muzzle launching him clear out of the Cursed House. A snort of laughter belts out of the spirit as it watches him land next to his girl who shoots it a murderous look of her own. But the relief in that Momo girl's eyes that her boy didn't have the same fate as the Kito men is palpable. So is the relief of Jiji who unclenched his whole being in the back of the spirit's consciousness.
There is a moment of its enemies circling the Cursed House with their thermoses and cups of hot water looking for an opening where Evil Eye considers giving them a go. But no. Not today. It decided that it will give Jiji a bit of a breather in return for helping it earlier and it will keep its promise. It's a kami of its word after all.
It waits just long enough for it to properly sink in to these people that there's literally nothing they can do to it while its shields are up. Evil Eye wonders if they've actually comprehended that its been holding back every time its tried to kill them yet. That it purposefully pulls its punches and kicks to make the fun last just a little longer than it would otherwise. That Momo girl and her Turbo boy had to have seen it take on that damnitable worm, they should have a better idea of the kind of force that it can really put out with this perfect body and how they haven't been struck with that kind of force yet.
But then again… these people aren't very smart. Plus some of them might genuinely just be insane, like the granny and the Momo girl. And not the useful kind of insane. Oh well, they'll wise up when it kills them at some point, some other day.
It huffs and then turns and walks out of the front gate of the residence to find something interesting to do. Jiji's stomach whines like a needy puppy and it consolingly pats the padded flesh of Jiji's middle. It should also find something to eat, while it's about.
On a whim, because it's only ever felt the rain on its arms before, it permits the rain to permeate the walls of the Cursed House.
…hmm… actually that feels really nice.
It permits the mud of the dirt road to permeate as well and squashes Jiji's toes into the cold muck.
That's really nice too…
By the time Ken registers Miss Seiko's shout about the rain, Jiji is already there in his space, thick muscular arms outstretched for what promises to be a bear-hug in gratitude for Ken's declaration. He's an awkward fellow, but a hug wouldn't have been refused. And Jiji actually gives nice hugs, between his warmth and size. Unfortunately, Ken doubts that Evil Eye would like to hug, given the spirit's general blood lust and Evil Eye's tendency to try to kill people the exact second it gains control of Jiji's body.
Ken's perception is fast enough that he can actually see the process by how Jiji transforms even tho it's probably a split second in real time. From the first drop of rain that touches Jiji's skin a wave of hideous bruise blue-black flesh sweeps across the other boy's form. Jiji's body briefly twisting and warping larger, shredding his clothes before changing back to the exact same pose and motion but now in Evil Eye's signature purple-white with black markings.
Unfortunately, in his base form Ken isn't fast enough to act on his perception.
He tenses, bracing for a skull cracking punch or rib bruising kick. He can heal thanks to his yokai powers, especially things with his bones given how his body changes when he transforms. But it still hurts. A lot.
Instead of a blow Ken finds himself being…hugged?
He's crushed into Jiji's bare torso, face smooshed between the taller boy's pecs. The fat that Jiji had gained from Evil Eye's binge eating did nothing to change the fact that under that bit of padding the larger boy was nothing short of a wall of muscle and power. Evil Eye's hold is firm, just short of suffocating. Jiji's skin in this form is cold like a corpse and is weirdly scratchy like some kind of rough cloth.
This is a very bad position, Ken realizes as the shock wears off. His heart rate picks up as adrenaline starts flowing through him. Evil Eye could very easily crush his spine and ribs like this and as Ken looks up at Evil Eye's face he sees that the spirit very much knows this. Evil Eye grins at him, flashing massive jagged fangs. Ken feels a rumble from the belly that his chest is pressed flush against and— oh no.
Right.
Evil Eye eats people.
The Cursed House screams into life around them and for a heartbeat, Ken's heart is in his throat. Evil Eye's gaze leave him to focus just behind Ken. He can hear Miss Ayase and the others yelling and banging on the walls of the Cursed House. This monster wearing his friend's body absolutely would kill him and eat him specifically to hurt Miss Ayase again.
He's not going to let that happen.
Ken thrashes against the Evil Eye's hold, calling upon Turbo Granny's power to transform. The Evil Eye glances back at him lazily, like a cat that's waiting for the mouse under its paw to realize its impending fate and makes no move to adjust his hold on Ken. The lower tip of Ken's sharp muzzle drags across the taller yokai's collar bones, drawing blood. Ken's claws do the same as he attempts to get some kind of purchase to break Evil Eye's grip to no avail. He's only let go of once he braces his feet on Jiji's shins to try and push off, presumably because the leg strength granted to him by Turbo Granny's power is more comparable to Evil Eye's and said evil spirit probably doesn't want to have to heal from getting Jiji's knees fucked up.
As soon as his feet touch the ground, the side of Evil Eye's foot is sailing towards Ken's jaw and for the umpteenth time this week he find himself being launched away.
He rejoins the fray in a heart beat to find… that there isn't a fight.
Just Evil Eye watching them from inside the Cursed House while leaving no opening for anyone to throw hot water on him. Which… huh. Yeah. He can just shield himself and they don't have much to combat that do they? Not since Seiko's talismans stopped having any effect on Evil Eye.
Yeah, it's a lot better that Evil Eye decided he'd rather send Ken flying than keep him trapped in that hug at his mercy. But why? The Evil Eye had had the advantage and didn't capitalize on it like it typically would. Ken doubts that the evil spirit is that worried about being beaten again in his own domain, the Evil Eye comes off as a bit overconfident in his abilities actually. Not that that confidence is entirely misplaced. He is a major threat and he's got a body count already.
Of all the next moves that Ken could have seen coming, Evil Eye walking out the front gate while shielded is not even on the list.
……
Between Turbo Granny's words and Jiji's about the Evil Eye, Ken did get the idea that the spirit is mentally a small child. A very energetic small child with one hell of a mean streak, but a child none the less. He's been forming an idea about how to tame the Evil Eye but he's not strong enough yet to implement it.
But seeing Evil Eye stomp in mud and splash rain puddles instead of trying to break people's bones does really show that it is a kid really. It does throw a wrench into the idea Ken'd been forming that maybe murder and ultra violence was just the only way the spirit knew how to play? Borne from Evil Eye's mention of how he likes to take his games seriously. But if the spirit can find things like splashing around on a rainy day fun as well… then maybe Evil Eye might just be an asshole? On purpose. That's not great for trying to tame it.
But then? Why did Evil Eye hug him? Ken doubts that Jiji is in control at the moment, given the kick, but why is Evil Eye acting so differently now? Did the exorcism alter it some how?
Either way they couldn't allow Evil Eye to escape. Not when he's hungry. They do know that the spirit eats people. And has a disturbingly large stomach capacity given that Jiji's body should not be able to stretch that much or survive being that stretched out like that…
Ken's toe claws dig into mud as his elongated fleet slap against the road as he pursues Evil Eye. His shoes are ruined, but he has an extra pair he brought over just in case he'd be forced to transform without time to prepare. Momo-babe's weight is heavy on his back, but a bit more manageable since he's been working out. He sacrifices a bit of his balance to use his arms to brace her for her safety as she attempts to grab and corral Evil Eye.
With Turbo Granny's speed, Ken is faster than Evil Eye by several seconds. That is, without a passenger at least. With Momo-babe's extra weight, they're tied unless he goes all out. But going all out and ramming into the Cursed House just to get a concussion also isn't the best idea.
Evil Eye's not fully shielding himself with his grudge ability now that he's running flat out faster than the house form of it would be able to move in a space. But the grudge hovers around his shoulders in ball form ready to go house mode and stonewall them. The spirit hasn't been trying to bean them to death with the Grudge Ball either but there are seconds where Momo-babe does get a grab that it looks like it wants to.
Unfortunately, Jiji's mostly naked body plus rain and mud make Evil Eye too slippery for his girl to keep a hold on. Twice she accidentally squeezed too hard and Evil Eye shot out of her big ghost hands much like how Ken'd done when she did that with him during the fight with Nessie and the Serpoians. It shouldn't have been funny. Evil Eye found it hilarious, Jiji's laugh coming out of that monster made Ken's mane flare up in agitation.
Aira might be able to wrap up Evil Eye more securely but the three of them had long left her in the dust. But if Ken took on her weight too he wouldn't be able to keep up with Evil Eye. And if he goes back to swap gals, they'll lose track of Evil Eye entirely.
Bummer.
"Damnit, if he keeps going in this direction he'll end up in the city in no time flat," Momo swears and tries to block Evil Eye's path, "there's no telling how much damage that asshole would do if he got around a bunch of people!"
Evil Eye turns his step forward into a jump to clear Momo-babe's telekinetic grip. And then… he just keeps… going up? What? What?!
Evil Eye keeps rising higher and higher towards the clouds dangling in the air like some giant invisible force grabbed Jiji under the armpits like an oversized cat. He clears the range of Momo's reach glaring at them smugly the whole time.
"Fuck! Damnit! That bastard can fly!" Momo growls in frustration before going still, "Wait, yeah, he can fly! He did that under Jiji's house when we first met him. Shit, forgot about that."
Evil Eye vanishes from sight inside of the rain clouds. Ken follows his girl's instruction to follow for a good while into the city before the spirit gets too high up for Momo to see his aura.
Damn. This sucks.
……
Three hours into their search for Evil Eye they get a call from Jiji's parents. Apparently he showed up in their hospital room and based on their description of his state that had 100% been Evil Eye that had gone to them. Other than breaking a window and getting mud everywhere Evil Eye hadn't hurt anyone, he'd just been really clingy and cuddly. He also ate their dinners with enough gusto for them to ask if Jiji was getting enough to eat while staying with the Ayases.
[To be honest, Ken thinks, they could probably stand to feed Jiji more. Evil Eye does get more sluggish and sleepy when Jiji's full. It would probably be safer for everyone… granted it probably wouldn't be the best for Jiji's health in the long term.]
By the time the group gets to the hospital with Taro and Mr. Shrimp in tow, Evil Eye's long gone.
They inform the Enjojis that Jiji had been possessed and to be wary if they see him running around nearly naked again and to call right away if they can without agitating him. Unfortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Enjoji don't have any idea where Evil Eye ran off to before the group showed up.
Two hours later with no further leads and a school day dawning in less than five hours they're forced to call it quits for the night and head back home. The mood is somber, the knowledge that the Evil Eye could be out there causing a massacre without them knowing sits heavy in the air. Mr. Manjiro and Miss Seiko have quietly resumed their argument about exorcising Jiji regardless of his consent.
Everyone pauses to stare at the four frozen half-eaten pizza bagels sitting in the middle of the remains of the living room.
Where did those even come from?
Did Evil Eye come back?
A little more looking revealed the gutted carcass of a vending machine that looked like it lost a fight with a bear sitting in the kitchen. Wrappers and food containers scattered haphazardly. A trail of muddy footprints trailing to the bathroom. Evidence that someone took a shower in there recently and Jiji's muddy briefs on the floor.
…Ken doesn't want to get full frontal nudity from Evil Eye. That just would not be great. But it does make sense if Evil Eye doesn't care about being naked at all.
As a group, ready to fight, they continue to search the house. Eventually they find Evil Eye in Momo's room on her bed.
He's thankfully not naked, at some point after showering the spirit put on a clean pair of Jiji's briefs and a pajama top that does not cover Evil Eye's heavily distended stomach. He also apparently stole a pair of Seiko's fuzzy granny socks while raiding the place of every blanket available to turn into a cozy looking nest. Evil Eye seems to be halfway into a food coma with one arm wrapped around one of Momo's stuffed animals in a death grip and his other hand rubbing slow soothing circles on his stomach as he groans pitifully. He's only about a third as big as he'd eaten himself into that first night with the Kito family but apparently whatever he did eat, which seems to have been a bunch of human food instead of humans [they hope, they'll keep an eye on the news just in case], doesn't seem to be agreeing with him.
Ken feels more sorry for Jiji who's going to be stuck digesting all of that rather than for the mean-spirited yokai currently experiencing the consequences of his binge eating.
"Go away," Evil Eye groans weakly as he cracks his middle eye open to glare at them.
"No can do kiddo," Miss Seiko says casually as she steps forward with her thermos, "you gave us a good run but Jiji needs to be back in control of his body."
"Why?" Evil Eye asks opening his other eyes to challenge Miss Seiko but winces when he tries to sit up, that over stuffed gut fighting him on the action, "Jiji gave me this body. It's mine. I deserve to use it more than him."
Miss Seiko doesn't stop her advance, hot water in hand, "Jiji agreed to share with you, to play with you and help you out. He did not agree to being trapped inside his own body or for you to kill everyone he knows. Unless you can learn some manners and how to play nicer, then it's not safe for everyone else for you to be out doing as you please."
"I did play nice today." Evil Eye counters.
"After you almost got exercised," Miss Seiko volleys back in a voice that Ken would expect from a parent that isn't about to give, "You probably got spooked a bit and switched things up cause of it. Plus you attacked us before the exorcism. You've been the one attacking first every time. And I doubt that Four-eyes over there appreciated getting kicked earlier before you ran off."
Evil Eye glares harder and the room starts to spin, Ken looks away from the spirit's face to get his head clear of the darkness trying to seep in.
"And look at that, you're trying to kill us again, cause you're mad now. It's almost like there's a reason you keep being put in time out, kid," Miss Seiko sighs, "word of advice, you should treat others how you wish to be treated. If you try to get rid of other people just cause you're frustrated, you can't be surprised if we try to do the same to you. You aren't the only one who's scared of dying."
She pours the hot water on Jiji's head.
"Wake up, kid, you've got ki training to start," Miss Seiko tells Jiji as he blinks into awareness.
If anything, Evil Eye not coming out at all after the fiasco when Jiji inevitably gets wet on accident is somehow even more nerve racking. Initially, Jiji thought that the spirit was just avoiding his share of the stomach ache he ate the both of them into. But Evil Eye had taken over even when they'd had worse gut problems from eating the Kito men. So it wasn't about avoiding unpleasant sensations.
After about two days when Jiji's guts are finally finished processing everything that Evil Eye put in them, Jiji figures out that it's sulking. Huh, apparently Seiko's lecture had more of an effect than everything Jiji's tried thus far. It might be because she's an adult. Given how Evil Eye was with his parents, the spirit might be craving paternal affection. Jiji knows he does, he misses his parents so much. Evil Eye's not had any of kind of real parenting or affection like that in his whole existence. It's way sad. It's probably also why Seiko's declaration to make it family weirded it out so much.
He doesn't think that Evil Eye is ready to turn over a new leaf just yet. But if it's thinking about stuff like this then it's made a lot of progress already!
As things are with Evil Eye sulking and refusing to come out, Jiji is permitted to make a very carefully controlled trip to the mall to replace some his shredded or outgrown clothes. Which is a godsend because trying to squeeze himself into his pants had gotten much harder after Evil Eye's latest binge added a few more centimeters to his waist and hips.
When it's safe to let Evil Eye out to experience things, he'll definitely need to teach the spirit some sense of moderation in its eating. Going up a pant-size every time it filled their belly is a bit ridiculous.
Granted, the paunch wouldn't be sticking to him if Manjiro would let him go on runs. There's not enough space in Momo's home for Jiji to get a good workout in. Not his cardio at least. And he couldn't go to the gym with all the sweaty people and equipment until everyone could be sure that Evil Eye wouldn't put a barbell through someone.
Still, Jiji is hopeful that Evil Eye might be safe soon. He can hear the spirit repeating Seiko's words about treating people how it wishes to be treated in the back of his head in a loop. Maybe she got through to it?
……
Of course, getting lectured could have just made Evil Eye even more angry, Jiji realizes as he slips back into the driver's seat of his body to find his hands wrapped around Momo's neck. He bites back bile rising in his throat as he lets her go. He accepts Okarun's shove without a word. He deserves it. Seiko's hand looks terrible too even if she's not acknowledging it.
Guilt nests in his belly again, eating holes in him anew.
Evil Eye is a small child who's never be taught how to deal with it's big emotions in a constructive manner. Jiji feels like an idiot for not realizing that it might throw a tantrum or backslide. Anger creeps in as he dries his face in the towel Seiko gave him. He keeps his face hidden with it as he lowers himself into a corner until he can calm down.
He feels Evil Eye prod his mind with equal parts curiosity and approval. Well, if the brat likes him angry then it's gonna get a lot more of that because maybe the spirit needs to have some tough love since time outs aren't working.