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Seeing Dimple was one side effect of psychic powers. He had been the clue that something had changed in the first place so it made sense. Ritsu could get used to Dimple. The green blob liked to dip in and out at a whim, though had taken to at least pretending to knock on the door when Ritsu almost blasted him through the wall after being startled while studying. Having to work with Reigen when Shigeo needed to rest after a strenuous club day, he could get used to that too. He could flex his psychic muscles (safely, said the look on his brother’s face when it was first suggested) exorcising whatever the man gestured to, after the first couple gestures circled the vague area around the target in a way Ritsu was sure was for show but never had the right moment to ask without Shigeo finding out and giving him a Look. Even with Reigen schmoozing away, the days Ritsu went over to assist were good days.
Physic powers meant seeing more spirits, more ghosts and that was fine.
What he wasn’t fine with, was the rudeness of some of these spirits. They tended to stay away from their home at least; only Dimple had figured out access through the spiritual barrier that grew stronger every day with two espers in one place. Spirits of all shapes, colors and sizes wandered the streets without a care, walking through other pedestrians, through Ritsu as if the living were merely blades of grass in the park. The first time it happened, something clicked. Those random chills, one-armed goosebumps or shifts of his bag that seemed to swing in a breeze the rest of him couldn’t feel, that was a spirit deciding to get too close.
He couldn’t exactly call them out on this bad habit though. Often, they were confused at being addressed, if they responded at all. They weren’t too interested in listening to him. He tried at first, startled enough into a vocal response to shout one down before it disappeared through a fence.
“Young man, I don’t follow the laws of the living.” The spirit has said in a simple, factual way that reminded Ritsu of his brother after he had pondered something worth investigating from all angles.
So he let it go, or tried to. If he walked with his brother, something about Shigeo’s natural aura repelled them to stay at least an umbrella length away; alone, Ritsu had to navigate through the spirits like a fish swimming in a stream that couldn’t make up its mind on how it wanted to flow. He had gotten better at not diving out of the way when leaving half-awake for early Student Council meetings. Remembering he could just shove them telekinetically helped. But he simply wasn’t prepared for the amount of spirits that seemed to just loaf about, taking up space that didn’t seem physically possible.
As with many of the esper-related situations in his life, there came a boiling point. One walk home, a particularly nebulous blue spirit blobbed into his space and its flowing parts shoved him off his feet. Ritsu stumbled, activating his powers too late, tumbling into a heap of limbs. His bag’s contents burst past the forgotten zipper, becoming a floating semi circle as a reflexive response, a physical barrier of books and pencils and scraps of things wedged into the corners intended to be forgotten. Staring up through his bangs, Ritsu spat in frustration, glaring at the spirit who didn’t even spare a glance as it passed through the lamp post and down the street. Items clattered to the ground like rain drops.
Someone else had to know about this, about the spirits, about their, their existence in the corner of his every day routine. Someone else had to see as many as he did. He was sick of this and was going to get answers. Floating his phone over from where it landed on top of his math notebook, Ritsu scrolled through his contacts. His brother was at work, which took both him and Serizawa off his list. Rei couldn't see spirits in the same way; they figured that out last time the group all trained together leaving Ritsu to give an impromptu lesson in exorcising while on the run. Teru was a hit or miss when texting; a phone call would be better but only if he was willing to lose the rest of the day delving into the intricacies of psychic powers. That left… Shou.
Ritsu sent a message.
ME > Do you see a lot of spirits?
The response came quickly, Ritsu pausing in collecting all the little items.
SHOU > Around my house?
ME > In general, hanging in the streets & subway, walking thru people
SHOU > No, what r u talking about? Spirits aren’t common place. theyre usually made up by self-proclaimed psychics to get attention
ME > what about that guy at the claw base???
(What my brother does isn’t made up, even if Reigen is faking his abilities, he thought with a spike of annoyance)
SHOU > who?
Great, Ritsu pulled everything back into his bag with a forceful sweep of blue, shoving his phone away. Now he had to wait for his brother to get home.
A curious spirit leaned down into his vision, fingerless limb nudging his bento box. Ritsu sighed, pushing it away.
--
Despite his inability to help Ritsu with his dilemma, Shou had taken the question as the start of a conversation. Ritsu answered between homework problems, absently at first, then with more attention as their replies delved into something worth focusing; better than the math he understood without the excessive practice problems.
ME > What do u mean “invisible”? why quotations??
SHOU > Its not like the movies portray it. It’s about bending the light, like when u make a barrier
ME > barriers are more like holding in a breath
SHOU > really???
ME > yeah, how do u make one
SHOU > i said: i bend light
Ristu scratched his head, staring down at the last message with a frown, trying to decipher just what that meant. Could he do that?
Dropping his phone to his desk, he pushed away from it, sticking out his hands as he came to a rolling stop. Inhaling, he drew in power, creating a barrier in the familiar way of breathing. He stared at it. It was mostly blue, slightly see-through, like a soap bubble. Little flecks of energy crossed the surface just as bubbles would when rotating on a breeze. He dropped it.
Image in mind of what it was supposed to look like, Ritsu raised his hands again. He kept his breath steady but a separate aspect of himself. Instead, he focused on the lamp in front of him, pictured it behind the same swaying shades of blue as before. He strained; nothing appeared.
I think he’s messing with me…
Ritsu pushed himself back to his desk, wedging his phone between a couple text books. Only an hour more then, his brother would be home. He’d just ask him after dinner.
--
“Nii-san, let me help with the dishes.” Ritsu grabbed the extra towel, pushing up his sleeves past his elbows.
“Huh? Okay Ritsu.” Shigeo didn’t look surprised, accepting his younger brother’s help with a pause in scrubbing to share the sink.
It had been a while since they did the dishes together and it showed. Both were older than they were when they started this particular chore, their reach longer, causing their hands to bump into each other when previously they had to get up on their toes to close the distance. They held onto the dishware for an extra moment when passing them along through the steps of cleaning, requiring a tug to confirm it wouldn’t be dropped back into the sudsy water as the first items were accidentally. They settled into a rhythm after cleaning the plates, Ritsu practicing floating the cups to the drying rack. The last one slipped through the towel, and he captured it with a barrier before it could land back in the sink.
“You’re getting better Ritsu,” His brother commented, genuine praise in his voice, watching Ritsu lift the cup up and out of reach of the water, clinking against the others in the drying rack when he released the barrier’s protection.
“Thanks,” He accepted it with a smile, taking the next item in the comfortable quiet that resumed. “Hey Nii-san?”
“Mm.”
“How do you make your barriers?”
“I just...hm.” Ritsu could hear the gears start turning in his brother’s head, sponge stuttering to a halt. Explaining himself had always been a difficult task, and clearly Shigeo wanted to give an answer that made sense, that Ritsu could use while improving his control. They were trying to connect like that now, on this odd common ground they found themselves sharing.
Ritsu leaned against the lip of the sink, heart swelling in appreciation when he saw his brother’s eyes unfocus on the room in front of them, some far off point gaining his deep concentration. “I haven’t thought about how I make them before.” Shigeo finally said, returning to the room with an inhale like he had forgotten to do so while thinking. “Barriers are easier than breathing. They are heartbeats.”
“Do you time it with your heart beat?” Ritsu asked, then, raising the hand not holding the towel. “Like…” He listened to his heart, then blipped a small barrier across the sink when he felt in sync. “This?”
“Ah, almost.” Shigeo watched the barrier dissolve, raising the hand with the sponge to demonstrate. Nothing changed physically, no inhale or exhale, but Ritsu could feel at the edges of his awareness his brother’s powers flow effortlessly with the barest of nudges. His barrier lasted for a brief moment, sliding away just as easily as it had formed. Ritsu’s eyes widened in awe. He knew of course that his brother had grown up with his powers; they would always be easier to access, drifting at Shigeo’s fingertips in a maddening yet incredible way. Their proximity at the sink meant he could feel the power usage though and that gave him an idea.
“This?” He flashed a barrier quicker, capturing a pocket of water inside. He fell back on the familiar aspects of creation, but took a page from Shigeo’s technique; no overthinking, just do.
“Even simpler.” Another purple and blue barrier grew, holding steady for Ritsu to see the sheen of it before flicking out. Compared to his, it looked like the stillness of the river by their house on his early morning walks to school. The water inside only furthered the comparison. It was beautiful.
“Okay,” He hummed, releasing a breath. “Like this?”
They flashed barriers back and forth, Ritsu’s brows furrowed in thought, while Shigeo’s eyes creased at the corners in amusement. A smile even formed and stayed as their attempts to mimic each other’s techniques sloshed through the sink, and Ritsu was going to count that as a win for the night even if he couldn’t figure out his power’s internal heartbeat.
“Hey boys, no powers around the sink!” Their mom warned, passing the doorway with a bemused smile. “You’re getting water everywhere.”
“Sorry mom!” The brothers chorused. Looking down, the tiles were soaked. They had tested so many small barriers with the suds, more of the water was out of the sink than inside. Handing Shigeo his towel, Ritsu grabbed the extra, joining his brother to mop up the spills.
“Nii-san,” Ritsu said after a pause. “I wanted to ask you, do you see a lot of spirits during the day? Or just at work?”
“Most of the time, it's just at work.” Shigeo said, towel moving in little circles. “I don’t really notice them anymore when I walk around the city.”
“One tripped me today.” Ritsu snorted, sitting back on his feet when his brother looked up startled. He felt the air shift, an increase of instinctual protective esper energy that made both their hair flutter in an invisible breeze. If Shigeo crossed paths with that spirit, it was getting a talking to, probably in the form of an exorcism if Ritsu didn’t continue with, “I caught myself with my powers, so don’t worry! Didn’t even scrape my hands, see?”
“Oh.” As anticipated, the energy swelled away, Shigeo’s hands cupping Ritsu’s to assess for damage. “I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. Spirits forget sometimes that some of us can see them. How many do you usually see?”
“It’s like I’ve been invited to a private parade every day, with lots of people in colorful costumes. It’s...pretty.” Ritsu kept his hands in his brother’s, shoulder against the cabinets as Shigeo examined them. They were okay, nails still short from biting at them during the last test, writing calluses on his fingers, no scrapes on his palms. He could feel his brother’s calluses, the odd one or two nicked scar that puckered on his palms, the smoothed out texture of several finger pads. He wondered how many of the calluses were from work, how many of the scars were from falling while running with the Body Improvement Club.
“That sounds nice Ritsu,” Shigeo gave him a smile. “We can try practicing barriers again. The spirits on the street won’t bother you, but extra practice can help you keep them away so you don’t get tripped again.”
“I’d like that,” Ritsu returned the smile, turning his hand over to grasp Shigeo’s, helping his brother up.