time and again | jujutsu kaisen

𝐈𝐈𝐈

『PHILIPPINES, TINAMBACAN,
MALAYA FAMILY HOME』

After applying on the last of her symbols and gold hoops, Ma-I Malaya made her way down and took a deep breath.
She looked for her grandmother as she peeked down from above, listening to the crowds of people conversing and laughing, glancing at family members both familiar and unfamiliar— this was a serious event.
This wasn't just any luncheon they threw, this had something to do with all members of the family— otherwise, what would her mother be doing here?

Skipping down the stairs gleefully, Ma-I made her way towards her mom, standing in the doorway, head craning to look for her daughter.

"Mom!" Ma-I cried as she jumped to hug her mom, causing Amihan to stumble back and laugh.
The woman wrapped her arms around her daughter in a loving embrace, engulfing her with kisses. Ma-I still remained a baby to her mama and mother.

"Anak!(daughter!)" Amihan exclaimed spinning her around.
"Oh, how I missed you, my Ma-I!" She set her daughter down and pinched her in the cheeks, earning a slight frown from Ma-I.
"Mom, I didn't think you'd be here!" The girl excitedly says, wrapping her arms around her mother for yet another time.

"Grabe(wow/oh my gosh), you're taller than me now, anak!" Amihan raises her arms to compare their height.
"I've been training hard and sleeping longer, Mom, that's why," she sheepishly states.

"Anyways, Mom, why are you here so early? I thought your flight wasn't until tomorrow?" Ma-I asks as she leads her mom upstairs, trying to avoid the crowd(which was almost impossible, thanks to her clothing).
"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise! Besides, mama has a huge announcement for us all, and I want to be there for you," Amihan takes her bags and follows behind Ma-I.

The mother-daughter duo came as a surprise to many, who expected Ma-I to be resentful towards her mom for giving her up to be the heir, and for leaving her daughter to pursue her own dreams.
When, in fact, the opposite happened!
Although it was true Amihan remained a non-sorcerer, the family's energy & technique would still seep into her life every once in a while, and she would see curses and monsters which she couldn't avoid.

Bringing a daughter into this world was one of decisive instinct, and Amihan chose to train her daughter in sorcery, because she was always going to see these things, and if Ma-I was raised normally in the big city without training, she would, undoubtedly, crash from extreme stress, pressure, & fear of the supernatural.

Naturally, Amihan chose what's best for her daughter and stayed till Ma-I was old enough to understand her mother had work in the big city as a medical researcher, and accepted the responsibility of being the heir.
She was, after all, and over-achiever, and had an affinity for being a leader; so even at a young age, Ma-I excitedly took on her training as the future heir of the Malaya Clan.

Amihan would often visit her daughter and check in on her studies and training, and was always there with her husband to celebrate her and her daughter's birthday.
Amihan's husband was a non-sorcerer, so you could imagine the shock he went through after finding out about his wife's history and heritage.

Nevertheless, the family remained happy, and chose to think of Ma-I's training as boarding school, rather than being lonely about the fact their daughter isn't with them.

"Mom, do you have any idea what mama is going to announce later?" Ma-I asks quietly as they arrive in her mother's old bedroom.