estoria | they are full of regret

Entry tags:

they are full of regret

Who: two dads (Tenka

deontology)
When: backdated to after the event!
Where: the Kumou Estate
What: first goal: get sousei to spit out his tea. second goal: get him drunk off his ass.
Rating/Warning: embarrassing adults

[Tenka comes home the morning after all the madness only after Shirasu called him out. And he's tired. He's tired and he's exhausted and honestly not much of a morning person, despite all the comparisons people make between him and the sun.

Either way, he's trudging his way into their home now and going to sit in front of their low coffee table, joining his partner.

Then because maybe, just maybe these past three days have been hard on him-]

So I woke up alone this morning.

That was nice.

[Are you ashamed yet, partner.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[When Nishiki is gone, it's not immediately obvious. She was quiet, after all, and not as present as Soramaru--but when she misses dinner, Sousei checks, and... well.

It's late when Tenka gets home from work undoubtedly, but nonetheless that's when Sousei is cleaning up Nishiki's room, just like they'd cleaned up Soramaru's.

It's very quiet, now, here. Quietly, he folds up the bedding.]

[Tenka was hoping for the best - he thought maybe Nishiki went out earlier in the morning and that was all. But when he sees the door to her room open when he trudges in, he knows that's not quite the case.

She was quiet, true, but she didn't need to be loud to earn a place in his heart. The confusion and appreciation in her eyes spoke loud enough.

So he doesn't really move to help clean up immediately, instead settling an arm around Sousei's shoulders as he tries to smile and quip-]

Is this what they call 'bachelor living'?

[It's what they were doing before and yet- .... he doesn't like it.]

[... wow, Tenka, really.

Sousei arches an eyebrow at both the pained smile and the arm around his shoulders. He's not quite so torn up about it--Nishiki was never completely comfortable there, he knows, and she finds her place happily with the Kumous nonetheless. He knows all of that for fact.

It just is a little quieter now.]

I am tired of that smile on your face.

[It's fake, and he already said he was tired of those.]

Nishiki has returned with Soramaru, and she will keep him safe.

[ . . . . okay, now the smile is swapping for an annoyed look. Jeeze, so much for trying to lighten up the mood.]

I know that--

[No, he doesn't. They don't know anything about where people go once they disappear from this place. Isn't that the scariest part? But he'll choose not to dwell on that because honestly...]

But Nishiki-chan is family too.

[Even though he met her maybe two months ago, if that. He still knows for a fact that he's going to miss her. It still hurts.]

[He won't let you lighten the mood!! He'll fight you!!

But yeah, he's not surprised that Tenka got so attached to her so quickly. For his part, he just shakes his head.]

I know. There is nothing wrong with being sad over it.

[Just stop with the fake smiles bullshit]

[ . . . . . and like the adult that he is, he's going to pull on Sousei's ponytail then.

Ass.]

Are you trying to lecture me.....

[Dick. He shoves Tenka away at that.]

I am telling you the situation as it is.

You are the one overcomplicating it.

[Tenka just snickers in response to that and lets himself be shoved away, though he's shrugging easily.]

It's not really overcomplicating things if you really do feel both things, you know?

I'm sad. I'm happy too. I'm sad and happy at the same time - but I know which one I'd rather feel, is all.

[An honest enough admittance. There's more to it, like the simple fact that Tenka's trained himself against feeling too sad but....

Right now is the truest definition of bittersweet.]

[you're overcomplicating it...!! But.

When Tenka puts it like that, it's hard to deny him. If he wants to pretend to be happy, then...that's what he's going to do. Sousei just doesn't want him to put on those fake smiles in front of him.

He leans down, gathering up the neatly folded bedding, and drops it in Tenka's arms.]

Put this away.

[BUT WHY.]

I just got home from work and you immediately give me more work.

[But even with the grumbling he goes to do it.... while complaining about Sousei being a jerk.]

Stop complaining.

[Sousei picks up the remainder of the scant belongings, bringing the along as well towards the closet.]

I am not cleaning this all myself.

You had all those hours to do it while I was at work.... you wait until I get home? Why?

[To be RUDE?

Still he's just going to the closet and opening it with one hand while balancing the sheets in the other. Man.... they've been going to this way too often.]

[... excuse you!!!! so suspicious about his motives!!]

... I was checking to be certain Nishiki was no longer here.

[But...she didn't show up for dinner, and he wasn't able to contact her, and so...]

[He just wanted to give Tenka extra labor obviously!!

.... but he's just sighing at that and shaking his head.]

She's always been kinda quiet, huh? But... normally she comes -- er, came home to sleep, at least.

...Yes. I began to suspect when she did not show up for dinner.

[Nonetheless...... he just places the remainder of the objects into the closet, and closes it firmly.

It...is what it is.]

[Tenka watches the closet door close and tries not to let his pain show on his face.

Soramaru and Nishiki's things are behind that door and now they're -- what, out of sight, out of mind? No, far from it. Tenka will say that he forgets about things or people but he'll never forget about his kids. So he frowns for a moment, not bothering to school his expression into something of forced happiness.]

... Yeah.

Guess they're gone now.

[He didn't even get to say goodbye.]

[They are gone now.

That much is true. And Tenka's not hiding how heartbroken he is about it, just as Sousei had said not to. Quietly, he nods.]

Yes. They are.

But we will see them again.

[He has no evidence, but...there are some things he can't allow himself to doubt.]

[ . . . . yeah, they will.

Though at the same time, when he keeps staring at the door of all their stuff packed away and knowing that Tenka's own room is the same as when they chose this place, he can't help but wonder-]

How long have we been here now?

Three months.

[The response is prompt, even as he turns away resolutely from the door, walking back towards the living room.

... a slight pause.]

And one day.

[ . . . . ]

I never thought that would feel like a long time.

[It was never enough time for him before. Three months would fly by and yet here.... he's taking his medicine every day, he's spending each day with Sousei and the rest of his friends but....

Without Soramaru and Chuutarou, it still manages to drag on.

He turns his back to the door and moves to follow after Sousei. Where else is he going to go?]

[... he blinks.]

But it is.

[Why wouldn't you think that's a long time?]

Three months is a long period of time to spend in captivity, even if this captivity is not currently uncomfortable.

[It is still captivity. Sousei just settles himself on the floor then, on the mats in front of the low table.

The couch is too modern, and reminds him too much of the fact that it really is captivity indeed.]

[Tenka settles at the table across from him and speaks of his time easily:]

I lost track of time once I woke up after... that day. Fading in and out of consciousness is different from here.

[He knows captivity well - and it's why he can't see this place to be nearly as cruel. Not when he doesn't have to feel numbing pain and his own sanity slipping away from him every few hours.]

I guess.... it is kind of a long time to be away from home.

[your circumstances were kind of special, Tenka.]

...That is true as well, yes.

[But even so, even if this is nicer than being chained to a wall while you're slowly being Orochi'd--]

This is still captivity, however. It is dangerous to forget that fact.

It's hard to forget it when my brothers aren't here.

[Which is basically Tenka's definition of captivity... because if he had the chance then of course he'd take his brothers with him wherever he went. So he shakes his head slowly.]

I haven't forgotten. We'll leave and we'll get everyone else out of here too. No one left behind.

...Yes. No one left behind.

[It's a promise, just as they'd made the goal before.

But for now, they leave behind the closed closet door with all of the extra bedding they had gotten for Nishiki and Soramaru, and are left with just themselves--and their goals.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

they are full of regret

drop train electric boogaloo

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject