[OPEN] did you miss me?

[sunshrouded]

Who: Tenka aka "Dad Extraordinaire" (sunshrouded) & ALL OF Y'ALL TBH
When: Sliiiiightly forward-dated to 2/15, so right after the Nexus Code event!
Where: assorted... Kumounji House & entertainment district mostly!
What: Guess who's back (back again), Tenka's back. Tell a friend. -- also he fulfill his dream of becoming a Sidequest Dispenser.
Rating/Warning: just your usual brand of tenka idiocy, maybe some tears, probably some punching

[a. closed to kumounji house residents ; farts back into existence]

[Tenka doesn't have a calendar in his room.

Why would he?

But what he does have, when he materializes in his futon, wearing the same robe that he went to bed with, is a vague feeling of dread. He went through a weird sequence of dreams, he thinks. Sitting through that powerpoint again and then -- after that there was a weird space where he could walk through entire buildings. Where he started to feel... intangible again. It was remniscent enough of the time that he lost his body that he felt chills.

Yet his preoccupation with himself was short. After all, Shirasu was there.

Shirasu was there and wasn't there all at once -- he was in that space, unresponsive even as Tenka yelled at him and tried to punch him. But there was no returning punch, no weary purple eyes, not even a motion of acknowledgment. He was well and truly there and.... not.

So Tenka is tired as he walks out into the living room then, settling himself at their low table and slumping over it, just as he would've three weeks ago.

His first word upon his return:]

Teeeeaaaaaaaa.

[ . . . . . well?]

[b. semi-open to adoptees & others ; emerges from the void for noogies]

[Most people just knock or ring a doorbell. Maybe knock three times in small bursts if they're feeling antsy. But here's Tenka, banging on the door instead, complete with yelling:]

Heeeeyyyyy!! Is anyone in there?! Hellooooo?

[At least it's a voice you probably haven't heard in a while.

Someone clued him in that he's been gone for 3 weeks. So he's got about 3 weeks of visits to make up for, he thinks.

(Punch him.)]

[c. OPEN ; tell me what you see ]

[If nothing else, you might've seen this guy's face around. Yet he appears to no longer be Missing and is instead sitting on a bench somewhere. He seems to be puzzling over something very, very deeply. Feel free to bug him if you know him when he's still in the middle of his work of art (which consists of nothing more than a few brush strokes).

Because otherwise he's going to sit up suddenly and thrust out the page to you. It's definitely the kanji for 'lake'. But here's time for messing with the language mechanism and/or an impromptu Rorschach test:]

What does this look like to you?

[What a quack.]

[d. OPEN ; quest master tenka, disaster in the making]

Hey, you!!

[Doesn't that sound like a promising start to a conversation....

Alas, escape is futile as Tenka completely messes up the rhythm of the closest person's day as he steps in front of them and offers them the sunniest grin. (Don't trust it.)]

You look like you've got some free time. Think you can help a guy out with something?

[Sidequest: start!]

[e. choose your own adventure, hit me with anything, i can take it! ]

Comments

B

[nostatus]

[ Yeah, sorry, Tenka. You can come hollering at the Shinsengumi bachelor pad all you want, but you're not going to get the usual welcome. For one, there's no answer at first. Saitou probably left early for one thing or another, and Shinpachi.. well, getting out of bed suddenly feels really hard and bothersome and he just doesn't want to deal with anything right now. It's childish, he knows, but he can't be assed to even judge himself for it.

It's only when the banging just doesn't stop and he feels a headache coming on that he bothers to get up and drag himself to the front door to open it - looking pretty much like a mess, with his clothes all wrinkled and his hair even more all over the place than usually.

The fact that it's Tenka and that he's back doesn't even seem to faze him - he just rubs his eyes like all of this is normal. ]

Did you have to be so loud?

[ .. yeah, nice to see you, bruh... sorry, Shinpachi's not in the best mood. ]

[sunshrouded]

[Shinpachi.... you fucker......

Admittedly the fact that Shinpachi doesn't break down in hysterics upon seeing him is nice. That's a pleasant change after all the visits he's been making. He can trust his bro to pretty much be on the same level as him, and having someone level-headed is great considering the fact that Tenka's disappearance managed to shake even Sousei.

But this is something else entirely.

Which is probably why Tenka's responding with a dry comment of his own.]

What, did you wake up from a three-week long nap too?

[nostatus]

You disappear from a while, then come over, don't even bring booze.. what am I s'posed to say to that?

[ It's a very, very bad attempt at bringing some humor into this.. but Shinpachi's heart really isn't into it. At all. This place has just thrown a little bit too much bullshit at him to even really be all that happy about Tenka resurfacing. He'll probably later be happy about it in retrospect, but right now there's just too much on his mind.

Shinpachi's so honest that it even shows clearly on his face that his mind is somewhere else, really. He moves to pull a hand through his extremely unruly hair. ]

You just came to announce you're back then?

[sunshrouded]

Well, that's what I initially came in here for.....

[If he's honest. But he's just worried now. Shinpachi's normally the only person in Cerealia who can match Tenka for every single overly loud laugh, way too wide smile, and obnoxious joke during inopportune moments. Had something happened during the three weeks he was gone to change that?

So he's quick to change his tune and reach out to put a hand on Shinpachi's shoulder, meeting his eyes with a worried look.]

You're not looking so hot. What's up?

[nostatus]

[ It feels awkward to talk to Tenka about this. Because Tenka just came back - hell, the timing is so perfectly ironic that it might as well be that this place decided to switch out one of the brosquare for another. Tenka pops up right on the morning he can't find Sano anywhere anymore.

But on the other hand, Shinpachi sucks at keeping stuff in. And even more so when Tenka is asking him so seriously - he couldn't lie like that.

So Shinpachi just lets out a sigh, his gaze dropping for a moment as if to avoid meeting Tenka's directly. ]

Sano's gone.

[ He figures that should explain enough about his mood - especially for someone like Tenka, who's ought to have at least somewhat realised what the other meant to him.

And this is just on top of the other shit this place pulled, but he figures the other might already have heard about that from Sousei or someone else at least. ]

[sunshrouded]

[ and just like that, he gets it.

Sousei got to experience the bullshit of this world without Tenka and as soon as he got back, Tenka could see the marks that it left on him. Tenka wants to say that Sano would be back, offer the same placations he gives to all his kids and Sousei -- but he really doesn't know if it's true.

But Tenka's first action is to throw an arm around Shinpachi's shoulders. ]

I think I'm gonna open up my own bar. Got the space all rented and some stuff moved before I disappeared.

Wanna make sure the sake hasn't gone bad with me?

[ this much he can do first ]

c;

[topscores]

[And he'll be scooting around when he sits up suddenly. He raises an eyebrow at the paper, and then looks over at Tenka.]

Why is it always Japanese people want to test out?

[Not that he can complain too much, because at least he understands it.]

It means lake, obviously.

[sunshrouded]

[What means lake.

For a second Tenka is completely distracted by Nice's sweet ride.

And then he glances up to the paper in his hand like--] Oh, right. Thanks.

Hey, where did you get that?!

[He wants one.]

[topscores]

[Oh my god.]

It was at one of those drugstores. It's a little easier than crutches, but it's still kind of annoying.

[Everything's been annoying him lately tbh]

[sunshrouded]

Annoying?! Are you kidding me? C'mon, let me see! Can you fit two people on there?

[ stop him ]

[topscores]

[Hm...he looks down at the thing, and then back at Tenka.]

Why not? Here, let's try it.

[They are. So terrible...and it's not like Nice can get any more hurt!!

He's going to try to make room for Tenka on here, now.]

[sunshrouded]

[Is this seriously going to happen.

Yeah okay, it's happening.

Tenka looks perfectly excited though as he moves to completely sit his ass down on the weird bike thing.

Hell yeah.]

Does it go fast?!

[cool it, speed racer]

D! IT'S HAPPENIN'

[kirkwalled]

[ DID SOMEONE SAY SIDE QUEST --

look, she is a bioware protagonist. she's literally made for this. she is also nearly asleep though because she just got off of an all night shift bouncing for one of the bars so she's in slacks and a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up and she gives a lazy yawn as he interrupts her. there's also, uh, blood on her nose but YOU KNOW. IT HAPPENS. ]

Oh. I have so much free time, I am nearly excreting it. What may I help you with today, serah?

[1/2]

[sunshrouded]

[Fuck yeah, a lackey.]

Really? That's great! Because let me tell you, I've got a list--

[sunshrouded]

[and then he pauses]

Uh, hey miss, you've got a little something right....

[pointing to his nose? is that blood? who are you did you just kill someone]

[kirkwalled]

[ can everyone stop pointing out the blood!! for one second!! LET HER LIVE, OKAY. she just gives him a very innocent look. ]

Huh? [ she touches a hand to her cheek and pulls it away -- nothing. ] What are you talking about?

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . . is he just seeing things then? Are people randomly bloody? Is this like a late CERES glitch?]

Did you.... fight anyone recently?

[HOW DOES HE SAY THIS KINDLY IF SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO SEE IT]

[kirkwalled]

[ leave her and her blood smear alone. it's a fashion statement.

but oh, uh. she rubs the back of her neck, looking up and thinking. ]

A... few times, yes. [ then she starts counting off on her hands. ] There was a man at Novus earlier. Tried to bite me, very unfortunate. Shattered all his front teeth, he was quite upset. Yesterday, a very ghastly woman at the cafe. Really! Who tries to fight the server when you go to a restaurant catering to insults? Where is the logic? Then there was Sousei but it wasn't nearly as bad with him this time. Ah, who else, who else...?

[ a beat and she looks rather thoughtful ]

I suppose I get into a lot of fights, don't I? Ahahaha...

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . You know, that's a long list. Tenka would be impressed by it normally. In fact, he seems to start off not fazed for a second--]

Oh Novus, the bar? Yeah, that area in general is kinda nasty business. Why I'm trying to get away from it to be hone--

Wait.

Sousei?!

[kirkwalled]

[ she just blinks. don't you want to talk about how impressive she is some more? ]

Yes, do you know him? Swishy brown hair, nice face, doesn't really smile for some strange reason. I honestly don't understand why, I am a funny person and yet he never laughs at my jokes! Not once! Even Fenris laughs at my jokes, damnit. I haven't a clue what I'm doing wrong here.

a (oh my god I'm so sorry it's so late)

[littlestcloud]

[ Chuutarou didn't realize what woke him up at first. Was it a noise? If there had been it didn't last long or repeat itself enough for him to register what it was.

Just as he was about to roll over and slip back into "five more minutes" of sleep, he heard a very faint "Teeeaaa" from another room, so familiar--but absent for so long--he first thought he was still dreaming. But he had to check. Adrenaline pumping he threw his covers off and ran into the hallway and--

Skidded into the wall.

It didn't take Chuutarou more than a moment to shake off the impact and finish his race to the front room. A momentary pause at the threshold; just enough to register the unbelievable.

If he's dreaming hopefully the crash from his leap at Tenka doesn't wake him up. Let him have a few moments. ]

Ten-nii!

[sunshrouded]

[ well, that's unexpected. Tenka blinks as he hears someone crash into the wall and in honesty, he's already halfway to laughing-- ]

Chuutarou, don't break the wall with you fa-- ooph !

[ and then there's the littlest Kumou ramming into him. Tenka thinks he might barf a little. It's fine.

And then he's wrapping his arms around his brother regardless, snorting. ]

What happened? Bad dream?

B

[fallingsakura]

[Honestly after how sad Chuutarou was and how much she tried to help him with finding Tenka, Botan had some doubt whether he would be back soon or not. Then again this was Tenka they were talking about.

With the day before being a little emotional and then talking to Kagemitsu, she had meant to go and tell the others from home about the events. However, it seems that one of those people was banging on her door.

In more casual clothes she rushes to the door before throwing it open.]

Tenka-dono? [Please tell her Soramaru and Chuutarou know this?]

[sunshrouded]

[ and Tenka just offers a wave, admittedly one more sheepish than usual ]

Yo, Botan-sensei!! Glad to see you're still around.

[ it's pretty clear what he's here to announce, he thinks ]

[fallingsakura]

[She does pick up on his wave and just smiles in return.]

I'm glad to see you've returned...Have Chuutarou and Soramaru seen you?

[Botan figures they were probably the first to discover but she needs to know.]

Chuutarou was quite worried about you.