[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

[particularity]

[Hinata doesn't resist, he gives this a chance to prove that it's real even though following so close on the end of what CERES just did could mean it's just a trick of theirs--

But, after a moment, he slowly allows tension to drain out of him and sags forward. His fist, yeah, that's pummeling weakly against one side of Tenka's chest in probably the most half-hearted punch he could give. Hinata's so used to seeing friends vanish. He's had it happen so many times that when they come back, it's even harder to deal with. Should he be happy? Upset? Relieved?

Because he is relieved and some of him feels guilty for being so.

But then, thinking about that code they were in, he'd so much rather Tenka be here than there.]

You don't get to call me that after I looked for you. [After he vanished (even if Sousei had been the one to tell him, he'd still looked because that's what he always does even if often nothing comes from it), and then, in the Code, but Tenka doesn't need to know that one--]

[sunshrouded]

I'm your aniki. I get to call you whatever I want.

[Though even that is the most petulant mumble as he keeps Hinata in his embrace, holding him close and one hand resting on his head, smoothing his hair to keep him as calm as he can. Almost like how one would hold a child -- but that's always Tenka's default. Taking care of these kids like he's the one raising them.

In his head, he kind of is. And it settles in then that this is what happens when he's gone -- this is how they feel.]

C'mon.... you doubted that I'd come back?

[particularity]

[Gosh, Tenka, he's one of the older ones, no need to smooth his hair like that-- except, it's familiar to Hinata by now. And despite himself, he's soothed, though for a second his breath hitches tellingly, in the instant before he lets himself put his arms back around Tenka.

The question prompts a long moment of quiet-- because he did doubt it. Because while he tries to hope and think someone might come back, how many times have they just... not?]

Sorry, [is what he mumbles,] things like this happen way too much. And then, I don't... [...see them again.]

[sunshrouded]

I know..... Hey, I know.

[Tenka's other best friend is still gone, after all. This world gave him Shirasu for a few months and then took him away again only to show him in a weird dream and -- Tenka had never really dealt with losing people otherwise. Sousei's talked about it with him before.

One day or another, he will have to leave these kids behind.

But for now he just holds Hinata that much tighter as he reassures--]

I'm always going to come back though. This world can't keep me down, after all. Who do you think you're talking to?

[particularity]

My 'invincible' aniki, was it?

[Hinata manages a dry, humourous inflection even though his voice sounds weak. It's not trembling, he's not crying nor does he want to, but he feels like he's one step away from it. He hopes Tenka doesn't say anything to push him over that one little step.

After all...

He at least wants to welcome back this guy with a smile. Hinata grips his hand in the back of Tenka's clothes and pushes himself away enough to look at him, lips drawn in a tentative smile.

Some part of him, the realistic part says no-one can truly promise that they'll come back but the rest of him still wants to believe. No, more than that, he wants to keep living in the present, not anticipating the worst, but walking toward as good a future as he can try to create for himself.]

I missed you, Tenka, [he'll say plainly.] I'm glad you're back.

[sunshrouded]

That's exactly it.

[But he releases Hinata just enough and gives him a smile in return, sad but still with the specks of sunshine that Tenka manages to bring around with him. In truth, he would never leave these kids. Not if he had any sort of choice in the matter. So he'll respond just as certainly.]

I would've missed you too if I knew I was gone at all, punk.

I don't plan on leaving again any time soon.

[particularity]

[Hinata pushes at his shoulder, a gentle shove of his palm.]

Then you've got time to come in for a few, don't you?

[He has the sense that there's a lot to catch up on, somehow. Quite a bit has happened in Tenka's absence, but... Perhaps Hinata more feels the lingering unease that always comes after someone disappears. That they might be gone after, at any moment.]

[sunshrouded]

No. Definitely not. You're already taking up too much of my time--

[He says, before he lets go of Hinata easily and slips past him to enter his house with a loud laugh. Then he glances over his shoulder to give Hinata a cheeky grin.]

C'mon, I've always got time for you, kid.

[particularity]

[Hinata's got his eyebrows practically up in his hair before Tenka continues, and then he huffs at him lightly. Following him inside, he shakes his head.]

I woulda dragged you in here otherwise, so better you come along on your own.

[Well... if Tenka really had other places to be, he probably wouldn't have done that, but.]

[sunshrouded]

[ And Tenka laughs then, amused. ]

Oooh, you almost sounded tough there. Not bad, not bad.

[ so he looks around, curious, and acts as if he's already at home ]

So.

Do you have tea?

[particularity]

[Hinata makes a face at him, but he's already headed toward the kitchen.]

Of course I do.

[Could you expect any less...] I'll bring it out, make yourself at home. [Though it seems Tenka already has him beat to that. It's a nice little apartment, tidy, a potted set of flowers on a shelf, two ajar doors that presumably lead into Komaeda and Hinata's bedrooms. And then one door, visibly locked up tight.]

[sunshrouded]

[Listen, Tenka's the kind of guy who barges into his little brother's school house and then looks for his test scores. At the invitation to make himself at home.... well, he does.

He enters in and sniffs the flowers. It starts out tame. Nice. They've got a neat place even though they're just two boys? Then again Sousei kicks Tenka's ass if their place isn't clean.

But then he's peering into the ajar doors, deciding that there's nothing interesting there, and then wandering over to the closed, locked door.

He blinks, tries the knob, finds it locked and

shrugs and knocks on it

hello, is anyone home????

sorry about your dumb aniki, hinata]

[particularity]

[Hinata's emerging with a tray of tea on it and stops, looking toward Tenka and what is he doing... this dummy...]

There's no-one in there, you know.

[He's not keeping anyone hostage!!]

[sunshrouded]

Then what've you got it all locked up for?

[tenka why do you think locked = someone being locked up]