estoria | [OPEN] did you miss me?

Entry tags:

[OPEN] did you miss me?

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! ]

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[Now he's concerned. For a second, the hand at Sousei's sleeve is gone -- only so that Tenka can push himself up into standing and then walking in front of Sousei, placing both hands at his shoulders then, the grouchiness melting away into something far more worried.]

Sousei? Hey. Look at me.

What's wrong?

[What happened? Why do you look so.... sad?]

[It's Tenka.

Sousei meets his eyes, and he can't deny it any longer. Tenka disappeared for three weeks, and Sousei was convinced that was it, that he was gone, despite all of that talk of "if it's you and me", all of that discussion of how he needs Sousei--

Sousei's breath hitches, but even as it does, he's lifting his fist and clocking Tenka in the face.

Asshole.]

[For fuck's sake.

All he wanted was tea and instead he got a punch in the face. It's a damn solid punch too, considering the fact that -- well, this is Sousei. He takes a step back from the force of it, rubbing his cheek and then pretty much snaps back as both hands find Sousei's shoulders again but this time with a considerable amount more force.]

Hey! You in there at all?! What was that for?

[Or is this some trick of CERES again? Does he need to knock some sense into his best friend -- literally?]

[Yeah, Tenka's not getting an answer any time soon. Rather, as soon as Tenka's hands are planted on his shoulders again, Sousei pauses.

And then, out of a mixture of relief, exhaustion and utterly confusing feelings, he just...slumps forward, forehead against Tenka's shoulder, almost a hug if not for the fact that Sousei hasn't lifted his arms to properly hug his partner. But nonetheless...there's definitely some form of closeness here, and while Sousei's not the sort to ever really want closeness, it feels very necessary in this moment.

He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't even really know if he has anything to say.

But Tenka's very solid here and now, and that's...something more than he had a day before.]

.... you're so annoying.

[-- is what Tenka sighs out, even as his arms come around Sousei, finishing the hug that his partner started. He's not sure what's wrong. Did Sousei see something different the night before? Was his dream even worse? Is it making him act so weird? Is this another strange side-effect from what CERES has been doing?

But regardless, he's tired of standing. So he waddles backward just enough so that he can make it back to the couch and fall in a pile of limbs and tired with Sousei.]

Use your words when you can. You're worrying me here.

[That much gets a snort out of him, even as he shifts uncomfortably and tries to get out of Tenka's arms. He doesn't mind closeness as much when it's Tenka, but being sprawled across Tenka on the couch is just uncomfortable for him, so he's going to try to shift until he's sitting next to him, if Tenka will let him go.

Honestly.

Sousei's worrying Tenka?]

You're an idiot.

[God. He clears his throat, and continues more steadily.]

I didn't-- [think you were coming back-- no.] --You didn't even check the date, did you?

[Eh.

Admittedly even if Sousei moves to sit next to Tenka, Tenka's still gonna rest his head in his lap because that actually does sound more comfortable. Good ideas, Sousei.

And admittedly the question manages to get Tenka to blink up at him.]

..... is it your birthday.

[His brow just furrows at that, and completely flatly:]

What do you even think of me.

[do you think he's this distraught because you forgot his birthday JUST. LEAVE. GOD.

...And then, more seriously:]

You've been gone for three weeks. You disappeared nearly a month ago.

[It takes a few seconds to sink in. First, Tenka is wondering how that's even possible. Three weeks? He went to bed just fine the night before. For a few blissful moments, it stays on the surface--

And there it is.

The sinking feeling. His heart feeling like it's being gently crushed in his chest. Pressure.]

What....?

[Nearly a month ago.

Sousei was without him for three weeks -- his brothers were in this crazy place without him for three weeks. All his kids. The Samonjis. Everyone that Tenka promised to protect and have in his care and--

He left them.

Without even knowing it, he left them.]

[Now that the topic's been breeched, it's easier for Sousei to speak. He continues in a quiet, flat, calm tone.]

The kids you were looking after are fine. There were some dangerous circumstances over the past three weeks, most recently occurring during the past couple of days, but everyone is healthy enough.

[Mentally...well, things were rough on everyone, but hopefully Tenka will be able to handle that better than Sousei himself did.]

Everyone that was in this household is still here, as well.

[your brothers...are fine.]

[Tenka doesn't know where to start.

First, he sits up. Suddenly with the knowledge that he was gone for so long, he doesn't want to lounge. He's tired -- mentally exhausted after everything that he apparently dreamt up the night before -- but he looks anxiously toward the room where Soramaru and Chuutarou share their living space. The room where the Samonjis are probably just waking up too.

Back to Sousei, he still looks clearly lost and yet the first words that escape him are probably unsurprising.]

Are you okay? Have you been okay?

[No. And no.

There are still the bruises from the brawls he got into with Hawke on his face and body, though they're thankfully faded enough that he doesn't think they're particularly visible in the early morning light (and he's lucky Hawke didn't split his lip this time). There are all of the ways he managed to make a fool of himself while searching for Tenka, or trying to take care of the kids and generally failing.

There was that stupid Tour, and then the situation where he lost his hearing again due to that music, and he hasn't slept in days, the dark circles under his eyes hopefully equally difficult to see.]

I'm fine.

[It's the natural, obvious answer, because Tenka has more than enough to deal with right now, and because Sousei hates the fact that he legitimately was that badly off solely because this stupid man, his partner, was gone. He changes the subject.]

You will have to deal with all of the children you've taken under your wing. They didn't take the news well.

[Tenka's not an idiot.

Despite popular belief, he really isn't. So when he's looking for signs that will signal him in regards to Sousei's well-being, he's not inclined to miss them. There are blemishes that he doesn't think are just weird shadows in the morning light, especially the dark spots around Sousei's eyes. And it makes his heart sink.

But he does need to take care of his kids. He promised so many of them that he wouldn't go anywhere. Hinata, who has such trouble leaning on other people and Mary who was still so young and fragile sometimes -- they need him and he needs to let them know that he's returned.

But there's also one other person that he promised that he'd stay with.]

[He pinches and pulls Sousei's cheek with a grumble.]

Why are you lying, liar? You look like shit.

[OW.

Immediately, automatically, Sousei moves to shove Tenka off.]

Ge' off--!

[it hurts...especially with the bruises.]

[Which is why Tenka's response is just to pull Sousei's cheek for an extra second longer.

Pause as he's shoved a little bit away.

And then throw his arms back around Sousei in what could either be a hug or a headlock.]

You're keeping things from me! Stop it!!

[Guh!!! Still not helping!

And it also doesn't help that Sousei hasn't slept properly for days. Tenka throws his arms around him and Sousei...topples, off-balance and vertigo too strong to handle.

Oof.]

Shut up... you're too noisy, as ever... [but it's just a quiet, grumpy mumble. He can't really get mad right now, because Tenka's...

...Tenka's back?]

[ . . . . Sousei being quiet and not fighting him off is weird. Admittedly it's less weird when they end up in a pile but normally some wrestling comes first.

Yet Tenka blinks as he settles for the hug instead of the headlock, even as they're awkwardly stretched out on the couch. Whatever. They've dealt with worse.]

.... You're really tired, huh?

[Pretty much... Sousei can't even bring himself to care, that's how tired he is.

Instead, he just snorts vaguely, eyes half-closed.]

The effects of the past few days would not allow me to sleep. Yes, I am tired.

[and.......the Tenka thing, naturally, he lost a lot of sleep because of that, but he's not going to say that. A sigh.]

Get off of me.

[You know how Tenka can really tell that Sousei is tired now though?

Sousei just admitted that he was tired.

So he's glancing up, noticing just.... how honestly exhausted he looks and is pretty much then applying the rest of his weight to Sousei.]

No. I'm calling your work. You're not going in today. I've decided.

[Basically.

That, though...that gets Sousei's eyes to snap open, even as his brow furrows, and honestly, he doesn't care if he goes into work or not--he owes this place no loyalty and does not care what they think of him. He has no investment in making sure that they have a running dojo.

But.

Tenka just got back. He was gone for three weeks. And certainly, it wasn't Tenka's fault, Sousei can acknowledge that much, but he was still gone, even after saying that he would be there. Even after saying that they would take everything on together.

And now, as his first act back, he's going to tell Sousei what to do? No.]

Don't be ridiculous. [As opposed to his usual irritated raised voice when Tenka's being dumb, this is a low, quiet tone, though certainly still incredibly displeased.] You don't get to decide that.

You don't even know what happened over the past few days.

And I am fine.

[In response to that, Tenka pokes one of Sousei's bruises.

Hard.

And then he grumbles in return because even though he can understand that Sousei's tired and even from a glance can tell that he's not fine, it seems that his partner doesn't want to admit it. Why?]

Guess what? I don't know because you're not telling me. Either because you're too tired to or because you're trying to get me to leave and check on the kids, I can't tell, but for right now I'm here.

[To Tenka, it's like he went to bed and had two suddenly really strange, vivid dreams in succession. Some part of him is still wanting to search for Shirasu. He wanted to wake up and talk to Sousei about it--

So why does it feel like something changed?]

[OW FUCKER.

Sousei shifts in irritation at that, but his arms are pinned, and so he can't slap Tenka's hand away....that smarts though, what a dick. And then he huffs vaguely and slumps back to the couch, because he really is too tired to fight Tenka on this, especially when it's just about the event.

That's easy enough.

Vaguely, he gazes past Tenka's head.]

Kousetsu, Soramaru, Chuutarou and Sayo were unable to get warm again. They could only feel cold. Kousetsu burned himself and was unable to feel it and did not think anything was wrong, at first.

[Ah.

He winces at that, as if he managed to be burned himself. It's different from how he completely lost his body -- apparently this time they managed to be completely devoid of warmth.

Though he pauses now, realizing that once again Sousei left himself out of the equation. So Tenka presses on.]

And you?

[A vague frown.]

As I said. It wouldn't allow me to sleep for the past few days. There was some strange problem with my hearing.

That's all.

[It really was the most troublesome part about it, so he's not really leaving out that much.]

I was not badly off.

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