[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

[immobileyes]

But you're not telling me anything-- [ He probably can't. But it's frustrating, and Mary shakes her head, almost coughing as the words lodge in her throat. ] You could go away again!

[sunshrouded]

I won't.

[He doesn't know that, of course. He didn't even know that he disappeared this time until this morning. But he's steady in the face of her distress and running his fingers through her hair.]

I'm always going to come back, Mary-chan.

[Or at least, that's what he wants.

(Tenka doesn't always get what he wants.)]

But I'll try not to keep you waiting anymore.

[immobileyes]

You're not allowed to disappear again.

[ Mary swallows hard, somehow managing to speak fiercely, as her fist finally slows, falls to her side. ]

I don't... want to lose anyone else.

[ Another disappearance, like her mother. Like Nesso, Cole, Elza, all gone before she realized it. ]

[sunshrouded]

[The fierceness -- that he approves of.

But the circumstances that led her to find it, less so. He pulls back just enough, to try to find her eyes and match her gaze, even as his hand immediately moves to wipe any residual tears from her cheeks.]

And you won't, my brave girl.

And anyone that might leave for a little bit -- we'll find them again.

I know you can find your strength in this. You've been so strong, already.

[immobileyes]

I haven't been strong at all... [ With a tired little grumble, but she'll stay still to let him wipe her cheeks. ] I cried a lot.

[sunshrouded]

[He just hums faintly at that, even as he carefully wipes away her tears with his thumb.]

Why do the two have to be different?

Even strong people cry. Aniki's cried before but I'm the strongest of them all.

[It's something that he's told his brothers since they were little.... and he tells Mary again now, seeking to hold her hands in his as he rests his forehead on hers.]

Crying is an emotion that comes to everyone and you should let all your feelings show when you feel them... It's your heart that'll give you strength.

[immobileyes]

But if my heart hurts, doesn't that mean it's not giving me strength at all?

[ She's pretty sure being strong means you're not in actual pain. ]

[sunshrouded]

Why do you think your heart hurts, Mary-chan....?

[He speaks softly and squeezes her hands reassuringly then.]

That just means you cared about something so much that you don't want to lose it.

That's more important than anything.

[immobileyes]

[ Her fingers flex, curl against his, and Mary sighs-- a bit wearily, but she's had a long few days, to say nothing of the weeks before. ]

I've always been like that.

[sunshrouded]

[And that's when he gives her a bright, encouraging smile.]

Exactly. Why do you think I call you my bravest girl, huh?

[She loves so much, even if she's been hurt before.

That's strength.]

[immobileyes]

... I thought because I was honest with you.

[ Well. ]

[sunshrouded]

[ and he just laughs faintly at that ]

And that's another reason!!

[immobileyes]

...

You're weird.

[ Can she just... lean against you now. She's emotionally exhausted, okay--

[sunshrouded]

If believing in you means that I'm weird, then I'll be the weirdest of all, Mary-chan!!

[ he says as he accepts his tired little girl into his arms ]

[immobileyes]

Just don't go away again.

[ Even though she knows he can't promise her that. ]

[sunshrouded]

I won't. I promise.

[ you were saying? ]

I'd never leave you guys if I had the choice.

[immobileyes]

I don't think anyone really gets a choice... [ Probably. And yet, he's promised. She'll be keeping an eye out for him!! ]

[sunshrouded]

... You're right. And that's another thing that I really don't like about this place.

[ he says with a sigh as he runs his fingers through her hair.

He still remembers seeing Shirasu in that weird place -- he'd thought it was a dream.

Is that really where people go when they're gone? ]

But I'm still gonna try to stay with you.

[immobileyes]

Yeah... I'll do my best to stay here, too. [ Plunked right against his shoulder, no less. ] I promised... I'd try to help all the people who were trapped.

[sunshrouded]

Good.... I want to do the same thing.

[ he nods once, sure of himself ]

They deserve to go home just like the rest of us.