[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

[emotive]

O-Oh no!! Where did he hit you?! Is there a bruise?

[fret fret fret!!]

[sunshrouded]

[what a pure soul.... Tenka has missed being around people who care for his well-being instead of abuse him

so he just laughs faintly before he points to his cheek]

Riiiight here. Can you believe that guy?

[That said, there is some faint discoloration. It's a miracle that Tenka doesn't get anything worse, considering Sousei's strength.

(Though his durability just might have to do with that.)]

[emotive]

He seems so quiet! But he gets angrier than one would think, is that it?

[Ai shakes her head and is about to reach up to touch his cheek, but she stops to ask first.]

Um, would you like that healed? It might not be that bothersome, but I wouldn't think you like bruises.

[sunshrouded]

Quiet..... Ah Ai-chan, make sure you keep staying away from Sousei.... I think I like this idea you have of him.

[He says it so wistfully. But in his defense, he thinks it's true. Anyone who spends extended time with Sousei knows he's a mouthy fucker when he wants to be.

That said.

He brightens up a little more.]

You're a healer?

[emotive]

[Ai's idea of people tend to be better than who they actually are tbh...

In response to his inquiry, she smiles and nods.]

Mm! If it's broken bones, external wounds, or small things like bruises and scars, I'm quite proficient in healing. It's one of my abilities along with moving things with my mind like you saw that one time!

[sunshrouded]

Wow, you really have a lot of talents....!

[And just like that, he pretty much preens and holds a pose, chin tilted high.]

Well, go for it! I'm all yours! Let the healing begin, bahaha!!

[loud nerd]

[emotive]

[Being praised so easily about her powers brings a pleased flush to her face. She hadn't talked about it all that much even when she mentioned that she was an esper and in a way she simply wasn't proud of it. But she's also learning that it's okay to take comfort in compliments.]

This won't take much then. [So she reaches up, fingers barely touching his cheek. There's a faint fuzzy sensation, akin to static electricity that works through the surface of his skin and it's over just as quickly. The discoloration disappears as if it was never there and Ai pulls back with an affirmative nod.]

There! I don't have a mirror, but the bruise is all gone.

[sunshrouded]

[It's.... interesting, to say the least. Tenka has dealt with healing before, considering all the messes he gets himself into, but it's still a strange feeling. It's different from when his own body repairs itself or naturally reacts to the stresses it's put under. So he raises a hand to his cheek after she pulls away and beams.]

Amazing, Ai-chan!!

Guess you've only gotten more impressive in the past three weeks, huh? I'm glad all the chaos I've heard about hasn't managed to get you down.

[emotive]

Ah, I'm not that impressive! My endurance has always been rather sturdy for tough situations even if the chaos kept on happening one right after the other.

[sunshrouded]

..... you know, normally I'd be worried about the fact that the chaos actually kept happening right after another instead of my endurance, Ai-chan.

[it's a different brand of optimism from his???]

[emotive]

W-Well... When you put it that way...

[Pushing her fingers together shyly because she realizes she's being weird... BUT EVERYONE IS OKAY THAT'S WHAT MATTERS]

I'm so used to stressful situations so I've been keeping calm as best as I could.

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . and Tenka just melts into a smile, laughing faintly.]

You're something else, Ai-chan.

But are you okay? Even if you're used to stressful situations, that can't be good for your health.

[emotive]

I'm fine. Honest!

[She's been more worried about her friends than anything else.]

And since you're back, I feel a lot better too. I... There are some people who seem to be gone for good. For the longest time, I thought it would be best to not talk about it. Disappearances would make anyone upset.

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . hm. Tenka just tilts at that, curious.]

Do you.... think it's better not to talk about it?

[emotive]

Ah...

... Maybe, I don't know how?

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . ? ]

You don't know how to.... talk about disappearances, Ai-chan?

[emotive]

Something along those lines? More like... I feel like it could be a sore subject.

[sunshrouded]

[Tenka pauses at that, humming.]

I guess.... I can see how it would be. But if given the choice.... I think I'd rather people would get the chance to talk about it, even if it hurts a little. Bottling it up isn't good for anyone, you know?

[hello, world's biggest hypocrite]

[emotive]

Well, I can certainly try. And I think I'm improving a little bit on that front. Like I said, I asked Sousei about where you were after all!

[sunshrouded]

[And that much manages to get Tenka to laugh faintly.]

Well, I'm sorry he probably didn't have a good answer for you.

But you don't need to worry about me, alright? I'm the strongest around! No way I'll ever be gone for long.