[closed]

[deontology]

Who: Sousei and Tenka
When: 10/25 ; night
Where: their currently shared apartment
What: There's a lot of canon to catch up on. Alcohol definitely makes that much worse better
Rating/Warning: drunk people, Manpain

[Living with Tenka is simultaneously really, really familiar and also a little irritatingly different. Cutting contact for years will do that, he supposes--but nonetheless, as easily as they fall back into the groove of being partners, there's still a lot under the surface that needs to be said.

Neither of them wants to say it, though.

Sousei still doesn't like this place, certainly, and has no intentions of playing along with them--but at the very least, acting as a kendo instructor is calming. It's familiar, and separate from all of this futuristic nonsense, and while he's doing his best to adapt, it isn't bad to have something very like home to ground him.

There's that, and there's Tenka.

So when he gets home from said work, he expects it to be another night of them trying and failing to return to the place they were before, when all they had had to do was be partners, and the understanding came right along with it.]

Comments

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . and despite how made he was at Iwakura just seconds ago, Tenka's face is completely devoid of any form of anger. No, the farthest it gets is irritation. Why? Simply-]

... I don't understand. [Well it's simple, Tenka. Your must trusted person just so happened to betray you.] Shirasu's our brother-

[And his face pinches and again, it's too much information but well, alcohol is good at blurring those lines.]

... I'd asked him to take care of them for me.

[As his last request.]

[deontology]

[... Of course. Tenka had cared so much for Shirasu. That's just Tenka's way. Always taking in strays--like Sousei himself.

Sousei will be angry on his behalf, then, eyes narrowing and fist clenching.]

...He chose otherwise.

[A faint sigh.]

His plan all along had been to revive the Orochi, alongside his twin within the prison.

[sunshrouded]

[Sousei's anger inspires Tenka's own need to get defensive. People have doubted Shirasu to his face before, that's nothing new. But before, even when his own family doctor who had been with him for years, thought to talk badly about Shirasu, Tenka's answer was the same.

If people said anymore, he would get mad. Because Shirasu was definitely his friend.

.... what does he say now?]

He has to have his reasons. [Whatever those reasons may be and Tenka's not even sure what could happen to possibly excuse treating Soramaru badly but-] I'll talk to him when we go home.

[They're family.

When Tenka didn't have anyone - when he'd separated from the Yamainu and Kiiko and Sousei - he'd always had Shirasu. For ten years, he had Shirasu. Every single secret and doubt and horrible traumatic memory - he'd only shared them with Shirasu.]

... there has to be a reason.

[deontology]

[...That answer is not particularly surprising either, but it still irritates him. Tenka is too trusting. That's what gets him into these situations--but they all accept that. They accept him as trusting.

But being so trusting even after they are revealed to be traitors?]

... You're too soft-hearted.

[They kidnapped your little brother, Tenka--and Sousei's disciple. Shirasu betrayed them, and Tenka.

Sousei certainly isn't happy about it, nor willing to forgive it any time soon.

...But there's nothing else he can say in response to that.]

[sunshrouded]

... He was my closest friend after you all left. All I had were my brothers and him.

{To be quite honest.

Tenka knows he should probably feel angrier, should probably be against Shirasu with every fiber of his being because his brothers are the most important people in the world to him. The only problem with that is that after ten years, Shirasu started to feel like family too.]

I just want to hear what he has to say too.

I've made some really bad decisions. I probably would've made even more if he wasn't there.

[How can Tenka hate him?]

[deontology]

[Even though Shirasu had probably intended to play him all along...? Well, Sousei's honestly not one to truly know much about family. The only family he's had was Tenka's.

Maybe that's why he doesn't understand it now.

But he just makes a noncommittal sound, turning his head.]

... The fact remains. [Still too soft-hearted.] But I won't stop you.

[Couldn't, even if he wanted to.

And yet...]

I, however, do not intend to forgive him for kidnapping my disciple with that intent.

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . hah. Tenka just sighs at that before resting his head on his arms again, atop the table.]

Just let me get to him first.

[Tenka thinks he deserves at least that much.

A lot of things are vaguely starting to make sense to him now. His brothers are 'alright' for the time being. Chuutarou is definitely safe at least. Soramaru is alive and they've found a way to separate him from the Orochi.

... It's a start.]

[deontology]

[It is a start at that... and Sousei simply inclines his head in a nod. He'll let Tenka talk to Shirasu-- no, "let" isn't the right word. That implies that he's allowing him to, and he's never been able to forcibly stop Tenka from doing anything. That's not what it means to be partners.]

If I have nothing to do with him again, I would be content with that.

[He's Tenka's problem, not Sousei's.]

Make that the case. [Don't get into a situation with Shirasu where he has to intervene.]

[sunshrouded]

[To be quite honest, very few people have managed to forcibly stop Tenka from doing anything. They commonly go by "Mom" and "Dad".

.... but at that, Tenka nods.]

I'll get him out of your hair.

[Because Shirasu has always been someone that Tenka's tied to. Even now, Tenka may ask about him and seek information contrary to what he's been told - that he'd been betrayed, but nothing really matters until he talks to the man himself.

Honestly though-]

Things got really bad, didn't they....

[his powers of observation are astounding]

[deontology]

[Honestly, Tenka...

Sousei just gives him a baleful look, eyes narrowed, eyebrow arched.]

Indeed. You left me quite the mess to clean up.

[RUDE]

It isn't anything I can't handle, however.

[sunshrouded]

In my defense, more than half of those things weren't supposed to happen.

[The worst was supposed to be his brothers's tears and even those he wasn't quite happy with. Everything that went to hell after definitely wasn't part of his calculations. If he knew, then obviously he wouldn't have... well, resigned himself to dying, contract or no contract.

Though now he'll just sigh and shrug his shoulders.]

But I mean, I'm going back with you. So you won't have to clean up after me by yourself much longer.

[deontology]

[...well obviously.]

If you'd left while predicting those things, I would be angrier with you.

[But he knows Tenka would have never left his little brothers in danger. So there's that. Instead, he almost looks amused, shaking his head and accepting that for the fact it is.]

You'll have to catch up, then.

[sunshrouded]

I'm pretty sure ten years of silence were a good enough testament toward your anger with me.

[Just saying. But at the second bit he's just going to make a face and-]

Just wait! Once I get all the information, I'll be matching your pace no problem!

[deontology]

[....... please. Of course he was angry. But he's gotten over it now. Mostly.

Placidly--]

Do you have a problem with it?

[Because quite frankly--]

It has been some time since we have settled things with a match.

[sunshrouded]

[whoa, a match? not where he was going with that but-]

Do I have a problem with knocking the birthday boy on his back? Nah, not really.

Some might consider it bad manners though.

[deontology]

[It's been a long time. And now that he's spending basically all of his working time in the gym for kendo... well.]

Your confidence will be a shame when you lose.

[YEAH RIGHT, TENKA.]

I have not been amiss in practicing.

[sunshrouded]

[So they're both kinda drunk and deciding that they're going to have a sparring match.

Yeah, okay.]

Then we'll see if you practice will back up your words! Just don't break any of your bones on me, old man.

[deontology]

[Seems about par for the course for them.]

Concern yourself with you. Playing with petty criminals didn't decrease your reaction time, did it?

[sunshrouded]

Not so much that I can't keep up with an elderly gentleman like yourself!

[Now he's going to try standing. Finally.

Whoa, was that a miniature earthquake.]

[deontology]

[Sousei just sort of...watches him from his seated position.

Are you finally doing what he said to do ages ago?]

...

[far be it from him to interrupt then. Carry on.]

[sunshrouded]

[He's standing now.

And looking at Sousei and blinking.]

Are we not sparring?

[HE THOUGHT YOU MEANT RIGHT NOW]

[deontology]

[UH???]

You're drunk.

[And so is Sousei, a little.

There is no way they're sparring right now. It's the middle of the night. They'll probably wreck their house.]

Tomorrow would be better.

[sunshrouded]

I'm not that drunk! We could totally still spar!

[tenka no stop]

[deontology]

You almost fell over standing up.

[stop]

If I beat you now, you would claim I cheated.

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . okay but-]

You should stand.

If you almost fall over too then we're even.

[LOGIC????]