[closed] everything happens too much

[deontology]

Who: Sousei, Tenka, and assorted Friends and Acquaintances (aka Hinata, Tsurumaru, Shinpachi, Jaune, Saya, Pyrrha, Yoon)
When: the week of 12/16
Where: various, such as flower shops and bars, because they're Adults
What: getting Sousei and Tenka together at the same time is always a terrible idea
Rating/Warning: really really dumb things

---

pyrrha;

[Look, it's a normal, casual Monday. Normal, casual Monday means that neither Sousei nor Tenka is expecting much to happen on this casual day. They always have a segment of time in which they are both at home, when Sousei has gotten home from work and Tenka hasn't yet left--so it's that period of time in which they're sitting as casually as ever at the low, traditional table.

Clearly, now is an excellent time for a visitor to come with dinner.

Because Tenka will never turn down food and Sousei is easily steamrolled over by Tenka--

Either way, whether Pyrrha lets them know she's coming over or not, neither of them will be ready for

~*tacos*~]

yoon;

[When Yoon lets Sousei know that he actually has done some research into the medical topics that Sousei's been poking into, Sousei doesn't hesitate to invite him over. Tenka, naturally, will be sticking around for this as well, since it's Tenka that it most importantly involves--

So hope you don't mind seeing the both of them watching you rather intently when you finally make it to the apartment they share, Yoon.

At least Tenka's friendlier than Sousei... at least there's that. Still, for a topic this important and a guest properly invited over, there is tea at the low table, and preparation for a lengthy discussion.]

hinata;

[Hope you didn't have plans this evening, Hinata, because then your phone is buzzing with a terrible invitation from a certain Aniki who causes all sorts of trouble all the time--]

hinata-kun!!!! come to dinner at my place tonight!! if you don't show up i'm going to be offended

don't be THAT guy, hinata-kun

also i dare you to flip the table in front of sousei

[ah yes. At least it's the promise of dinner...?

This can only end poorly.]

saya;

[Friday is always a good day of the week for customers, right...? Especially weird customers. Well, hopefully Saya's Friday hasn't been too much of a nightmare, because then Sousei and Tenka are wandering into the flower store together, bickering over what sounds like boxes of cookies (do you want to know? Probably not.) and overall not looking like the sorts of people who should be in flower stores.

Do you dare approach, even.... they don't look like they're even looking at the flowers yet, too distracted by their bickering.]

jaune;

[There are two men walking to dinner on a Friday night.

This is very, very heterosexual.

But it's their habit to do so and try out new places (or as new as Sousei is willing to accept), and it was a habit started when neither of them could cook. Now they have people who can cook living with them, but...it's hard to stop the habit, really. Even if they wanted to.

So they're strolling by the park, heading towards the restaurants further in the city. This might be a great time to show senpai your stuff, Jaune.

(it's probably a terrible time to show senpai your stuff.)]

tsurumaru;

[AFTER DINNER they make their way back home, Sousei a little harried (Tenka mostly amused.). But they're not really paying that close of attention to things now that they're back on their floor, having...happily, blissfully forgotten that they're living nearby someone who is now obsessed with the art of surprise.

Really, they're just sitting ducks as they walk down the hallway, how could you resist?]

shinpachi;

[It's been A Day.

Friday night is prime partying night, but if Shinpachi makes his way to Tenka's bar that night, he'll find a Sousei who very much does not look ready to party. If anything, he looks like he's ready to Drink To Forget.

He's not that far gone, admittedly, but... he is sitting there at the bar, sake in hand as he watches Tenka serve a few of the other patrons, and he is actually drinking for once.

Clearly he needs friendship and company.]

Comments

[deontology]

[Sousei just lifts his chopsticks at the very last possible moment--and then in true childish fashion, he uses his own now freed chopsticks to steal back some food off of Tenka's plate.

Solid.

A placid nod.]

It fits the descriptions of a woman that we were given of Lilith as well.

[particularity]

[Oh, a retaliation from Sousei! What's going to happen now?! Hinata stops that monologue in his head, laying down his chopsticks and putting his hands together with a little "thanks for the food". Yes. He finished completely peacefully.]

...Do we know anything more about her? Her goals? Or anything?

[sunshrouded]

Not a clue!

[Tenka says before he BUMPS ROUGHLY INTO SOUSEI'S SHOULDER to claim more meat from his plate! Only fair, asshole!!

Though there isn't even a single pause as he keeps talking to Hinata-]

She's apparently not even the person in charge. I told her that Sousei and I wanna get everyone here back to their proper world and she told me that there would be someone else I'd have to talk to about that.

[deontology]

[It almost makes Sousei drop his plate and then he's not being calm and stern anymore because--]

Tenka!

[Ah yes.

Really, really dumb partners.

Sorry, Hinata.]

[particularity]

...

[YOU KNOW, WHILE INFORMATION IS FASCINATING... HE'LL JUST GO QUIET FOR A MOMENT AS HE WATCHES, LIGHT HEADTILT AND ALL.

So this is what they're like as friends...

This is as educational as what Tenka's saying.]

[sunshrouded]

[in the exact same pitch and matching his speed:]

Sousei!

[Sticking his tongue out at him now!!

Mature adults.]

[deontology]

[Such mature adults.

Sousei just takes a slow breath.

And moves his plate out of Tenka's reach.

And turns his attention back to Hinata. HE'S IGNORING YOU, TENKA.]

Do you have any other questions?

[particularity]

[HE DID but he was so distracted by their friendship...]

--oh, right.

I don't know if it's a question so much as I'm just... wondering about this someone else that she mentioned.

[sunshrouded]

[It's a dumb friendship.

Especially as Tenka even lifts his plate off the table and shifts to turn his back to Sousei so there's no way that he can get at his food anymore.]

You and me both. It'd be another one of those weird 'worthiness' checks though, if anything. Seems like whoever this Lilith lady is, she's pretty paranoid.

[deontology]

[Yeah, Sousei doesn't know either, but he's just content to eat the rest of his meal now. Tenka's the childish one here. clearly!!!]

It concerns me that there do indeed appear to be multiple factions at work here, though it is not surprising.

[Troublesome, though.]

[particularity]

It was like that in Haven, too.

[HE SIGHS remembering Stefan and Kite and Geming and Caroline and Jonas........]

But this isn't bad information to have anyway. Even if we don't have much more on these other factions, who they really are, and their motivations...

[sunshrouded]

That's pretty much all we've got for you so far.

[ . . . . right.

He actually blinks and nudges Sousei.]

Right? Did I forget something?

[deontology]

[Sousei sips his tea for a moment, and then--]

Those are the basics of the situation, yes.

[But more importantly--]

Haven?

[particularity]

--ah, right.

[He should probably mention that to Sousei.]

Haven was the place I was brought to before this one. Haven West, specifically. All of us who were there were just test subjects for the Yao Corporation.

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . Tenka got bits and pieces of Hinata's situation and he admittedly files away the bit about the 'Yao Corporation' because it seems like there's something about big businesses that are problematic!

But first he puts down his empty plate and meets his little brother's eyes.]

Test subjects.... You're alright now, though, right?

[always a concerned aniki first]

[deontology]

[He'll...go ahead and let Tenka ask his question first, tilting his head as well and setting down his now-empty plate and his chopsticks.

Checking on Hinata's well-being is logically the most important start, after all.

"Experiments"... they both have plenty of reason to dislike that word.]

[particularity]

Aa, I am.

[Hinata hesitates a moment, but:] I was underweight and some other things when I got here [h-haha malnourishment] because there wasn't a lot of food in Haven... but I'm better now.

[He's healthy again!! Physically kanpeki.]

Even now, I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish... [He rubs absently at one of his arms.] When they took people away individually, it was more like torture than anything. Though I was never...

[...never experienced that firsthand. Just... secondhand.]

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . well, it's enough to get Tenka to be a bit more scrutinizing as he looks over Hinata. He knows about the stitches and has noticed odd quirks about the other - but he never thought to ask about it in such.... detail. Still though, he can't help but look sad and he's rather glad that they finished eating.

If he has strong feelings about torture or experiments, it doesn't show at all except the way that his eyes get sadder.]

Good. You don't deserve to go through that -- this place isn't that great but it's... better than that sort of thing, at least.

[Is he sounding like he understands a little too well?]

[deontology]

["More like torture than anything". When Tenka talked about his experiences, it always sounded like it was torture too. Hearing this... Sousei slowly sips his tea, expression flat. He's not...

He's the only one here who truly doesn't understand.

But even so, it's...troublesome. It's hard to listen to, to know that these are the sorts of depraved depths that people can fall to. Humanity...truly can be disgusting.

But Tenka is better at comfort than Sousei--so Sousei remains silent, otherwise not responding, because it's safer all around to let Tenka handle it.]

[particularity]

[Hinata's aware of how Tenka's looking him over, the silence before Tenka speaks, and there's a minute motion of his head, like he's keeping from saying something else, or as if he's forcing the memories out of his mind.

But he still remembers, and there's a dark, hunted look in his eyes for an instant. Just a moment and then it's gone in a flicker of eyelids.]

Yeah. It's better. Information is still hard to get-- [this, information is an easier topic to talk about] --but I'm... we're in a better position here. Even if it takes time.

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . there's no mistaking that look in Hinata's eyes. Tenka lets one beat pass before he shakes his head and stands, moving to collect all of the plates, easily stacking them on top of each other.]

Hey, we got time. Admittedly I'd like to get home but I'd rather do something right than do it quick.

[And once everything's stacked, he reaches out to affectionately ruffle Hinata's hair - though in the last second, it's really more like a soothing run through his little brother's hair.

Tenka just gives him a grin before he gets up to put everything in the kitchen.]

You're safe here. Aniki promises.

[and then he actually walks over to the kitchen

ball's in your court, sousei]

[deontology]

[Wait what.

Wait no

DON'T LEAVE, TENKA. COMFORTING KIDS IS NOT HIS FORTE--

And nonetheless, Tenka leaves after that sappy line, and Sousei's quiet for a moment. None of his inner turmoil shows much on his face, at least... but slowly he sets down his cup.

uh.]

...There is no guarantee of anything here--that you will not go back, or that things will not become worse.

But even so, we will all do what we can to make certain that the people here are safe, and that we find our proper ways home.

[wow sousei A+++

but he's not good at comforting words and not telling the truth as he sees it. For Sousei...that is his version of comfort. He sees how hopeless the situation can seem, but... he doesn't accept it.]

There is still plenty of hope.

[particularity]

[Hinata's smoothing his ruffled hair and a bit distracted as SILENCE DESCENDS in the wake of Tenka leaving him with Sousei...

He peers over at him at the sound of him putting down his cup.

And it's kind of funny that he finds Sousei's words just as reassuring-- albeit not in the same sense as Tenka's, without the exact same comfort of it.]

Yeah, you're right. I'm not going to give up on it anyway, no matter what.

[...]

S-- sorry.

[He's mumbling it, his head ducking and hand rubbing at his hair, but pitches his voice slightly louder so Tenka can hear too.] I didn't mean to make you guys worry about me or anything.

[sunshrouded]

[You're both awkward and if Tenka knew, he'd be cracking up.

Instead he hears Hinata and shouts back easily--]

Shut up! You're family!

[and then to make it more awkward-]

Right, Sousei?!

[deontology]

[just when he thought he was safe.

Sousei freezes.

But honestly, he's never been good at this sort of thing, especially ~naming his family~; it took a lot of shocks and nearly 20 years for him to acknowledge that Tenka's parents were his family too out loud.

So.

That was a lost cause.

He huffs vaguely.]

Stop shouting.

[and then to hinata:]

As for you, do not apologize for confiding in us. We asked, and we did and do want to know. There's nothing to feel sorry for.