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[deontology]

This is Abe no Sousei. Leave your request promptly.

Thank you.

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Comments

[sunshrouded]

also i met the first head of my clan???????

[deontology]

he was distracted. [sousei wasn't, but that guy sure was.]

Kumou Kagemitsu, you mean? I met him too.

[isn't it...weird........]

[sunshrouded]

he's really snooty and uncooperative! i didn't recognize him at first.

[wonder where that family trait went]

[deontology]

he was more cooperative than you.

[...]

I didn't find him problematic at all.

[sunshrouded]

well he had gerokichi! I thought he might've been a thief!

and I'm always cooperative!

[deontology]

ah, that's the trend i was thinking of.

he also accused me of stealing my family's sword. it would appear kumou are fond of accusing innocent people of theft

[sunshrouded]

you just don't look like the type of guy to inherit a sword, apparently

[deontology]

you were jealous

[...]

he saw it recently in the hands of another [Which would be...Sousei's ancestor, or thereabouts. Weird.]

[sunshrouded]

i eventually got my family heirlooms! a ton of them!

[seriously do the kumous just hoard everything from previous generations]

is your ancestor here too?

[because as far as tenka knows right now, hirari just has.... amnesia....]

[deontology]

[ok tenka whatever makes you happy. But honestly--]

possibly. [That's hella vague, but...he's not entirely sure.]

i thought he was a police officer, but apparently his name is Abe no Hirari

[sunshrouded]

HIRARI'S YOUR ANCESTOR?????

NO HE'S SUPPOSED TO KILL ME

[sunshrouded]

that sounds worse than i meant

[deontology]

[.....what.]

what

[deontology]

[no seriously, what? Supposed to kill him? are you cheating on his death pact with another Abe???]

what are you talking about

[sunshrouded]

[stop making this gay]

long story

can i tell you when i find you again

[deontology]

[it's just true okay

there's a pause at that, though, before finally the text comes through--]

fine. we'll meet at the apartment.

[since there's no guarantee they're even in the same virtual world...]

[sunshrouded]

ok

[And that's that. Normally Tenka doesn't respond with short messages like that, but he's honestly not looking forward to this conversation.

Eventually though, he makes it back to their place and siiiiiighs.]

Soouuuseeeiiiii, is there tea?

[He's assuming if he dragged his feet to get back, which he did, Sousei probably got there first.]

[deontology]

[He did drag his feet, enough that Sousei was considering texting him again...but there he finally is, and Sousei frowns at the sigh and the whine that grates on his nerves--and sets the cups on the table with a thud.

Sit.]

Yes.

[Quite frankly and shortly. He sure doesn't look happy.

Now sit and talk.]

[sunshrouded]

[Why are you so grumpy, wow, that's not exactly stuff that makes him want to talk.

But now Tenka is sitting.

And taking the tea and nodding his thanks.

And sipping.

And sipping.

And sipping.

Watch him attempt to drain the cup before he starts talking.]

[deontology]

Tenka.

[He's not messing around here, okay. He sets his own glass down firmly, meeting Tenka's eyes.]

What were you talking about before?

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . you couldn't just let him finish his drink, could you. Regardless, Tenka finishes his incredibly long sip then and sighs as he places down his own cup. He straightens his posture, squaring his shoulders as he faces a topic that will most likely lead to his partner getting mad at him.]

You saw the state I was in when we got here.

[Still a little scaly, ready to collapse at any second, weak without medicine.]

According to the doctors, I was at my limit with the Orochi medicine. I could've snapped at any second.

[Did snap a few times, underground and chained against the wall, held down by multiple people all at once. But there are still things that Sousei doesn't need to know, Tenka thinks.]

[deontology]

Snapped.

[The word is said flatly, no intonation whatsoever, and shortly. Snapped...as the orochi. Snapped in a way that would require that someone was on standby to kill him?

That's all Sousei says.

Because he doesn't like the conclusions he's drawing, and he's still willing to give Tenka the chance to tell him that that's not the case (even as he has the sinking feeling it is).]

[sunshrouded]

[Tenka doesn't have much to say in response to that.

He remembers his vision clouding over, already injuring the people who were trying to examine him further. But when they let him out, he could still walk in the daylight and help people. So he kept taking the medicine, because just staying in an underground prison waiting only for the next time he'd be on the examination table-

That wasn't the life he wanted.

So he doesn't say anything.

He just smiles weakly.

He really didn't want to talk about this at all.]

[deontology]

[So it really would have been...that. Tenka would have become a mindless monster, just like the Orochi. He would have become that negativity.

Humanity's enemy.

All due to these experiments, all because of a corrupt official using these disgusting things to his own ends.

Sousei's silent for a long moment, hands clenched into fists on his thighs, the only real acknowledgement about how upset he really is about this.]

... I see.

[sunshrouded]

[They'd gone back to the pattern of being partners, exploring things about this world and just coexisting together seamlessly, that Tenka had almost forgotten that whenever he sees Sousei go numb like this, it's always his fault.

What a reminder.

Still though, he just sighs because he doesn't think this is a sad story, even now. What would he have done without the Orochi medicine? He wouldn't have been able to take care of his brothers or even let the Yamainu abandon him without remorse - he wouldn't have been able to help anyone.

So he just reaches across the table and waves a hand in front of Sousei's face, head tilting slightly.]

Hey.

I'm still me.

I'm okay [for] now.