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[ . . . . and even before Tenka says anything, there's the sound of ruffling sheets. Yeah, he's already getting out of bed. That should be answer enough and yet he continues speaking.]

Yeah.

[That's a given. Of course he would go if Shirasu wanted him to.]

Thank you.

[ He tells Tenka how to get to his apartment, then makes a pot of tea to kill a few minutes, and then settles down to wait for him. ]

[It doesn't take long for Tenka to get there. He probably left a note of some sort for Sousei - under the impression that Sousei wasn't crazy anymore - and then he's knocking on Shirasu's door.

And then immediately trying to open it.

....... what do you mean he doesn't own the place.....]

[ If he did own the place, it'd be a lot more decorated than it is now, that's for sure.

Shirasu lets him into the apartment, and he's not wearing his Fuuma garb, just a simple, white, button down shirt and black pants. The apartment is sparse, though there's a low table like they had back in Japan, topped with the tea set Tenka knows by now, and Shirasu's brother's broken mask. Otherwise, there's nothing. ]

I'm afraid there's only one key.

You should make another one for me.

[The suggestion is one that flows off the tongue way too comfortably - he's still used to getting his way.

But even as he walks in, hands in the pockets of his jacket (and Tenka's come to really enjoy pockets), he notices how bare everything is. Then he takes a seat at the low table and taps on the top of it, encouraging Shirasu to hurry up.]

Come on, come on. I haven't had my tea this morning.

If I could, I would.

[ His reply comes too easy, as well. There's a chance they won't have anything to do with each other after this morning, and Shirasu buries a grimace in serving the tea. ]

Sorry to get you up so early.

You'd probably be able to find a way.

[Because yeah Tenka always gets his way but.... well, Shirasu has a habit of managing it a fair amount of the time too. Regardless he just raises a brow at the grimace but doesn't comment for now.]

Ah... it's fine. Couldn't sleep much....

[That much he'll be forthcoming with. The past few days were rough.]

[ With this level of technology, that might not be possible. Still, depending on how this goes, he might look into it. ]

Neither could I. [ Looks down at the teacup, his heart beginning to beat much more quickly. He's not accustomed to truly apologizing for anything, and part of him thoroughly enjoyed the past few days. No thought, no independent will whatsoever. Only what he'd been instructed to do. ]

Something happened, last night... I wanted you to hear it from me.

[ . . . . . that sounds ominous. Tenka pauses for a moment, unsure how to respond. Does he really want to hear it? A lot of insane things happened but... if Shirasu's offering information for once, he supposes he'll take it.

Though it does also remind him of something else that he found concerning.]

... Can I ask you something too? Or is this one or the other?

[ Shirasu glances up, wondering what else Tenka might want to know. And he's not ungrateful for a reason to stall just a little bit longer.

Really, his anxiety is ridiculous. His brother would be appalled. ]

You can ask, if you like. [ As usual, he can't promise he'll answer. Though he doesn't have much reason not to give Tenka whatever information he wants. ]

Did you end up telling Kobayakawa Takakage-san anything about home?

[If Shirasu's willing to stall on whatever his ominous news is for just a bit longer, this is admittedly something that Tenka still doesn't have the answers to. Kobayakawa is curious indeed and Shirasu was easily manipulated during the event. There's no telling what kind of information was probably exchanged.

It'd also be a good estimate for how hard Kobayakawa should be punched in the face for taking advantage of Shirasu.]

[ ... Shirasu makes a quiet, frustrated noise, and rubs at his face. That particular encounter had slipped from the forefront of his attention, but here's another problem to deal with. ]

I told him about the Orochi... and what I did to your family. [ Of course, bringing that up makes giving the news about Kagemitsu even more difficult. The only thing that keeps him from seriously considering killing Kobayakawa is that the man hadn't gone further. No clan secrets had been divulged, and... he did make the decision to turn him over to Tenka rather than use him the way others had. ]

[ . . . . . . . and Tenka shakes his head.

That's privileged information. So privileged that in the years since it's happened, Tenka's only told one other person willingly and that's the man in front of him - who knew the whole time anyway. It's digging into his past and even though Shirasu was the one who told him, he knows the other man would've otherwise taken the secret to his grave.

So Tenka doesn't talk badly about other people but the occasional off-hand comic is about as bad as it gets, though it's enough to denote his irritation.]

What a slippery guy....

[Getting information from Shirasu when Tenka didn't tell him for a reason. How annoying.]

He is clever. [ No point in mentioning if it served his purposes, Shirasu would have taken advantage of the situation in the same way. ] I'm sorry it happened.

[ And speaking of things to be sorry for... ]

What I wanted to tell you is last night, Abe no Hirari killed your ancestor. [ Heartbeat's pause. ] And he did it with my help.

[ Oona had told him that people who died in the colony didn't really die, but she hadn't known details. There is an excellent chance Kagemitsu will return and be fine, so one might wonder why Shirasu felt it so important to tell Tenka about it at all. Tenka might not have even heard about it from Hirari or Kagemitsu, given the circumstances. Shirasu's involvement would have remained unknown.

But the chance of Tenka finding out is just as likely, and Shirasu has a niggling worry he'd be disappointed if Shirasu hadn't been upfront. ]

Abe no-- [Hirari. Tenka blinks at that, trying to reconcile the information. From what he’d heard from Kagemitsu, it sounds like Hirari had managed to get himself trapped in a cycle of reincarnation. So Kagemitsu knew him and—

Kagemitsu is now dead? He stiffens at the idea, immediately staring down at his own hand. If his ancestor is dead, how can he be here? What about Soramaru? Will they disappear soon without their ancestor? If the head of their clan is dead, how can they still exist?

Then his head snaps up at he looks at Shirasu, confused and bewildered and a tinge fearful.

Tenka had never feared death – he always knew it was in his future. He would be sad over having to pass on but he’s never been resentful or scared to move past the realm of the living. Now he is. This world has taught him that.

Now he’s not sure if he’s going to cease to exist or what but now he understands that his ancestor is gone.]

How many times are you going to try to get rid of my family, Shirasu?

[ The question makes Shirasu flinch. ]

It was before I came back to myself, Tenka. I'm sorry. [ He hadn't protested the deeds he'd committed through his own free will, and perhaps he doesn't have the right to assert mitigated responsibility now because of that, but the words, though quiet, come out anyway.

The idea of the timeline being impacted hadn't even occurred to him, since this place simply existing violated all concepts of past and present and future. ]

I don't think it's permanent.

Edited 2015-01-26 17:26 (UTC)

[In truth, the reassurance helps. Alright. So this was when Shirasu was still essentially slave-like -- so he wasn't out to kill off more of Tenka's family on purpose. But it still doesn't make it that much better. Kagemitsu had been so warm and so proud every time he talked to Tenka.

Now apparently he's dead.]

... Don't apologize to me. Apologize to him.

[Whenever he comes back. Because Tenka hopes to god that he's going to come back or else they're in for a lot more trouble back home.]

[ Pushes his hair off his face, his stomach feeling like it wants to turn. ]

Of course.

[ The accusation still stings, and indignation that threatens to surface. But he tightens his jaw and lets it go. But gods, he's tired, unsure what he's really doing anymore. ]

How did this happen to so many people? [ He saw a lot of people acting oddly. He thinks of his encounter with Kirijo, who'd gone from flirty and cheerful to almost afraid of what she'd been doing. ]

Edited (made the tag better, yes.) 2015-01-28 12:01 (UTC)

I couldn't tell you. But so many people acting not like themselves.... I think it's the worst to make people do things against their will.

[Even if they don't know it's against their will - how many times did he have to try to spare Shirasu or Sousei's pride and completely fail this week because they weren't acting like themselves?

Either way, it gets Tenka to shake his head.]

I really don't get this place at all sometimes.

[ . . . though his answers just don't have as much fight as they normally would. He sounds determined, of course he does. But after the past few days.... still hearing that his ancestor died somewhere in the chaos doesn't exactly come as uplifting news.]

[ Shirasu sits quietly for a few moments, sorting through his thoughts. Tenka said nothing but harming his family would be burdensome, but Shirasu still decides against telling him about the rest of his misadventures right now. Maybe he'll never go into them. Honestly, he'd rather forget.

The tea in the pot has grown cold, so he stands to make a new one. Easier to have something to do. ]

Two things weren't so bad. I didn't get to tell you before everything started that I invited Lily to have tea with us.

[ . . . . . . . .

Honestly Tenka can withstand a lot but when he turns his gaze to Shirasu now, it's bewildered and mildly hurt. Even he has limits.]

You want to talk about tea with Lily-chan after you told me that you killed Kagemitsu-san?

[ That's... not what he expected. His hands still in making the tea. ]

I'm sorry. [ Is this what it's going to be like now? Where one moment they're so familiar it hurts, but the next they couldn't be further apart... ]

I thought... it would be helpful to talk about something positive.

[Positive - right. And normally, Tenka's fine with brushing things under the rug. It's what he's done for years - but also that pain wasn't nearly so raw. He wasn't talking to the person who murdered his parents and more recently assisted in the murder of his ancestor.

That happened last night.]

Helpful to.... who?

[Him? Shirasu? Are they supposed to just brush this under the rug too and go back to laughing and smiling?

Maybe tomorrow, Tenka could do that.

But it's still too fresh right now for him to plaster a smile and play nice with Shirasu right now.]

[ Himself, of course. The incident with Kagemitsu wasn't his fault, Tenka seems to accept that. That had been his concern, it had been addressed, so it's best to move on. Isn't it?

Also it would help Tenka, seeing as how even with him, the man liked to derail painful topics with other, brighter things. Perhaps to come back to it later, or seem to ignore it completely. That Tenka didn't take that bait is confusing. ]

I don't know. [ He doesn't know what Tenka wants to hear. ] Both of us, maybe.

[Tenka doesn't know what he wants to hear either.

But talking about tea with Lily, a girl that he's adopted into his family and promised to cherish and care for, with the man who let Chuutarou get kidnapped and allowed Soramaru to become the Orochi and killed his parents and assisted in the death of Kagemitsu -

It brings out every concern that Tenka's had with Shirasu, which is not that Shirasu might hurt him. No, Tenka thinks it would take a lot for Shirasu to hurt him.

Lily, on the other hand - Tenka doesn't want her to be lured into a false sense of hope with Shirasu that's perpetuated by Tenka, only for Shirasu to turn on her later.

Following on the news of Kagemitsu's death, those thoughts are all too fresh.

So he just smiles softly then - one that doesn't reach his eyes.]

Ah. [And slowly, he moves to stand.] .... I'm gonna go home and check on Sousei, Shirasu. I shouldn't stay long anyway.

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