yesdoubt | Noctium

( the horny world is a dangerous world, and thus he had gotten by with more platonic acts of affection with both gaku and ryuu. however with both of them gone? it has become a lot less frequent; barely any in fact and thus he's been easily worn down as of late. without anyone monitoring his health... well. )

At least a month. Maybe more. Don't worry, I haven't gotten to the point of being unable to control myself.

( a sigh as tenn gives the collar of his shirt a tug. whether he would've or not... well. if he wanted to be quiet, he would've stayed quiet. )

Momo-san... I could use some company. That'd probably enough to get my head straight.

[Despite Tenn's attempt at reassurance, Momo does not look happy with that answer - quite frankly, he looks like he's ready to march over there right now and make sure Tenn has some kind of plan for how he's going to keep his Manna needs dealt with in future. But he supposes he's getting an opportunity for that anyway, even though he points a finger somewhat dramatically at the screen of his phone at the suggestion.]

Sure, I'll come over and give you some company while you tell me all about who you know and can reliably get Manna from after this, instead of waiting until it's been a month to tell anyone! [He huffs out the side of his mouth, as if he's trying to settle himself a bit, but he always gets more intense about others' wellbeing than his own.] "Enough to get your head straight" isn't going to last long, you know? You need more of a plan than that.

( he feels like he's being scolded, and rightfully so--- momo takes care of his juniors and for him to not know about tenn's status up until a point where it could be either side of 'too late' or 'barely late'. if there's anything he can do, momo would do it... hence why his expression right now is enough to get even tenn to regret his poor decision making.

but... )

It's been difficult. You understand that, don't you?

( he would never admit to crying over missing the two most important people in his life to anyone over a call. )

If you want to reprimand me further, please do it here. To my face.

[Momo lets out a proper sigh this time, expression coming back around from the almost comical huffiness to something more sympathetic. Between his juniors and a lot of the early friends he's made here disappearing, he knows it's not particularly fun to go through.]

Of course. I just don't like you making it even harder on yourself.

[That said, he reaches out of the frame for a moment, as if he's finding some extra layers.]

I can be there in a few minutes, probably. Anything you want me to bring?

[He's probably going to bring some kind of food or drink or something they can share anyway, so he's just giving Tenn the option to pick before he picks himself. Hopefully it's something that can tolerate travelling at Amethyst-speed.]

( they're all in this together. the less of them here, the more together they really ought to be. tenn could play the standoffish card as often as he wants, but it won't change any situation. it's why he prefers to see momo like this, and why he's a little more happy to accept his brand of kindness when that playful sheen is brushed off some.

tenn's about to defer, but maybe... )

Something sweet.

( it's not like his tastes have changed all that much. spoiled by ryuu's cooking for sure, but that's it. )

But if you've found something particularly tasty, I won't say no to trying it.

( trust starts with food and drink. )

[Momo's only letting the sheen down briefly, because he doubts any of them are happy about losing as many of their number as they have recently, so he can't fake it all the way. But he's already thinking of what to bring along, so he just nods as he pulls a jacket around his back.]

See you in a few, then? [He's probably not going to pick up anything new, since he's stocked up a bit in preparation for that storm he's been hearing about coming, so it should just be as quick as he can get there with flagrant abuse of his Amethyst abilities.]

( he can't deny that part of him is already jumping at the chance of some kind of physical... well, anything. that tenn shivers not from a chill but from the idea that he might be able to have someone's company (and momo's especially) is a pleasant one. one that he's more than happy to have. )

Yes, Momo-san. See you when you get here.

( his door will be unlocked, and he'll also make sure to wash his face before momo arrives. he doesn't have to but it'll be better than just standing around watching the door... )

[As promised, it only takes a few minutes for Momo to make his way over, toting a small bag. While he does knock on the door to announce his presence, he figures Tenn might've unlocked it if he was expecting him, so he comes in without waiting to be invited.]

Alright, Momo-chan is here for your scolding session to continue! [He calls it out as he comes in and closes the door behind him, just in case Tenn is in another room and needs extra confirmation that it's not someone random.]

( honestly, he's not worried about who might enter unannounced. if anything they should be more worried about tenn who doesn't waste any time in almost leaping into his expected guest. not a full body tackle because he's still tenn and not necessarily made for full fledged pouncing, but. )

... I'm here.

( though he's not part-octopus, he can try to wrap himself around momo as best as possible. his demeanor still cool despite the growingly furious need to touch. )

[Momo manages to catch him with his free hand despite the sudden attack, and though he initially looks a little surprised, after a few moments he lets out an amused sort of huff and pats his head.]

It's easier to pretend you're under control when you're just talking over video call, isn't it?

[If he wants another hand free, he's going to have to find somewhere to put this bag down, so he may end up just. Walking a few steps with Tenn still on his front, if he has to.]

( he does acquiesce. after all, tenn does have a modicum of reason and respect remaining in his body. momo is still his senior, a worthy and capable senpai. so he should probably allow him to put down what he brought before an accident occurs!

and tenn relaxes. )

It is.

( the living room is clean. simple. a table, one large couch, and several chairs. a healthy pair of leafy green plants. )

So... here. ( he gestures toward the room, stepping into it. ) You can punish me properly in here.

[As much as Tenn might be trying to be a bit more relaxed about it now, his choice of phrasing in saying that gets a laugh out of Momo as he follows him in.]

When you say it like that, it makes it sound like you think I'm planning something naughty!

[But at least he now has a table he can put the bag on and start unpacking things. There's two cans of some kind of fruity drink not dissimilar from Momorin, plus a few muffins in a plastic box.] Have you been getting out of the house much?

[Something of a probing question, though it's subtle. Clearly Tenn hasn't been Syncing, but he does wonder how many friends he's made in this world to spend time with now that the other two members of TRIGGER are gone.]

( he huffs. not because he expects momo to do something naughty, nor does he anticipate any kind of playing around of that nature in general, but he does expect some kind of gentle teasing due to his senior's concern. )

If you were, I'd suggest moving to a more comfortable place.

( like his bedroom for starters. it's as pristine as usual. )

I have. It's not that I've become a hermit. It's that it's been difficult to connect to others.

( settling down, he grabs one of those cans and gives it a quick lookover before popping it open and taking a sip. )

... I miss them.

[Momo gives a joking, doubtful hum at that, as if to say naughty activities can be done anywhere, but drops the sillier subject in favour of what he actually came here for, not touching any of the food himself just yet.]

Yeah, it'd have to be rougher since you were all here from the start, so you never had to be apart from them in the first place. [Momo would miss Yuki if he left, but he also had to come to terms with not having him around for a few months before he arrived.] Do you have many friends still here, or were you trying to meet new people when you went out?

[Momo's had a bit of unfortunate luck in that a lot of the people he's gotten to know since right back at the start have vanished, so he's having to almost rebuild from scratch now.]

I have a few.

( it's not like tenn hasn't been able to make friends. some have come and gone just like the rest of TRIGGER, but a few still remain. sliding back into his seat, tenn closes his eyes. he knows his posture is garbage right now but it's the last thing on his mind. )

It was just easier and more enjoyable. Not that I'm unable to do the work for it, but it's never been just about me.

( more of that drink. it's tasty. talking to momo's doing wonders for his mood, too. )

Maybe I'm a little bitter that I couldn't have gone with them, too.

[Now that they've gotten talking, Momo reaches for a drink himself, initially just bringing it closer while he responds.]

Being the only one of your group here is pretty hard, since it does make you wonder why you're here and they aren't. But even if it's not just about you, they wouldn't want you to put yourself in some kind of stasis waiting for them either.

[Figurative or literal. Inability or unwillingness to Sync could lead to a more literal and damaging version of that, which is what Momo is trying to avoid here, but even this sort of fugue state for long enough is something he knows Gaku and Ryuu wouldn't wish on him.]

[ tenn sighs. he feels that he's been doing a lot of that lately. not out of self-pity, but because he just doesn't know what exactly he should be doing? making friends, sure. finding other people to sync with? sure. but honestly... he's conflicted. despite momo basically confirming what he needs to do and not necessarily what he wants to do.

having that lack of choice in the matter, other than somehow hurting himself, is... ]

I hate it.

[ though he calmly places the can down in front of him, tenn's next exhale feels warmer than warm. ]

Didn't even get a chance to say goodbye, Momo-san.

[Momo nods understandingly, eyes on his hands for a moment before he looks up again. Having gotten here as early as he did, he made some firm friendships that were taken away as soon as people were sent back home. An existing strong bond getting the same treatment can only be worse than that.]

It sucks, but it's the same for everyone here, so I guess I can't call it "unfair". We've had so much turnover since the first month here that I'm honestly kinda surprised it took this long for a chunk of our friends to disappear. [In some respect, it's lucky. In others...well, several of them have already disappeared and there's little sign it's going to slow down. Momo is, somewhere in his compartmentalised head, bracing for the potential of having Yuki disappear on him sometime in future.]

I have to wonder what they remember when they go back. What we all will. Since Ryuu and Sougo were somewhere else first.

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