crowspace | call me out v. 15.0

Sure, if you can find him. He's been even more elusive than the rest of us lately.

[Tsuchi says with a rather bored shrug, despite everything at stake here.]

Not that I truly expect him to stay that way forever. He is stubborn, but he's also not going to ignore it if he feels he has no choice but to intervene regardless of how he feels on the matter.

Okay. I'll find him, and then I'll come back here for you.

[He should hurry, but... Suga steps forward to throw his arms around Tsuchigomori in a tight hug, trembling a little with the force of the emotion he's held in while Tsuchigomori has been gone.]

I missed you. I'll be back soon.

[Tsuchi allows it and, after a few seconds, actually returns the hug, just as tightly rather than keeping up the aloof stance he had before. One of his hands even comes up to brush through Suga's hair briefly.]

I've missed you as well. It's been far too quiet not having you by my side.

[And lonely, but he doesn't want to admit to that kind of emotional vulnerability too much. Not when it will just make Suga or even Hanako feel worse about the whole thing.]

It's not the same without you, Ryuu.

[Reluctantly, Suga pulls away and heads out. He has a feeling where he should look first.

Neither of the people who return to Tsuchigomori's hiding spot are Suga. It's Hanako and Nene. Hanako seems more visibly distressed than he has since he was alive, and Nene is running on fumes of determination that will fall apart the instant she thinks too much about what's going on.

The explanation is somewhat tattered, but goes like - Nene came with Amane, Kou and Teru to the spirit world; Teru found Hanako first and tried to kill him, and threatened to kill Nene too out of revenge for what Hanako did to Aoi; Suga and Kou stopped Teru from finishing Hanako off and Nene grabbed him and ran.

They're both completely, 100% sure that Teru would never hurt Kou even for stopping him from killing a supernatural, but...]

[Tsuchi is honestly kind of surprised to see Nene here as well, but once the explanation is given, he immediately understands... and is also already feeling a headache coming on, because of course there's something troublesome like this happening.

Sometimes, he actually liked not being at the school for this exact reason, but lord knows he would never say that to Hanako or Suga. Speaking of the latter though, given that they are not here with the kids...]

Is Suga still back there dealing with the feuding brothers as well?

["Yeah." Nene doesn't look happy about saying this, given what she now knows about Teru, but... "B-But I'm sure Suga-san will be fine, sensei! He's got his sword and everything, right?"

Hanako bites his lip, having just enough sense not to point out that Suga's sword can't hurt humans. They all already know.]

[sighs]

Where are they?

[He is going to make the kids wait here while he breaks up the fight if need be, but then again, he's pretty sure Suga can handle Teru for the most part. Still... he probably should check on the boyfriend just in case.]

Edited 2022-01-15 23:09 (UTC)

[The stopped train's not that far away, hence why Suga was able to get to them in time. Just follow the tracks and you'll find it.

You'll also find a pissed off Suga, a Teru with a broken arm and bloody nose looking mostly bewildered that he's lost control of this situation so badly, and Kou vibrating to one side while holding Suga's sword. Teru's weapon is snapped in two pieces on the ground.

"Spi- sensei!" Kou has never looked so relieved to see Tsuchigomori. In his defense, breaking up a fistfight between an adult and a teenager is probably a little beyond him.]

[... Yeah, that scans. He knew Suga and Kou would be fine, so it is mostly Teru that is actually perhaps in a situation to be concerned about if Suga decides to hit them again.]

Okay, enough of that.

[He says, as he reaches a pair of hands out to keep Suga and Teru from coming in contact with each other anymore. Normally he would be wary about making any kind of physical contact with Teru in particular since he is an exorcist, but his weapon is broken so Tsuchi should be fine this time, he thinks.]

I think you've made your point.

[If anything, Teru just looks extremely sulky that a supernatural is coming in to break up a fight he was losing. Sucks to be him.

Suga, reluctantly, steps back.]

If he lays a hand on Nene I'm going to make him regret it.

He won't. He knows better than that now, right?

[Or at least he better not, given the ass kicking he got just from even threatening to do that, which is the look he gives Teru here. He reaches into a pocket with a free hand before unearthing some bandages, which he tosses to Kou.]

Once your brother is bandaged and good to stand, you're all getting back on the train and going home. None of you are even supposed to be here, let alone having fist fights with each other.

["He definitely does!" Kou, also giving his brother a look even as he helps bandage him up.]

You're coming with us, Ryuu.

Oh, am I?

[Tsuchi raises an eyebrow here.]

And just what does Honorable Number Seven have to say about that?

Probably something like 'thank you for saving my life, Suga and Kou, of course I'll let you bring sensei home'.

["Senpai said she's dragging him back too anyway," Kou adds helpfully. When Teru opens his mouth to make a comment, Kou lightly smacks him in the (injured) arm.]

Really now.

[Tsuchi's tone is rather skeptical, but then again, he is the type of person who is going to wait to hear it from Hanako's mouth himself. Provided that Hanako didn't pull a disappearing act on them once Tsuchi's attention was on this fist fight instead, that is.]

Nene's very powerful.

[Approximately fifteen minutes later, Nene and Hanako show up, holding hands. Hanako scratches his cheek awkwardly.

"So, um, about the division between the human and spirit worlds... um..."

Nene, interrupting: "Hanako's coming back because leaving was stupid!"

Powerful.]

Well, I guess that's settled then.

[However, Tsuchigomori is smiling faintly. It's entirely possible he knew all along that this was going to happen, or it could be that he's simply relieved that it worked out. Either way...]

Shall we get going?

One second.

[Suga hugs Tsuchigomori again, smiling brightly against his shoulder.]

Welcome back, Ryuu.

[Kou, blinking: "Ryuu?"]

Couldn't even wait until we were on the train, could you?

[But he allows it--encourages it, even, as he wraps an arm around Suga's side here in return.]

But thank you. I am happy to be back with you as well.

You're lucky we're in front of kids or I'd have done worse than hug you.

[Hanako makes a grossed-out noise and Nene's eyes sparkle. Chuckling a little, Suga pulls back to take Tsuchi's hand instead.]

Let's go home.

My, how scandalous.

[Tsuchi grins, sharp teeth on display for a moment in amusement before he squeezes Suga's hand in return.]

But yes, let's be on our way. Children shouldn't be lingering in this place for very long as it is.

[He says, as he gestures for the kids to hurry up and get on the train. Tsuchi may have just gotten back, but he is already slipping into ~~dad~~ teacher mode ushering the kids along here.]

[The train ride back is, thank God, uneventful. They've all had plenty of excitement for one day.

As soon as they open the door to their home, Suga remembers something he'd forgotten.]

Ah, that's-

[Right. He'd left the box for the ring he made Tsuchigomori sitting out on the counter, because carrying it around with him would upset him too much, but he wasn't willing to get rid of it and give up on Tsuchigomori's return. And he didn't have the energy to think of a hiding place.

It's. Pretty obvious what it is, just from the size and shape and the velvet.]

...I could've sworn I put that away before I left...

[Oh.]

Is that what I think it is?

[Despite the obvious answer being right in front of him, the question slips out of Tsuchigomori's mouth nonetheless. He doesn't make to try to touch it yet, instead regarding it from where he's frozen by the door in momentary surprise--did he not see this coming somehow from his books of fate? Then again, he has not been in the school for a few months, so it is entirely possible he didn't glance far enough ahead for what the future was going to hold after his eventual return home...]

...I made it a few days before you left. I was trying to find the right time to give it to you, but...

[Proposing is hard, especially when you're aware that you don't have all that much time to promise. But he didn't think it'd be that little time.

Slowly, Suga picks the box up off the counter.]

... Oh.

[He closes the door behind him proper now and steps closer rather than continuing hovering awkwardly by the door.]

I knew that I was going to disappear at some point, but... to be honest, I avoided looking too much at any entries that talked about what would happen leading up before then. Otherwise...

[Otherwise, his regrets might have been even greater, instead of having the illusion of pretending that everything was the same as ever.]

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