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Post by eyesinthedark on May 13, 2022 16:38:41 GMT
Shouta's entrance into the Digital World was marked by a shining portal suddenly appearing on the side of a sand dune before spitting him out. Completely disoriented and off balance, he was helpless to stop himself from rolling down the side of the dune and landing flat on his face in the hot sand.
"Wh-what the-" he began to stammer, pushing himself up to his feet and spitting out sand. He had no idea how he had gotten here and while he was relieved he hadn't fallen into the filthy water of the Shibuya River, this situation didn't exactly seem like a huge improvement.
"Shouta!" His attempts to discern where he had ended up were interrupted by Hex's voice coming through the portal behind him and he spun around just in time to see Hex's head emerge from the portal. Unfortunately, Hex had not yet reverted to his rookie level and as his huge body emerged from the portal, Shouta spun on his heel and sprinted away, making it clear of the Raremon's landing point but still getting sprayed by the wave of sand he kicked up.
"Hex?" he asked in confusion once the cloud of sand had settled. He started to approach his partner's fallen form only to recoil away as he remembered the stench that surrounded him. He quickly backed away, withdrawing his handkerchief and pressing it to his nose to attempt to block out the smell. "What happened? Where are we?" he demanded. He was starting to get an idea but he sincerely hoped he was wrong.
"Hmm?" Hex mused, raising his head up and looking around. "I don't know exactly. But I think we must have fallen through a portal to the Digital World," he said, confirming Shouta's fears. On the bright side, his form was briefly enveloped in light as he reverted to his smaller and less pungent rookie form.
"The Digital World?" Shouta repeated, horrified. "We can't be in the Digital World! My family will notice if I'm not back home soon!" he protested frantically, fists clenched by his side as he tried to figure out a way to fix this. "The portal, where is it? We have to get back quickly," he insisted, head turning rapidly in one direction and then the other as he tried to spot anything like the light that had taken them here.
"I think it must have closed," Hex commented, much more relaxed than his partner. "Natural portals like that one generally don't stay open for long. The only reliable way to travel to your world is from Terminus City," he explained. Sensing the spike in Shouta's panic, he elected to try and resolve the situation. "I'm guessing that we're somewhere in Folder Desert so Terminus should be somewhere to the East of here," he offered. Shouta resisted his first impulse to yell at Hex, taking a number of deep breaths to calm himself. As terrible as the situation was, it wasn't really Hex's fault and the digimon was trying to help.
"Alright. Which way is East?" he asked once he had composed himself. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, very aware that he was not dressed appropriately for a desert trek. Already he was sweating through his shirt and while the exposure to Raremon made that a slightly less offensive prospect to him, it was still one more irritation in an already disastrous scenario. Best to try and head towards Terminus as quickly as possible and hope that they were close to the edge of the desert or else that they might stumble upon some other travelers who could lend a hand.
"Um, I dunno? Maybe that way?" Hex suggested, pointing in a random direction. Shouta once again bit down on his impulse to scream, reminding himself that that would not get him back home any faster.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 14, 2022 0:45:49 GMT
"Whew. It sure is hot in the desert today. I don't know how Pops and his parents can handle that." LJ said as he wiped sweat from his brow. He had removed his normal ninja garb as well as his blue cape and had put it in his infinite store so he was now wearing the typical pants of a Leomon X. Sure it felt better but having somewhat thicker fur than his Leomon father made things a bit uncomfortable. Yet various Leomon made well enough for themselves by training in rough climates so maybe the many different Leomon were tougher than the young lion thought.
Then a sound and a flash of light caught LJ's attention causing him to look skyward seeing what looked like a natural portal and two beings falling from it before it closed. These portals were rare and didn't last long so it was fortunate many towns had access to Trailmon stations. LJ wondered if the two strangers were okay so he then made his way in the direction they landed soon coming upon a human, who looked understandably lost, and perhaps his partner which was a Raremon foul smell and all but who was he to judge based on appearance. When the human recoiled the Raremon dedigivolved into Eyesmon and the smell seemed to vanish. LJ's brows raised in fascination at what was likely an armor form since there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them. He knew that first hand with his armor ultimate form of Karatenmon since he could loosely see his armor champion of Loweemon as a possibility for a non armor form for him but was probably not likely.
Cautiously approaching he then called out "Hey over there. Do you two need any help?"
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 14, 2022 23:34:06 GMT
Shouta's burgeoning panic attack was interrupted by the call from an approaching figure, drawing both his attention and Hex's. Shouta's initial reaction was one of relief that somebody else had stumbled across them and would hopefully be able to offer some aid. As the figure approached, he took in more details and remembered that most of the occupants of this world were not human as the approaching traveler was clearly a digimon. He felt a stirring of unease as he remembered Mandrake and Lothar's cautioning of feral of malevolent digimon but quickly tried to put that out of his mind. This digimon had called out to them so he clearly wasn't a mindless beast and he certainly didn't sound like he intended them any harm.
"Hello, yes, we could use some help," he answered gratefully, trying not to show any signs of unease as the Leomon came closer. While he had met other digimon, Mandrake and Lothar had remained in their human disguises and even after digivolving, Lilly wasn't as tall or as intimidating looking as this shirtless beast-man. He also couldn't help but notice the long scabbard at his waist. Regardless, the digimon seemed friendly and if hostilities were to break out, it would not be because SHouta forgot his manners. "I am Shouta Yamaguchi and this is Hex. It's a pleasure to meet you, especially given that I had feared we would be lost in this desert for some time," he introduced himself and his partner. "We seem to have wound up here unexpectedly and were hoping to find a way back to my world. Would you perhaps know how to reach Terminus City from here? Or any other way of crossing over?" he asked hopefully, wiping at his brow with his handkerchief to clear it of sweat and the sand that still clung to him.
Hex, meanwhile, watched LJ curiously. He hadn't noticed the Leomon X's approach and even now that he concentrated, he could barely pick up anything with his empathic senses. Perhaps a trace of stress, likely from the heat of the environment, but no real negativity. He thus offered a lazy wave of greeting towards the other digimon, an act that put Shouta slightly at ease when he noticed it. He knew Hex's senses would pick up any indication that this digimon had nefarious intentions and as strange as Hex could be, he would surely not be at ease if he had reason to believe this was an enemy.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 15, 2022 2:01:05 GMT
LJ noticed how uneasy the human seemed and made an effort to seem as unthreatening as possible by adjusting his posture to a more passive and neutral one. Seeing as he was a seven foot lion man with a huge sword, LJ couldn't blame him. Yet Hex seemed, judging by his unworried posture, curious of the young Leomon X which made LJ's brown eyes lock briefly on Hex as if trying to figure the Eyesmon out. If there was one trait of Mandrake's that LJ had was the natural curiosity even if it sometimes led LJ into finding trouble as well.
The human said he needed help and introduced himself and his partner as well. "Nice to meet both of you. I'm Lothar Junior but I prefer to go by LJ." LJ said introducing himself as well. His name rarely raised any attention but little did the young Leomon X know was that Shouta and Hex had just recently met his parents and little sister Lilly. When Shouta mentioned how they got there unexpectedly LJ said "You came from the portal in sky didn't you? I saw you and Hex fall before the anomaly closed. As for reaching Terminus, you could catch a Trailmon from Rustport. It's a bit of a walk but we should be able to get there before nightfall." LJ, like Shouta, also began wiping his brow again. Maybe he should consider getting a vehicle for himself to make long distance travel a bit easier. Sure he could of offered to fly Shouta and Hex part way to Rustport but he didn't know how comfortable the pair would be with that.
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 15, 2022 11:48:32 GMT
Shouta blinked ad LJ introduced himself, taking note of the name. "Lothar Junior? Would you be Mandrake and Lothar's eldest?" he checked, surprised that the first digimon he met in this world would be related to the family he had met back in Shibuya. While he wasn't sure exactly how large the Digital World was, that still seemed like quite a coincidence.
"We met Mandrake, Lothar and Lilly back in the Human World, right when I first found Shouta," Hex chimed in, taking to the air and perching upon Shouta's shoulder. "Their emotions were interesting, especially Lilly's."His wide, shadowy face casting a shade over his partner and doing a small amount to alleviate the heat. The relief was somewhat overshadowed by LJ's comment on how to get to Terminus.
"Before nightfall? So I likely wouldn't be able to get back home until tomorrow at the earliest," he guessed, frowning. He knew it had been somewhat optimistic to think he might manage to return home before anybody noticed he had gone but it still stung to have that slim hope dashed. "I see. We would appreciate your assistance in pointing us towards this Rustport then. I am afraid I am not sure how I might repay you, especially as I already feel somewhat indebted to your parents for their assistance when I first met Hex, but if there is anything I can do for you in return on the way or in the future, please let me know," he offered gratefully. LJ's family had been a blessing for him so far and he honestly felt a touch uncomfortable that he didn't have any way of assisting them in return. He typically preferred to repay his debts sooner rather than later but if LJ could help them get back home, he would owe him quite a favor.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 15, 2022 12:09:31 GMT
So these two knew of LJ's parents which surprised him but he grinned slightly and said "I see you've met my dads then so you know about my little sister, Lilly. Perhaps eventually you guys will meet my adopted little brother, Kshin as well."
When Hex mentioned that their emotions were interesting LJ's brow quirked as he said "So you are an empath like Lilly, huh? I can see how their emotions could be interesting especially Lilly's given how she is pretty young by digimon standards. Then again so am I."
Seeing Shouta frown LJ wondered what was wrong. "Hey, Shouta, if you are worried about getting home before anyone notices you're missing there is some good news. In the Digital World you can spend a day in this world and it would still be the day you left when you get back home due to the time differential between the two worlds." LJ said as Shouta asked if LJ could lead them to Rustport. "Sure. I'd be all to happy too since it's absolutely boiling today." LJ said as he turned in the direction to Rustport contemplating bringing out his cape to utilize as an improvised umbrella. The thought did go for long before he removed his bag and began rooting around before pulling his blue cape out of his infinite store before dangling it off his arm as he put his bag back on. Then he held the cape over his head using it to block out the sun wondering why he didn't think of doing that sooner.
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 15, 2022 21:18:46 GMT
As LJ commented on Hex and Lilly's shared empathic powers, the smaller digimon elected to speak up to correct him on the details. "Not exactly. Lilly can sense all emotions around her but I can only sense certain types of emotions," he explained. "The way her emotions changed in reaction to everybody else's was fascinating," he added somewhat wistfully. The way Lilly had picked up and reflected the distress and fears of others had been a unique experience for him, one that added an extra layer of complexity to the data he picked up from his empathy.
Shouta was a little concerned about how pleased Hex seemed, knowing that Hex could only sense negative emotions and recalling how distressed Lilly had become in response to his own troubled emotions. That concern was quickly forgotten when LJ explained about the time difference between worlds. "Really? Then I might be able to get back before my family misses me," he sighed in relief, his spirits uncharacteristically buoyed by the revelation. Of course, he still had to make it through this desert, which promised to be no easy task, but with a clear course of action in mind and the knowledge that he could make it back before his family started to worry, he felt much more at ease.
As LJ took out his cloak and used it as an impromptu shade, Shouta deigned to unbutton his shirt. As much as he generally liked to remain neatly dressed, there was no denying that the current circumstances allowed for a certain relaxation of his usual standards. There was no point in passing out and being a well-dressed corpse, after all."So LJ, were you out here in this desert for any particular reason or were you just passing through?" he asked curiously. He recalled that Mandrake and the elder Lothar had a nomadic lifestyle and supposed that the same was likely true for their son but he couldn't imagine why he would travel here of all places. He was clearly affected by the heat just as Shouta himself was and Shouta was fairly certain that not all of the Digital World was this inhospitable.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 15, 2022 21:47:30 GMT
LJ looked a bit puzzled at Hex's statement regarding both not being able to sense all emotions and how his baby sister's emotions changed in reflection to everyone else's. "I may not understand much about how empaths react to others emotions even though Lilly and one of my grandfather's both have the same empathic abilities. So, Hex you mentioned only being able to sense certain types of emotions. What do you mean by that?" LJ said his confusion reflected by his head cocked slightly to the side.
LJ wasn't the only one trying to find a way to avoid passing out from the heat as Shouta unbuttoned his shirt to cool down. Yeah if a human with far less hair was cooking then it was really hot today. Lucky them. "Yeah passing through sounds about right. I was originally here to train but the desert proved to be hotter than I like so maybe I'll train out here in the winter when it's a bit cooler. Even so I am like my parents in the regard that I don't stay in one place for very long anyway." LJ said a bit relieved at the shade his cape was providing. Yeah ninja garb with a cape was not good for wardrobe for sandy deserts in the summer.
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 16, 2022 16:22:03 GMT
Hex was not shy about explaining the nature of his abilities to LJ. "I can mostly sense negative emotions. Fear, sadness, guilt, desire especially," he listed. "For me, those emotions are just part of life and they can be interesting to sense but Lilly seemed to dislike them. So whenever anybody else got upset, Lilly picked up on that and got upset as well, which was interesting to experience," he explained candidly. Shouta quickly cut in before Hex could say anything that might further imply that he had enjoyed the suffering of LJ's younger sister.
"I apologize for Hex's insensitivity. From what I understand, he was literally born from the negative emotions of a number of deceased digimon, particularly their unfulfilled desires. As such, he seems to have a certain morbid fascination in such things but I assure you, he meant no harm to Lilly and when we parted she seemed to be in fine spirits," he reassured LJ. While the Leomon X seemed like a reasonable sort, seeming to have caused harm to his younger sister could surely change that and Shouta was very aware that angering the seven foot, heavily muscled anthropomorphic lion was not a good idea, even if they weren't relying on his aid. He shot a warning look at Hex on his shoulder, who only stared back at him blankly for a moment before picking up on his meaning.
"Oh, yes, negative emotions made her upset but she always seemed to recover quickly once they passed. I can't actually tell if she was happy but she wasn't sad for long anyway," he offered. Honestly, he was half-tempted to pursue the topic of Lilly's comfort to see if he could needle LJ but Shouta clearly didn't want him to. And besides, just because Mandrake and Lothar had seemed unlikely to resort to violence if he stepped too far didn't mean that LJ was the same. Probably best to observe him more before making any decisions on that front.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 16, 2022 21:53:30 GMT
So Hex could only sense negative emotions but he had a point. As unpleasant as those emotions could be they were indeed a part of life just as the positive emotions were. "Can't have positive without the negative. The world would not be balanced without both." LJ said sounding surprisingly wise for his young age. Another trait of Mandrake's perhaps? Though LJ never claimed to be wise he did have his moments. Then Hex spoke quite candidly about how Lilly reacted to negative emotions. Though perplexed at why Hex was fascinated by negative emotions LJ brushed it off for the moment as it was clear that Hex wasn't trying to be rude. "Yeah, Lilly doesn't seem to enjoy the emotional suffering of others. She's a good kid." LJ said. Though he didn't know his baby sister had made it to rookie he would likely find that out over tamernet eventually given he kept regular contact with his family over it.
"It's okay, Shouta. Hex can't completely help his very nature but overtime he can learn to be a bit more sensitive." LJ said thinking back to shortly after he digivolved to his champion form before he said "I used to be an irritating braggart with a troublesome temper. Fortunately I have been working on self improvement but I still struggle with maintaining my temper. I hope I don't lose control again because I don't want to think about the damage I could cause if I have another black out rage." LJ said shaking as the memories from when he got his second digimental took place. He still had the occasional nightmare about that to this day.
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 17, 2022 16:22:59 GMT
Fortunately, LJ did not seem particularly offended by Hex's somewhat tactless comments. When he mentioned his own personal flaws, Shouta did grow briefly concerned when he discussed his problems with his temper. A black out of rage would be problematic coming from anybody but coming from a powerful digimon it would be a serious danger. Shouta reminded himself that it was likely only extreme cases that caused such a dramatic effect on him and that it was unlikely to happen without warning. "We all have flaws, I suppose. I admit, I personally can be a touch obsessive compulsive and have trouble remembering that others might not feel the need to conform to my own exacting standards," he acknowledged. "I try to keep this in mind but my own siblings often comment that I can be unreasonable," he admitted. All of his younger siblings had complained about his overbearing rules at some point or another. Usually joking, but he had lost count of the number of tantrums thrown over the years.
"You do get upset easily," Hex confirmed candidly before pausing, tilting his head to the side. "Like that, exactly," he pointed out as Shouta frowned at him. ""But your emotions are restrained. You generally stop them from getting out of control and either let them fade or keep them at a low level for a while," he said. Shouta sighed, pressing his fingers to the temple opposite where Hex was perched.
"Yes, well, controlled or not, I would appreciate if you could attempt to watch what you say more carefully," he lectured. "Commenting on somebody's character so openly can be construed as rude and will only make me, and others, grow upset more frequently. Think before speaking and you can avoid any unpleasant misunderstandings," he said. Hex gave a humming sound of agreement, though he didn't fully understand the reason for Shouta's admonishment. People getting upset could be fascinating, but he would make allowances to avoid upsetting Shouta himself overmuch.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 17, 2022 22:33:01 GMT
After Shouta spoke up about having flaws LJ's shaking increased it becoming quite visibly clear that he was suffering from some form of PTSD as he dropped his blue cape in the sand while staring at his hands. He was eerily silent for several minutes before he spoke up with a voice that was quiet but just barely audible to human ears as he said "Flaws? Yeah we all have flaws but being obsessive compulsive rarely results in those around you getting hurt." LJ then dropped to his knees wrapping his arms around himself in a tight hug as he stammered "B-Before I g-got some control of my temper, w-when I got my second digimental I...I" Tears then began streaming down his face as he was struggling with telling the story more and more as he continued "I n-nearly killed someone in my blind rage and I still fear what would happen if I ever lost control again....." With that LJ began shaking unable to speak anymore but was listening to Shouta and Hex interact with one another but other than that he was barely aware of the tamer and digimon pair. Interacting with LJ at this point had become a delicate process since one wrong move could get the opposite effect of helping him calm down.
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 18, 2022 21:29:10 GMT
Shouta quickly grew horrified as LJ started to break down, frantically trying to come up with a way to solve this. Hex, on the other hand, was staring at LJ in abject fascination, his empathic senses lighting up with the guilt and misery radiating off of the Leomon X. He opened his mouth to say something but fortunately, Shouta just about managed to anticipate this and held up a hand in front of Hex in a clear gesture to remain silent. Less fortunately, he was still unsure of how to proceed with this. He was uncomfortable with large outpourings of emotion and while he had some experience from dealing with his siblings in troubling times, none of them had ever had an issue quite like this. Plus, none of them had been capable of doing much in the way of real harm to him if he chose his words poorly. Putting LJ in a time out likely wasn't an option here.
"I-," he began before cutting himself off, frustrated by the lack of a clear path. He had no real way of relating to this, as his issues tended to spring from the opposite direction. Rather than having harmed others, he had always fulfilled the role of a protector, ever since... actually, perhaps that was an angle to use? "My mother has had rather poor fortune when it comes to the men in her life," he began with an apparent non-sequitur, carefully keeping his tone level and calm. "My father and step-father both passed away when I was very young. I don't remember my biological father but I was old enough to be heartbroken when my stepfather passed. My mother, having lost two husbands to tragic circumstances, did not handle it well," he said, his shoulders tensing and hands twitching in an attempt to curl into fists that he carefully suppressed, doing his utmost to avoid giving any sign of the discontent this subject caused in him.
"She effectively fell apart and largely ceased to take care of herself, never mind myself and my younger siblings at the time. I was nine years old at the time and was grieving the loss of my father but I had to assume an increasingly major portion of the household responsibilities to ensure we were all fed and not wallowing in filth," he explained, deliberately staring off into the distance with a perfectly blank expression on his face. His tone of voice had shifted from level to monotone, but that was preferable to letting his emotions slip and risk setting LJ off further. Hex was now staring at him with surprise, reevaluating his opinions of his partner in response to the upswelling of emotion coming from him, just barely kept concealed beneath the surface. "My relationship with my mother obviously worsened in the wake of this period. I was justifiably upset that she was neglecting her responsibilities to us so severely and that I was being forced to pick up her slack. However, the time did eventually come when she pulled herself out of her self pity and realized how badly she was failing as a mother," he said before pausing, taking a moment to inhale deeply and then exhale, trying to keep himself calm. While this entire topic was uncomfortable with him, all of what he had said so far was a simple retelling of past events, nothing that could be debated. This next part, however, was uncomfortable for a different reason.
"I admit, even though it has been years since she started acting more like a mother, my relationship with her has not fully recovered to what it previously was. Perhaps it never will. But I can recognize that whatever her failings in the past, she is endeavoring to be better now, to provide my younger siblings with all of the care they need," he admitted reluctantly. Acknowledging his mother's recovery implied that he should fully forgive her and deep down, he wasn't sure if that was something he was comfortable with. But that would not help calm LJ down, so he would swallow his lingering frustrations and be mature enough to admit his mother's achievements, no matter how mixed his own feelings about them were. "That she did harm to my siblings is undeniable but she has improved herself since then and held herself to a higher standard. I don't know the details of what happened in the past for you, who you harmed or why it happened. But if you regret your actions, then strive to be better now and forever more," he finished firmly. It wasn't exactly a perfect speech but emotions were not his strong suit. Hopefully it would at least serve to distract LJ from his meltdown.
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Post by ricochet7-LJ on May 18, 2022 22:05:54 GMT
While Shouta struggled to get out what he needed to say which made sense as such traumas were not always easy to talk someone down from. Then when he began talking about how his mother had trouble with men in her life which caused LJ to turn tear filled eyes toward Shouta. At first LJ thought the bad luck was due to having abusive partners but as Shouta continued that was clearly not the case. Shouta then talked about how his father and step father died when he was very young and how it badly affected his mother. This tore at LJ's heart as he thought of how one of his father's also lost a parent at a young age but Shouta was old enough to remember the death of both parents while his father Mandrake was only a week old when he lost his mother so he didn't get to know his own mother.
LJ began wiping his eyes in an effort to dry his tears. Sure he wasn't fully back to normal but he was at least calmer now. "I keep forgetting how fortunate I am to have both fathers still. Maybe I should talk to them more often and stop being stubborn and prideful trying to show how I'm not a child anymore. I keep forgetting I'm not that old even by human standards." LJ inhaled deeply before he said "Sorry about what happened to your family but at least your mom had you to help her out as grief can cause people to do things they would never do otherwise."
"Sounds like your mom is trying to repair what she had done while grieving so maybe in time your relationship might recover." LJ said starting to sound gradually better than before. "Like your mom I have been trying to improve. At least my temper has gotten somewhat better so maybe I am worrying for nothing." LJ then reached over grabbing his cape before getting slowly up and shaking the sand off of it. "Maybe we should get moving again before we fry in this heat." LJ said a faint light purple sparkle appeared in his brown eyes which was a sign of his magical nature.
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Post by eyesinthedark on May 18, 2022 23:33:32 GMT
Much to Shouta's relief, his words seemed to have the desired effect on LJ, restoring some measure of calm to him. Hex, on the other hand, was somewhat disappointed that the spiral of depression had been interrupted but was nonetheless intrigued by how Shouta had accomplished this. While he had certainly observed Shouta getting upset before, that typically consisted of petit frustrations and worried stress. This, however, had been a much deeper depression that he had never picked up from Shouta before and he found himself fascinated by it in spite of himself.
"If your stepfather died when you were small, then why are your youngest siblings so much younger than you?" he asked insightfully, having observed all of Shouta's siblings from the shadows since meeting his partner. While he wasn't an expert in human growth, he was fairly certain that the timeline Shouta had given didn't quite allow for the existence of the five-year old twins, Arata and Ayame. Sure enough, the spike of irritation he sensed from Shouta confirmed he had struck upon something.
"Yes, well, while my mother was in her depression, she married a third husband. He was barely present and only served to encourage her worse impulses so I rarely think about him. While he may be the biological father of Hiroto and the twins, he hardly merits the title. I have no idea where he is now but the only good thing he ever did for my family was leaving, as that seemed to be what forced my mother to take a look at herself and begin her recovery," he said, somewhat coldly now that he was no longer trying to suppress his emotions. While his feelings for his mother may be conflicted, he had nothing but disdain for the irresponsible lout she had married after being widowed a second time. Seeking to change the subject to something less unpleasant, he nodded at LJ's suggestion. "Yes, we should be off. The sooner we are out of this desert, the better."
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