[It is surprisingly easy to fall into a routine at Mister Bonejangles' Springtime Summer Camp Vacation. Wake up too early, extract self from the pile of idiots on the floor, do the Skeleton-Mandated Daily Activities, terrorize other campers, sleep, repeat.
Tengen Uzui doesn't exactly cope well with peaceful routines.
Maybe that's why one afternoon free period sees him exploring the unused fringes of the camp, testing the edges of the space and... finding a sleeping Sanemi Shinazugawa in a soft little patch of grass. It makes sense if he thinks about it for more than a second - he was in the same cabin as Genya, whose cabin had been noisy and demon-infested... at least until it had been silenced, but that only solved the one problem.
So. Instead of waking him, and instead of just leaving him alone entirely, Tengen zips back to the cabins only to return with a blanket to drape over Sanemi before settling in the grass next to him, with the full intent of... what, exactly? Giving him a hard time about napping? Intercepting anyone who might actually disturb him if they came by? Both? Neither? The given answer would surely depend on Sanemi's reaction to his presence on waking, but for now there's peace.]
[ Camp life had proven equally unpleasant for Sanemi. Though he had initially been incredibly eager to be uniquely positioned to torment Upper Moon Three after their initial scuffle, sharing a space with a demon that did not need sleep had proven detrimental to his own sleep schedule.
That was without mentioning what he had been hearing since he arrived: the distant sound of his siblings' screaming. The monstrous growl of his turned mother's hunger. The sound she had made when he'd -.
Needless to say, Sanemi is tired. It's why he finds himself as close to the edge of the campgrounds as possible, curled up in a ball in any mildly comfortable patch of grass. It had proven far easier than he anticipated to fall asleep in such a locale, and to remain deeply asleep.
So, he doesn’t stir at Uzui's presence. Not initially. Even the blanket's introduction doesn’t wake him. His face remains peacefully slack in a way it only ever would be in rest.
When he does, eventually, wrestle awake, he does startle… but almost entirely independent of being unsettled by Uzui seated beside him. He's fatigued enough – and trusts Uzui enough – that the awareness brings only initial, faint prickliness. He stares from beneath the blanket hiked up to his chin and notably does not sit up. Maybe he should be concerned about the fact that his instincts hadn’t clued him in to a presence. Not that it mattered. ]
[Sharing with demons was uniquely unpleasant, full stop. That it is proving a detriment to Sanemi's sleep only proves the point further.
Tengen is unaware of what Sanemi is hearing as well - but his own arrival "gift" had been disturbing enough that he can guess something's going on there, too. He's not about to pry, prying would open him up to have the question returned, but there's an underlying feeling of sympathy all the same.
Sympathy which only grows when he really has the chance to see the other man so deeply asleep. Obviously he needs the rest. The sound of his breathing and the steady drumbeat of his pulse only accentuates the point his peaceful expression makes.
And it's the change of the sound of his pulse from Sanemi startling awake that even tells Tengen he's up.]
...Couple hours, maybe. Couldn't just leave and let someone else bug you.
[ It surprises him that Uzui had not only been sitting here for a couple of hours, but that he had remained firmly asleep nearly the entire time. A generous yawn works its way out of his mouth as he finally forces himself to sit upright, wearily blinking the sleep away from his eyes.
He had needed it — he didn't sleep this soundly at home even on a good day — but he still cannot quite help the sharp pang of reproach he feels for having been so blatantly vulnerable in front of another.
Rubbing the lingering drowsiness away with the heel of his palm, he fixes a narrow-eyed stare on Uzui. Now that he's more aware, that statement sticks in his brain: he had seriously sat here the entire time, for multiple hours, after draping a blanket over him? Out of what, kindness? The idea of such behavior seems unwarranted, if not utterly alien. He hadn't done anything to deserve it from Uzui. Not that he can recall, at any rate. ]
Shit. Mgh. There's been a dog that's been following me around since I got here, but guess he thought you had it handled or something. A couple hours, seriously? Have you been staring at me the whole time?
[If that reproach was ever voiced - unlikely, as closed off as they tended to be - Tengen would simply assure him that he hadn't been that vulnerable in front of another. He'd found a quiet place, alone, and it wasn't his fault that Tengen's presence was negligible, despite the size of him.
But they're not under an honesty spell, they're on the fringes of camp, and so uncertainties and reassurances go unspoken.
But also - yes. He'd been there the whole time. Sanemi might not have done anything to deserve it, but... he also hadn't done anything to not deserve it, either. They're comrades, they watch each others' backs. Simple as.]
Staring- what, you think I'm that strange? [...Don't answer that.] No, it's nice out here. Quiet.
[ Lock these two in a room and force them to have a meaningful discussion of some sort or they won't be allowed out. There is so much unsaid lingering in the air.
Some proper rest has done wonders for his mood which, for Sanemi, is significant. With a surprising amount of care given his otherwise brash nature, he folds the blanket against his chest to limit the contact with the ground. He presumes it belongs to Uzui; once it is folded, he deposits it in the man's lap wordlessly. There was unspoken gratitude in the action. Even considering thanking him aloud for draping a blanket over him while he was sleeping makes his ears burn.
A wry smirk hooks one corner of his mouth as he stretches his arms above his head. ]
Maybe. [ Not really. Okay, maybe a little. He rolls his head over to one side, yawning a second time, so wide that his teeth flash. ] Yeah, 's why I picked it. Way better than trying to sleep with a fucking demon staring at you.
[They would whither and die in that room, more likely.
That's the duality of Sanemi, though, isn't it? Brash, jagged around the edges, but capable of showing an immense amount of care when he wants to. Tengen doesn't mind that he's rarely the recipient of it - not that it means more when he is, just that he appreciates how genuine he is with his expressions. So he accepts the unspoken gratitude, and simply folds his arms on top of the returned blanket.]
Eugh, I can't imagine... I'd say you're welcome in ours, but I heard that's not allowed.
[ Sometimes he's actually capable of showing when he tolerates someone's presence. Or even likes them! Frankly, the fact he hadn't flipped his lid when he'd stirred and noticed Uzui sitting there was likely nearly as indicative of that tolerance. There weren't many he'd award that privilege to, comrade or not. ]
Tried it. Was probably the only night I slept longer than an hour in the damn building, and it was only because I woke up in the bed confused as hell. They want us staying in those cabins no matter how we might feel about it.
[ ...A particularly nasty grin overtakes that smirk. It's the expression of someone who looks rather proud of himself, which given he's about to start talking shit about Akaza –. ]
Though, don't think it'd be nearly as bad if I hadn't fucked around with that Upper Moon. Seems I might've pissed him off. [ Yeah, he's grinning like a damn maniac. Definitely proud of himself. ]
Probably something about being part of the camp experience... whatever the hell that means.
[Surely the genuine camp experience could have allowed some leniency? But maybe not. Maybe this was the less strict version. (No.)
But oh he knows that nasty grin, and given the subject at hand, he probably should be the mature party here and give some platitudes about getting along, that if they're all stuck here together it'd be easier for Sanemi to just ignore him and not stir the pot, but. Well. Nah. He'd been sitting on his hand(s) since his own initial run in with Upper Three, and hates it.]
Good. He's got it too easy with how many of us are here.
If this is the camp experience then I fucking despise camp. I tried to weasel my way out of the macaroni art shit one time and they glued my damn feet to the floor! We have to endure this for a whole month?
[ Leisure time was one thing — not that he knew how to leisure regardless — but being forced to leisure? Fuck that. At this rate, he was going to run that obstacle course so many times he'd be able to finish it with his eyes closed.
He rubs a hand over his mouth. It stokes some antagonistic part of him that Uzui agrees with his viewpoint so readily. When he'd had his rather fraught conversation with Rengoku the emphasis on their agreement had rankled him. The fact that they were more or less aligned on their distaste is a good sign.
With that same sneer firmly intact, he mimes a snipping motion with his left hand. ]
You're telling me. Should've seen the look on his face when I started bleeding. Though, that shit never gets old.
Just put one of the little noodles in and you're fine-
[He's been doing mad science so it's not like the macaroni throw off the aesthetic, but Kimetsu Gakuen Uzui would have absolutely had a fit, so he gets the frustration on an obligatory metaphysical level-
Anyway.
Forced leisure had been just one of many reasons why he'd thrown himself so wholeheartedly into training the recruits, so more forced leisure was... well. It could be worse, but that's a virtue of the company more than the activity or lack thereof.]
Hah, bet it was even better with how fast we heal here, right?
[No recovery time meant Sanemi could - would - have surely gone harder than usual.]
Guess I have to be responsible and tell you to get it out of your system now. It isn't usually like this, and he's already bothering Shinobu enough.
[ Sanemi wholly gears himself to say I don't want to do art, realizes how childish it sounds before it even leaves his mouth, and wisely chooses not to say anything at all. Better not to make a fool of himself every single damn time he talks to Uzui.
His sneer subsides. What the hell did it matter if things were different outside of this place? Were they actually not going to address this other than shaking their heads disapprovingly? His eyes narrow. ]
Don't know what you mean by "get it out of my system". He was drooling all over the fucking place. Don't tell me you actually fucking believe that bullshit that he isn't going to attack anyone. It's a matter of when, not if. Why should I give a shit if the healing isn't always like this?
[ He snorts derisively. ] All the better, actually.
[It's hard to to anything but shake their heads disapprovingly, given the situation at hand, but as far as Tengen is concerned the more eyes watching and the more hands ready to act (and he is achingly aware of his deficiencies in both), the better. Sanemi was a welcome sight.]
I mean don't go provoking him like you usually do unless you have to, once we've left here. Give a shit so you're in top form when it happens.
[He believes that Kyojuro believes he isn't going to attack anyone. He even is willing to believe Akaza is sincerely throwing himself into Shinobu's "redemption" program with the intent of not attacking anyone.
[Yeah, so... Fun and shenanigans aside, Genya's getting a little worried so...
One night, when Sanemi comes to bed for the evening, he'll find Genya and a tent plopped up on the roof. He's sitting there so casually as he cleans his gun, but he'll definitely perk up when he spots his brother.]
[ It is going on multiple days with incredibly little sleep. Sanemi is used to sleepless nights — there's a reason why his eyes are always bloodshot — but it is starting to wear on him.
It's part of the reason he startles at the sound of Genya's voice. His head lifts, his gaze lands on the tent and Genya within, and he just. Squints. In confusion. ]
[You know what. Genya gets a vicious rush of pride as he sees Sanemi startle. He cracks a grin, one that he tries desperately to pretend isn't partially motivated by relief.]
Not sharing a room with damn demons anymore, for starters.
[ He's running on a collective two hours of sleep, cut him some slack! After a split second of contemplating, Sanemi hops up onto the roof without much struggle. Doesn't even have to use his hands. ]
Have you tried using it overnight? How do you know we won't just end back up inside the cabin?
[ Though, he is worried about the dog. Would the dog be able to get up on the roof… probably not, huh. He can always hop down to get the dog if push came to shove. If he didn’t have to stay in the cabin he sure as hell wouldn’t be. ]
You told the skeleton to put a tent on the damn roof?
[Genya, honestly, didn't think about the dog. He was too busy trying to keep his brother from causing an incident. Not that he's going to fess up to that much.]
Nah. I tried to set it up elsewhere and asked if it would work. Then it showed up on the roof. Close enough, I guess.
You're telling me. But you - you kind of just get used working around it. Playing by the spirit of the letter of the law, or whatever.
[Genya has seemingly stolen their bedding from inside. You know. Without asking Sanemi's permission. Maybe he also stole Akaza's stuff too. He practically had permission for it, don't worry about it.]
[ The extra set of bedding certainly draws his attention if it is present. Otherwise, he simply scoffs lightly and positions himself towards the front of the tent. ]
[ Honesty isn’t a terrible policy. A lance of anger so sharp Sanemi's breath shutters shoots through him at the admission regardless. It isn’t directed at Genya, necessarily. The mere idea of his younger brother scrambling to protect him, being worried about him, stings.
It isn’t how it should be. His previous attempts at protecting Genya had been an abject failure. He had to do a better job of it this time.
…but maybe a compromise wouldn’t be a terrible thing. He pinches the bridge of his nose, then shifts to give Genya room. ]
Fine. But I'm gonna sit here for at least a little while first.
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timeasmymeasure
not the dirt nap either of them actually want but
Date: 2026-04-07 10:16 am (UTC)Tengen Uzui doesn't exactly cope well with peaceful routines.
Maybe that's why one afternoon free period sees him exploring the unused fringes of the camp, testing the edges of the space and... finding a sleeping Sanemi Shinazugawa in a soft little patch of grass. It makes sense if he thinks about it for more than a second - he was in the same cabin as Genya, whose cabin had been noisy and demon-infested... at least until it had been silenced, but that only solved the one problem.
So. Instead of waking him, and instead of just leaving him alone entirely, Tengen zips back to the cabins only to return with a blanket to drape over Sanemi before settling in the grass next to him, with the full intent of... what, exactly? Giving him a hard time about napping? Intercepting anyone who might actually disturb him if they came by? Both? Neither? The given answer would surely depend on Sanemi's reaction to his presence on waking, but for now there's peace.]
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Date: 2026-04-07 11:05 am (UTC)That was without mentioning what he had been hearing since he arrived: the distant sound of his siblings' screaming. The monstrous growl of his turned mother's hunger. The sound she had made when he'd -.
Needless to say, Sanemi is tired. It's why he finds himself as close to the edge of the campgrounds as possible, curled up in a ball in any mildly comfortable patch of grass. It had proven far easier than he anticipated to fall asleep in such a locale, and to remain deeply asleep.
So, he doesn’t stir at Uzui's presence. Not initially. Even the blanket's introduction doesn’t wake him. His face remains peacefully slack in a way it only ever would be in rest.
When he does, eventually, wrestle awake, he does startle… but almost entirely independent of being unsettled by Uzui seated beside him. He's fatigued enough – and trusts Uzui enough – that the awareness brings only initial, faint prickliness. He stares from beneath the blanket hiked up to his chin and notably does not sit up. Maybe he should be concerned about the fact that his instincts hadn’t clued him in to a presence. Not that it mattered. ]
…How long have you been there?
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Date: 2026-04-07 11:35 am (UTC)Tengen is unaware of what Sanemi is hearing as well - but his own arrival "gift" had been disturbing enough that he can guess something's going on there, too. He's not about to pry, prying would open him up to have the question returned, but there's an underlying feeling of sympathy all the same.
Sympathy which only grows when he really has the chance to see the other man so deeply asleep. Obviously he needs the rest. The sound of his breathing and the steady drumbeat of his pulse only accentuates the point his peaceful expression makes.
And it's the change of the sound of his pulse from Sanemi startling awake that even tells Tengen he's up.]
...Couple hours, maybe. Couldn't just leave and let someone else bug you.
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Date: 2026-04-07 12:10 pm (UTC)He had needed it — he didn't sleep this soundly at home even on a good day — but he still cannot quite help the sharp pang of reproach he feels for having been so blatantly vulnerable in front of another.
Rubbing the lingering drowsiness away with the heel of his palm, he fixes a narrow-eyed stare on Uzui. Now that he's more aware, that statement sticks in his brain: he had seriously sat here the entire time, for multiple hours, after draping a blanket over him? Out of what, kindness? The idea of such behavior seems unwarranted, if not utterly alien. He hadn't done anything to deserve it from Uzui. Not that he can recall, at any rate. ]
Shit. Mgh. There's been a dog that's been following me around since I got here, but guess he thought you had it handled or something. A couple hours, seriously? Have you been staring at me the whole time?
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Date: 2026-04-07 12:41 pm (UTC)But they're not under an honesty spell, they're on the fringes of camp, and so uncertainties and reassurances go unspoken.
But also - yes. He'd been there the whole time. Sanemi might not have done anything to deserve it, but... he also hadn't done anything to not deserve it, either. They're comrades, they watch each others' backs. Simple as.]
Staring- what, you think I'm that strange? [...Don't answer that.] No, it's nice out here. Quiet.
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Date: 2026-04-07 01:05 pm (UTC)Some proper rest has done wonders for his mood which, for Sanemi, is significant. With a surprising amount of care given his otherwise brash nature, he folds the blanket against his chest to limit the contact with the ground. He presumes it belongs to Uzui; once it is folded, he deposits it in the man's lap wordlessly. There was unspoken gratitude in the action. Even considering thanking him aloud for draping a blanket over him while he was sleeping makes his ears burn.
A wry smirk hooks one corner of his mouth as he stretches his arms above his head. ]
Maybe. [ Not really. Okay, maybe a little. He rolls his head over to one side, yawning a second time, so wide that his teeth flash. ] Yeah, 's why I picked it. Way better than trying to sleep with a fucking demon staring at you.
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Date: 2026-04-07 01:23 pm (UTC)That's the duality of Sanemi, though, isn't it? Brash, jagged around the edges, but capable of showing an immense amount of care when he wants to. Tengen doesn't mind that he's rarely the recipient of it - not that it means more when he is, just that he appreciates how genuine he is with his expressions. So he accepts the unspoken gratitude, and simply folds his arms on top of the returned blanket.]
Eugh, I can't imagine... I'd say you're welcome in ours, but I heard that's not allowed.
[He. Has not tried sneaking out.]
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Date: 2026-04-07 01:33 pm (UTC)Tried it. Was probably the only night I slept longer than an hour in the damn building, and it was only because I woke up in the bed confused as hell. They want us staying in those cabins no matter how we might feel about it.
[ ...A particularly nasty grin overtakes that smirk. It's the expression of someone who looks rather proud of himself, which given he's about to start talking shit about Akaza –. ]
Though, don't think it'd be nearly as bad if I hadn't fucked around with that Upper Moon. Seems I might've pissed him off. [ Yeah, he's grinning like a damn maniac. Definitely proud of himself. ]
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Date: 2026-04-07 01:47 pm (UTC)[Surely the genuine camp experience could have allowed some leniency? But maybe not. Maybe this was the less strict version. (No.)
But oh he knows that nasty grin, and given the subject at hand, he probably should be the mature party here and give some platitudes about getting along, that if they're all stuck here together it'd be easier for Sanemi to just ignore him and not stir the pot, but. Well. Nah. He'd been sitting on his hand(s) since his own initial run in with Upper Three, and hates it.]
Good. He's got it too easy with how many of us are here.
Self-harm CW because this is Sanemi.
Date: 2026-04-07 02:11 pm (UTC)[ Leisure time was one thing — not that he knew how to leisure regardless — but being forced to leisure? Fuck that. At this rate, he was going to run that obstacle course so many times he'd be able to finish it with his eyes closed.
He rubs a hand over his mouth. It stokes some antagonistic part of him that Uzui agrees with his viewpoint so readily. When he'd had his rather fraught conversation with Rengoku the emphasis on their agreement had rankled him. The fact that they were more or less aligned on their distaste is a good sign.
With that same sneer firmly intact, he mimes a snipping motion with his left hand. ]
You're telling me. Should've seen the look on his face when I started bleeding. Though, that shit never gets old.
Sanemi gonna sanemi
Date: 2026-04-07 03:00 pm (UTC)[He's been doing mad science so it's not like the macaroni throw off the aesthetic, but Kimetsu Gakuen Uzui would have absolutely had a fit, so he gets the frustration on an obligatory metaphysical level-
Anyway.
Forced leisure had been just one of many reasons why he'd thrown himself so wholeheartedly into training the recruits, so more forced leisure was... well. It could be worse, but that's a virtue of the company more than the activity or lack thereof.]
Hah, bet it was even better with how fast we heal here, right?
[No recovery time meant Sanemi could - would - have surely gone harder than usual.]
Guess I have to be responsible and tell you to get it out of your system now. It isn't usually like this, and he's already bothering Shinobu enough.
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Date: 2026-04-07 03:34 pm (UTC)His sneer subsides. What the hell did it matter if things were different outside of this place? Were they actually not going to address this other than shaking their heads disapprovingly? His eyes narrow. ]
Don't know what you mean by "get it out of my system". He was drooling all over the fucking place. Don't tell me you actually fucking believe that bullshit that he isn't going to attack anyone. It's a matter of when, not if. Why should I give a shit if the healing isn't always like this?
[ He snorts derisively. ] All the better, actually.
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Date: 2026-04-07 03:47 pm (UTC)I mean don't go provoking him like you usually do unless you have to, once we've left here. Give a shit so you're in top form when it happens.
[He believes that Kyojuro believes he isn't going to attack anyone. He even is willing to believe Akaza is sincerely throwing himself into Shinobu's "redemption" program with the intent of not attacking anyone.
He also believes it's only a matter of time.]
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From:After several nights of torture
Date: 2026-04-07 10:16 pm (UTC)One night, when Sanemi comes to bed for the evening, he'll find Genya and a tent plopped up on the roof. He's sitting there so casually as he cleans his gun, but he'll definitely perk up when he spots his brother.]
Hey, up here.
Thank god for you, Genya.
Date: 2026-04-07 10:40 pm (UTC)It's part of the reason he startles at the sound of Genya's voice. His head lifts, his gaze lands on the tent and Genya within, and he just. Squints. In confusion. ]
...Why the hell are you in a tent on the roof?
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Date: 2026-04-07 10:47 pm (UTC)Not sharing a room with damn demons anymore, for starters.
[He motions with his head toward the tent.]
So. You in, or not?
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Date: 2026-04-07 11:04 pm (UTC)Have you tried using it overnight? How do you know we won't just end back up inside the cabin?
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Date: 2026-04-07 11:08 pm (UTC)I badgered the skeleton about it a little. Seemed like this was the best I could do.
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Date: 2026-04-07 11:31 pm (UTC)[ Though, he is worried about the dog. Would the dog be able to get up on the roof… probably not, huh. He can always hop down to get the dog if push came to shove. If he didn’t have to stay in the cabin he sure as hell wouldn’t be. ]
You told the skeleton to put a tent on the damn roof?
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Date: 2026-04-07 11:35 pm (UTC)[Genya, honestly, didn't think about the dog. He was too busy trying to keep his brother from causing an incident. Not that he's going to fess up to that much.]
Nah. I tried to set it up elsewhere and asked if it would work. Then it showed up on the roof. Close enough, I guess.
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Date: 2026-04-08 02:43 am (UTC)This place is fucking ridiculous.
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Date: 2026-04-08 05:19 am (UTC)[Genya has seemingly stolen their bedding from inside. You know. Without asking Sanemi's permission. Maybe he also stole Akaza's stuff too. He practically had permission for it, don't worry about it.]
If you want, I can take watch.
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Date: 2026-04-08 07:02 am (UTC)Don’t worry about it. You sleep.
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Date: 2026-04-09 05:09 am (UTC)Shut up. I've slept at least twice as more as you have the last few days. [A pause. Maybe a little honesty wouldn't hurt?] I'm worried about you.
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Date: 2026-04-09 12:49 pm (UTC)It isn’t how it should be. His previous attempts at protecting Genya had been an abject failure. He had to do a better job of it this time.
…but maybe a compromise wouldn’t be a terrible thing. He pinches the bridge of his nose, then shifts to give Genya room. ]
Fine. But I'm gonna sit here for at least a little while first.
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