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As you grow older one of your eyes will change to the eye color of your soulmate eye and once you see your soulmate it changes back.
Senkuu’s right eye was a strange blue grayish shade. It was a unique color to be sure. Others had blue eyes but none quite this unique. His best friend Taiju’s left eye was a lighter shade of brown from his right. Byakuya’s right eye was sea blue in contrast to his hazel left eye. Senkuu wasn’t one to care much about who his soulmate was. They might never meet and that was fine with Senkuu. He had plans he was sure his soulmate wouldn’t be able to understand. Plans to go to the moon and explore outer space had always been his dream, but what if his soulmate wanted something else? Whatever happened Senkuu knew he was going to get to space no matter what.
Gen’s left eye was a ruby shade of red in contrast to his gray- bluish hue right eye. Gen didn’t complain tho. The color mix was very lovely and made his shows a bit cooler with his red eye, but besides that Gen did truly love the shade of red his left eye was. Some nights he would just spend minutes guessing who the eye belonged to. Somewhere out there was someone who had his eye color. Gen had traveled the world and had gone to many shows all over Japan but still, he never found his soul mate. He had met people with red eyes before but not quite as bright as the one colored over his left eye. Gen wondered if his soulmate was out there thinking as much about him as he was of the other.
When Gen broke out of his stone prison he looked around and wide-open field around him. This had to be some kind of prank right? Then was he completely naked? And there was definitely someone standing behind him who has yet to say anything.
“What is this, a prank?” Gen asked, trying to brush it off like a joke. Gen glazed down at his hand to see if there was anything different about himself “Did my manager not stop them? I told them I’m a mentalist so I only work as the prankster,” Gen sighed getting off his knee.
“It is currently the year 5793 AD, but you are still as you were at age 19,” The voice spoke. The voice was a bit rough around some words but generally sounded younger. The voice was empty and sound devoid of any joy.
Gen knew that voice from somewhere. Like a switch in his head, he knew who the voice was.
“If I recall you were with me on the psychological magic TV special,” Gen pointed out “The strongest primate high schooler, Shishiou Tsukasa,”
Gen should have been excited to hear a familiar voice but this wasn’t the TV special more calm and prideful tone Tsukasa normally gave. It was callous and really disheartening to hear. Tsukasa didn't even try and hide the cold tone in this voice. He wanted Gen to know just how serious he was. Gen waited for the man to say something else but the man gave no response to Gen’s observation and just turned his back to Gen.
“All this here including you are the gathered humans that should be revived first,” Tsukasa pointed up the mountain.
Gen always stumbled backward at the sight. He could no longer keep his act up. Men and women alike all encased in stone and looking like they get clawed their way out of hell. Many frozen with twisted faces screaming or looked like stoic stone statues towering over Gen. This wasn’t a game anymore. That green light was real and it turned everyone to stone but for how long?
“Gen,” Tsukasa broke the silence “With your skills as a mentalist there is a job that I wish to request of you,” Like Gen had any other choice but to do what the man said. “I want to track someone and read into their psychology. If by some chance the man named Senkuu is still alive I want you to find him. The man I killed with my own hands. The sharpest most intelligent man in the world,”
That was the reason why huh? He was broken out of the stone only to be a pawn to Tsukasa and whatever messed up game he was playing. Gen saw another statute next to him who looked a bit older than the other statue on the mountain. Gen hoped he wouldn’t be the only one stuck with Tsukasa before- Tsukasa sent the man’s head flying. What else was Gen to do besides go along with whatever he was told to do? Tsukasa handed him some clothes and told Gen to follow him. So Gen just followed Tsukasa back to the small village he had set up. Right now he could only look after his own interest and keep himself alive but something was itching at him to go check on his left eye. So he slipped out of the village for a second to go try and find a river.
“Please be safe,” Gen muttered to himself.
Gen caught sight of a small stream running through and made his way to it. Gen looked at his reflection in the calm water. It wasn’t the clearest but his left eye definitely wasn’t it’s normal shade of red. It just looked gray. Not like the bluish-gray color is other eye was but just gray. It lost its color. None of this was normal but Gen had hope that at least that one thing would stay the same but it didn’t. Everything he had lost kinda just hit him at that moment.
A few days had passed and there were more and more villagers in Tsukasa’s empire. Including Hyouga, basically Tsukasa's right-hand man in all of this. Both are unbelievably strong and scary yet all the other villagers got along just fine with them. It made Gen kinda sick seeing a murder just talk to people so nonchalantly as if Gen hadn’t just seen him kill a man a few days ago. Gen found himself next to a tree with a date of “ AD 5738 April 1” carved into the tree. Gen ran his fingers over the craving. It was the date this Senkuu had broken out.
“Who the hell could’ve written this down after getting depetrified?! How the hell did they know the date? Don’t tell me the whole time they were… That’s just out of this world. This guy is totally-,”
“He’s dead,” Tsukasa said from behind Gen.
“Wha-” Gen almost let his act slip but “Ohhhh so this was Senku- Chan’s work?” Gen sang putting his hands together trying to give off a friendly vibe.
It definitely didn’t work. Tsukasa just clicked his tongue and walked back to the miracle cave. Gen took a deep breath and once again traced his finger on the craving and tried to think of what his next move was. No matter what he thought of it always ended in Gen being stabbed or killed just like this Senkuu was. He didn’t get the chance to think more before he was called by Hyoga to go talk to Tsukasa in the cave. The mission he was given was simple enough. There was a small village on the outskirts of the island. Make sure Senkuu was not alive.
“Of course Tsukasa- Chan,” Gen gleefully put.
Gen tucked his hands in his robed and walked out of the cave. He could feel the distrusting stares of the muscle-bound brutes in that cave but for now, at least, they couldn’t lay a hand on him. Tsukasa definitely didn’t trust him but he knew if Gen did try to run away he wasn’t safe anywhere on this island. Not that Gen blamed him for not trusting him. The moment he saw a moment to escape he would make a run for it. Tsukasa called it freedom from greedy adults but Gen knew damn well he wasn’t free or safe in that empire. Gen knew if he were to run away and if someone attacked him he needed to find a way to quickly fake his death. Blood bags!
Senkuu had set up a ramen stand up on the outskirts of the village. Ramen for work seemed like a fair trade. Especially because this was their first time having ramen. Hell even if it wasn’t even decent Ramen to Senkuu at least the others seemed to like it. Chrome and Sukia were tasked with handing out Ramen to the villagers to make sure all of them ate some. Senkuu kept preparing the ramen for the villagers. Senkuu was just placing the meat into the bowl when-
Gen made his way down to the clearing and was met by a small girl with what seemed to be a watermelon on her head with cutouts around the eyes with a bowl of what looked like modern day ramen. Gen thanked the girl and took the ramen from her. Noodles, broth, chicken, and fish. It looked like a proper bowl of ramen from back in the modern world besides the green-colored noodles. What was that even made out of? Gen gave it a try despite a strangle look.
“This ‘Senkuu’ is a genius. Surely he can make some ramen,” Gen thought, lifting up the noodles to his mouth.
The moment the noodles touched his tongue though he had the reaction to spit it out. It was gross and wasn’t like the modern world’s ramen at all. The noodles, if you could call it that, crumbled in his mouth and tasted so bitter. Did he find the right person? Honestly, the taste of the soup and the meat were fine but the noodles were so bitter. How could all the villages just eat it like it was a gift from the gods? Weren’t they also people Senkuu had depetrified? Gen glanced in front of him to see who the ‘mastermind’ behind his bitter ramen was. A bit scrawny teen by with white and green colored tips at the end gravity defending hair plus a strange looking tunic with E=Mc2 written on the collar. He matched the description Tuskasa had given him. This was definitely the Senkuu he was looking for but just to make sure,
“Ahhh,” Gen gave out an exaggerated sigh “This ramen is making me wickedly thirsty. A cola would be great~,”
If he was going to make an appearance he might as well make one for the other to remember.
“Ahhh,” A voice sighed from behind Senkuu “This ramen is making me wickedly thirsty. A cola would be great~,”
“Cola?” Senkuu muttered to himself.
“Is that one of your friends Senkuu?” Kohaku asked
“No,” Was the answer Senkuu gave.
Kohaku walked over to Kinro and Ginro and apologetically bowed before the two. She mumbled something to the two and they quickly circled the man standing up from this stop. The villagers all looked over and the scene unfolding.
Before Gen knew it he was circled with spears. Gen still looked down at the ground before feeling a small grin pull at his lips.
“Better answer truthfully,” The blonde woman says “Or I will slit your throat before you know what hit you. Are you one the long-haired man’s underlinings?” With that question, she adjusted her spear just a bit to getting a better grip.
So this village knew of Tsukasa and Gen kinda just gave away his cover. Whatever he could always talk his way out of it. He was still useful as information so he could pull that card if nothing else.
“Well, I don’t admittedly don’t mind the attention of a cute thing like you. I believe you must have mistaken me for someone else,” Gen lied through a twisted grin “I have not yet met any long hair man. I have been wondering all my lonesome since breaking out of the stone,” Gen lifted his head to get a better look at this amazing science, Senkuu, that Tsukasa swears he killed.
Gen’s sly grin slipped for a second as their eyes locked. Senkuu’s right eye was blue with a gray hue to it! And the other was ruby red just like the one Gen used to have. Gen didn’t break eye contact and neither did Senkuu. Both Senkuu’s eyes turned ruby red and Gen only could guess by the way Senkuu looked at him his eyes had also changed.
“Well, I don’t admittedly don’t mind the attention of a cute thing like you. I believe you must have mistaken me for someone else,” The man added, still having a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. “I have not yet met any long hair man. I have been wondering all my lonesome since breaking out of the stone,”
Senkuu got a good look at The Man’s face. Half his hair was white and the other half black. The white was longer covering the left side of his face. He was dressed in a strange purple robe and a home made obi around his yukata, but the thing that stuck out the most was his eyes. One was gray and the other was blue with a slight gray hue to them. The same color and Senkuu’s right eye. As their eyes locked the man’s grin slipped and his mouth slightly ajar. The once gray eye colored back to that or so familiar faded blue.
“No way-,” Senkuu couldn’t stop himself from saying.
The man in front of him once prideful posture dropped and he just looked astonished and Senkuu’s face. Once Senkuu got past the initial shock he noticed who the man looked like.
“I thought I’d seen your face somewhere before. Asagiri Gen,” Was all Senkuu managed to say remembering the trashy book his classmates picked up.
“No way-,” Gen mumbled.
Gen felt his shoulders drop at the sight of the once Blue- grayish eye color leave the other man’s eyes and was replaced with the ruby red color he had known for so much of his life. His soulmate was standing right before him alive! His soulmate was alive and healthy standing right before his very eyes.
“I thought I’d seen your face somewhere before. Asagiri Gen,” Senkuu broke the silence between the two.
How was Gen supposed to respond to that? His soulmate knew who he was! The ruby red eyes really did fit him like Gen had imagined. What could he say?
“Senkuu your eyes changed color!” The blonde girl pointed out to him.
Senkuu's lips turned upward into a lopsided grin.
“An acquaintance of yours?” The blonde asked Senkuu again.
“Not really but, I am guessing we're soulmates,” Senkuu replied so nonchalantly about it.
Gen was still trying to rap this brain around this whole thing. He swears his eye was gray meaning that his soulmate was dead but no His soulmate was right here talking right now. His soulmate was also the man she was sent to spy on and check in if he was alive.
“How?” Gen asked, putting down the bowl of ramen “I swear my eye went gray so how are you alive?”
“Ya about that… Tsukasa might have killed me for a bit but hey I lived,” Senkuu shrugged, taking a few steps closer to Gen.
He sounded so calm about the fact that Senkuu just told him he had died for a bit and then just came back to life. The three people around Gen’s spears dropped and stood next to Senkuu.
“Tsukasa reviewed you didn’t he?” Senkuu asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“To be blunt with you Senkuu- Chan, I was sent here to see if you were still alive,” Gen replied tucking his hands in his sleeves to hide how his hands fidgeted.
Senkuu’s beautiful red eyes really cut through him and Gen felt so defenseless. He was quite cocky and blunt from what Gen had gathered from other a few words. Not quite the soulmate he had dreamed of but it felt right regardless. It wasn’t something over the top and dramatic like Gen had always thought it would be. It was just that two people happened to bump into each other in the strangest way he could think of and their eyes had locked on to each other. It wasn’t at all like Gen had dreamed but it worked. Gen knew what side he was on from the moment he saw the engraving into the tree but now with Senkuu here too there was no doubt in his mind what side he chose.
After some mind-numbing exercise just pumping air into a furnace Gen finally got a break in what seemed like hours.
“So mentalist, How are Taiju and Yuzuirha?” Senkuu asked
“Gezz asking me that after all this work? Still don’t trust me huh?” Gen jokingly let out an exaggerated sigh “They are fit as fiddles,”
“Good,” Senkuu smiled at the reply. “So you're going to tell Tsukasa I am alive?”
“Oh Senkuu-chan I am the most superficial man you will ever meet. I am dead set on being on the winning side so-” Gen paused “I think I know what side I am taking,”
“Good because science wins ten billion percent of the time,” Senkuu snickered
This devilish side of Senkuu was something Gen had to get used to, but he had to admit it was kinda attractive in it’s once kind of way. Senkuu was so confident in whatever he was doing it was a nice sight to see.
And luckily for Gen, he got to see more and more from Senkuu. The unwavering confidence in science and even how Senkuu would disguise treats for the villagers with it was just something he just so happened to make. The cotton candy machine, the Christmas lights, and the furnaces he made to keep the villagers warm. It was so much that Senkuu didn’t have to do but he did anyway. Even if it was hindered under that lie of “I have no idea what you're talking about my mentalist,” So when Gen wanted to come up for something Senkuu he had just the perfect idea. Gen just need Senkuu gone for a bit
Senkuu got on his headgear getting ready to venture down into the caves Chrome normally explored for scheelite. He and Chrome were ready to head into the mines but they needed one extra person. Someone strong enough to be able to mine the scheelite. Logically it made sense,
“Magma! To bring back the scheelite we’re going to need some insane strength. Ku ku ku Our friendly exploration trio is going to drive right into the action packed treasure dungeon!” Senkuu explained to the shocked Magma.
Senkuu knew damn well the risk he was taking but the kingdom of science needed this so what else could he do?
“The three of us are off! On a cave expedition for a mountain of treasure,” Senkuu proclaimed as the three of them headed to the cave.
“Magma! To bring back the scheelite we’re going to need some insane strength. Ku ku ku Our friendly exploration trio is going to drive right into the action packed treasure dungeon!” Senkuu explained to the shocked Magma.
Gen could practically see the evil look in the man 's eyes. He was definitely planning on harming Senkuu and Chrome and like hell, Gen was just gonna stand around and let that happen. Gen walked over to Magma and told him a little story and gave him orders to follow. The look in Magma’s eyes didn’t change but he stopped looking at the back of Senkuu and Chrome’s neck.
“The three of us are off! On a cave expedition for a mountain of treasure,” Senkuu proclaimed as the three of them headed to the cave.
Gen watched as his soulmate, Chrome, and Magma made their way through the snow down the hill. Once there were far enough it was time to start Gen’s plan.
“Bastard. He’s finally gone. Senkuu-chan has finally left the Isagami village~,” Gen grinned at the opportunity he saw. “Everyone!” Gen waved his hand to get everyone’s attention. “Listen to me for a minute! I’ve got a lovely story to tell you,”
“Hurry up!” Magma yelled as the three of them trudged out of the cave.
“What’s the rush dude?” Chrome asked half winded from having to hulled so much on his back.
It was kind of funny to Senkuu how Magma told them to hurry yet he was the one in the back of the trio. They walked for a few more minutes before Senkuu heard the crunching of snow behind him get faster. Before Senkuu could turn around to see what was the rush he felt a cloth cover his eyes. Manga tightened the knot before picking up Senkuu and carrying him. Senkuu tried to break free from the giant's grip but to no avail.
“What the hell, Magma what are you up too?” Senkuu heard Chrome shout after them “Shit where are you taking Senkuu?”
Senkuu was panicking for sure. He had no idea where Magma was taking him. He thought that they had an understanding but now He was being carried around like a doll. Senkuu only knew where Magma had told Senkuu to climb up a ladder. Senkuu did as he was told and tried his best to make it up still blindfolded. This ladder was definitely longer than the one to Chrome’s hut but Senkuu was sure that’s where he was. A few hands gilded him into a hut…? A forceful push pushed him forward a bit. Now Senkuu was really panicking. He didn’t even know who was in this hut but his gut began to sink.
“Hey there Senkuu-Chan~ Welcome back,” Senkuu heard Gen greet him
Senkuu calmed down a bit at the sound of the mentalist voice.
“Huuuuh? What the hell-,” Senkuu started
“Ha it’s pointless to beg for help Senkuu. Everyone in the village is with Gen now,” Kohaku stated
That sentence made Senkuu’s heart stop. With Gen? There was no way Gen could have sold him out to Tsukasa right? Senkuu swore he could feel his heart in his throat trying to get out of his body.
“Heh heh,” Senkuu managed to pitifully laugh at the situation. “Could it be that you guys have finally realized that offering my head, and science, to Tsukasa on a plate is the most rational, if underhanded course of action for the stability of the village?”
Senkuu heard one other person climb up the ladder. Someone here to watch his downfall huh? The villagers made sense. He had dragged them into his war but that fact that they did this with Gen… No, the fact that Gen had planned this made Senkuu’s eyes suddenly feel heavy even though his heart was thumping in his chest. He felt a few drops of sweat roll down his face even in winter.
“Well… I don’t know what you could be talking about, now,” Gen replied
Senkuu felt the knotted cloth behind his head slowly unite. Senkuu blinked a few times before his eyes refocused on the sight before him. Saturn... Senkuu looked in awe at the plant. It had been so long since he had got to see up close like this but how-?
“ An astronomy telescope… or rather, an observatory..,” Senkuu mumbled in amazement
“Oh ho! It’s the fourth of January “Stone day”” Kaseki cheered.
“We heard it was your birthday Senkuu!” Kohaku joined in.
“We all got you a birthday gift,” Suika added.
“I am going to space,” Senkuu’s goals never left him but it had been a while since he got to think about it but seeing the telescope and outer space… It reminded him of his dream that Byakuya and he shared. The gift that Byakuya gave him on Christmas that really helped him in this journey of science. The telescope he would always have to be pulled away from so he could to bed at a normal time. He thought he didn’t have time to make himself one yet but there was one as a gift from the others. It wasn’t perfect at all but it was another gift he got from people he cared about. Cringe.
“Well to be fair it was kinda just made from faint memories of it. Like, stick two lenses in a cylinder, right? Orrr something like that,” Gen explained “Everyone in the village worked their hardest to put this together, and then, you know, we figured you’d be able to fine-tune it yourself later,” Gen sang at the end
Senkuu placed his hand on the bamboo tube keeping the lens together. He could feel the look of his peers behind him waiting to see how he felt.
“Dang, you guys did a great job! This is really practical. We can totally use this as an observation tower against the Tsukasa army!!” Senkuu commented pointing up the mountain.
“Uh ya I guess,” Kohaku grumbles
“A very rational opinion as usual,” Gen murmured.
Despite his reaction, Senkuu was truly grateful for the gift. He runs his fingers along the tube again when he is hit with a question.
“A guy doesn’t bring up this birthday. How did you know it was today?” Senkuu asked.
“Our internal clocks are messed up from petrification, though. I don’t even know how old I am anymore,” A memory popped in Senkuu’s head from new years.
“Think about how many days you’ve been alive,” Senkuu had yawned into his hand in response
“What about you?” Gen hesitated to ask.
“6268 days,” Senkuu had replied.
“Ohh… so you used a leading question on me,” Senkuu realized “still, you couldn’t have figured it out if you didn’t know when I was revived,”
“Don’t you remember?” Gen asked “You wrote the day your petrification was undone,”
Senkuu's eyes widened for a second to glance over at Gen.
“By the miracle cave as soon as you woke up,”
Gen took a couple of steps to stand by Senkuu's side and look up at the stars as well.
“Come to think of it… Ever since the beginning, I more than a little liked you, Senkuu-Chan. Forgetting about this whole soulmate thing. It’s probably the same for the whole village,” Gen confessed to Senkuu turning his head to look at Senkuu’s eyes. “Guess you’ll probably say this is gross though huh?~”
Senkuu felt a small tug at his lips looking at the mentalist.
“Yeah, gross dude,”
“Righttt~” Gen happily sang
The others all said their goodnights and happy birthdays to Senkuu leaving only Gen and Senkuu looking at the stars like they did most nights but now they had a telescope and Senkuu could help but list off all the stars she could see. It was incredibly cute to Gen. Senkuu could say something Gen could totally not understand but Gen could listen to Senkuu go on for hours like this.
“Hey Gen-,” Senkuu spoke.
“Yes Senkuu-chan,” Gen replied, sitting down on the bench next to Senkuu.
“What do you want to do. In the future after all of this I mean,” Senkuu’s voice seemed a bit timider and he hesitated with his word choice.
“Honestly I haven’t thought much about it,” Gen yawned into his sleeve “Why’d you ask?”
“I don’t know just- I want to go to space no matter what. I was worried my soulmate wouldn’t want a crazy life like that and rather what a calm normal life like they showed on Tv and movies, but that isn’t me and can’t really say it ever will be me,” Senkuu explained.
Gen sighed standing up and placing a hand on Senkuu’s shoulder “From the moment I knew you were my soulmate, the man who counted for thousands of years, I knew I wasn’t going to have a normal suburban life and you know, I think I like it that way,”
Senkuu lightly placed his hand on Gen’s hand and slid it off his shoulder, locking their fingers together. Even if the cold Senkuu’s hands were warm and full of life.
“Thanks mentalist,”
Gen leaned in and lightly gave Senkuu a peck on his lips.
“Happy birthday Senkuu-Chan,”