DT Serum, Primary Testing In Progress

"Last name?" Ashton asked. It would be a lot harder if all he had to go by was a last name, but you never knew.

Shuni brightened.  "My name!  His last name is the same as my name!"

True busied himself with his food so as to not laugh.  Lex was watching curiously.

"Which is.......?" Ashton asked and rolled his eyes. This would take a while, apparently...

"Shuni.... Some... Somn..."  Shuni bit his lip, staring at his plate.  What was his old last name?

Ashton shrugged. "How about you just tell me whenever you remember, okay?" He returned to eating his own food.

Shuni sighed and went back to eating.  He pondered the question for a while then got distracted chasing his food around his plate.  He was almost finished eating when he looked at Ashton.  "Nus," Shuni announced.

"Nus?" Ashton asked. "Nus is your last name?"

"No.  Somnus is my last name," Shuni said proudly.  "I remembered!"

Ashton watched Shuni for a moment, his face unreadable, before he set his chopsticks down and abruptly left through the back door. The firm sound of the door closing reverberated around the house.

Shuni jumped, looking scared. What had he done wrong?
Lex ate another bite, took a drink, then calmly said, "Well, sh-." He stood and followed Ashton out at a slower pace.
Shuni looked at Faster, anxiety in his eyes. "What did I do?"

"I don't know." Gaster admitted, perplexed.

Ashton wasn't in the yard when Lex went out to follow him.

True patted his shoulder. "I don't think it's your fault, Shuni."

Lex looked around and finally took to the roof. Where was he?

Ashton was on the roof, staring into the distance and hugging his knees. "What do you want, Lex?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Lex pulled himself up and sauntered over to sit near Ashton but not to close. "To get some air," he replied calmly. He took out a cigarette but didn't light it.

Ashton scoffed. He didn't believe it. He stood. "I'm going for a walk. Wanna come with?" He asked Lex. He was hoping his friend would come. He needed some solace right about now, and distance from here.

"Sure.  Sounds good," Lex agreed, sticking his unlit cig behind his ear.  He hopped off the roof and stood waiting for Ashton to take the lead for once.

Ashton climbed down less gracefully than Lex and indeed led the way. It seemed he was taking Lex back towards their old territory, but he veered before then to a run down part of town. After a while, Ashton stopped and stared at an abandoned house. It looked like it had been empty for years, and the windows were boarded up, and the yard overgrown with weeds. "What Shuni said at the table..." He started. "His last name is Somnus too..."

"I heard," Lex said, studying the old house.  "Unusual name, but, you know, there's gotta be others, yeah?"

Ashton laughed humorlessly. "How many Proditor's are in the city, aside from you, True, and your dad?" He pointed out.

Lex hesitated then shrugged.  "Come on, you'd know if he was your bro or something, wouldn't you?  Maybe he's you're.... cousin?"

Ashton shook his head. "Still, Ah- Somnus? Like... Akihito Somnus?" He sighed and looked away from Lex. "Maybe I should tell him I knew Akihito, but he is no more."

Lex glanced at him then up at the house.  "Want to go inside?"

Ashton paused and shook his head. "No, I don't. I left originally because there was nothing for me there."

Lex nodded quietly.  "Did you even know they'd died?  Your parents, I mean."

Ashton shook his head. "Not until I knew the house was abandoned, not that it surprised me. As abusive as they were with alcohol and each other, it doesn't surprise me one bit." He laughed humorlessly. "Guess now you know the reason I wouldn't touch the stuff, even if I could drink it."