Azama and Shiro PC

C
Azama: (alone) Shiro!
Azama: ...
Azama: (frown) My my, to have two children who love sleeping in...
Azama: (laughing, bc thats the one with the open mouth) SHIRO!
Shiro: (offscreen) Uuuuugh...Dad, I thought we're training tomorrow...
Azama: Oh my silly son, I'm not Ryoma.
Shiro: (offscreen) !!!
Shiro: (appears, sweating) Sorry, Pops. Sometimes you guys just sound alike...
Azama: No offense taken. By the way, you left this in the mess hall.
Shiro: (smiling) Oh, it's my old fishing spear! Thanks for bringing it back.
Azama: You're welcome. I'm surprised you still kept it all this time.
Shiro: Why wouldn't I? You gave it to me as my the first training weapon! It's too old to see real combat, but it still works well for spear fishing.
Shiro: Say, do you want to go fishing with me sometime? It's been ages since we did, and I could go for some quality pops-son bonding time.
Azama: Of course, I can always make time for you Shiro.

B
Shiro: (alone) Aaand...
(spear throw fx)
Shiro: (alone, laughing) ...nice! Another big catch!
Shiro: (smiling) Hey Pops, got another one.
Azama: (appears) Excellent job, Shiro. I noticed that they have all been clean kills as well.
Shiro: Yeah, you always told me to not cause unnecessary suffering when taking a life. Being one of the teachings of Hotoke and all that.
Azama: Ah, you did take heart to at least one! I'm very proud of you my son.
Shiro: Heh, thanks Pops. You're always so supportive...
Shiro: (frowning) ...unlike dad. All he does after every lession review is lecture about how I gotta study more. I'm already struggling to catch up on all the princely duties! Why couldn't he have let me know that I was royalty sooner?
Azama: (frowning, sweating) ...
Azama: (frowning) Well Shiro, it is not completely Ryoma's fault that you were raised that way.
Azama: When you were born, he did want you to be raised as a proper prince, as it is tradition. But I objected!
Shiro: ?!
Shiro: (frowning) Why did you do that, Pops?
Azama: Hoshidan royalty, particularly those that are born to be the crown prince or princess, are raised under a strict regimen to prepare themselves for the throne. Ryoma explained how he went through with it, and it just did not sit well with me to subject you to that.
Azama: (frowning) Can you imagine, having your life be under such strict supervision without experiencing the joys of childhood?
Azama: You would not have learned about spearfishing if I had not intervened on your behalf!
Shiro: (frowning)...I kinda understand what you were going for, but I still would have had to get SOME princely training.
Azama: Of course! I merely suggested we delay telling you about your royal lineage when you were older. And gradually ease you into your role with the proper tutors.
Azama: (frowning) Alas, we forgot how Deeprealms and its passage of time can be...very different.
Azama: And then we heard you went missing in your Deeprealm, and the rest is history.
Shiro: ...
Shiro: (sweating)...this is a lot. I think I need some time to think over this, dad.
Shiro: (smiling, sweating) Anyway, let's bring this over to camp. They'll appreciate all the fish we got!
Azama: (sweating) (Ah, he is calling me "dad" now...)
Azama: Yes, Shiro. Let us go.


A
Shiro: (alone) Hey, dad! Can we talk?
Ryoma: (appears) What is it Shiro?
Shiro: (frowning) No, not you dad. I meant the other dad...Pops.
Ryoma: (closed eyes) Of course.
Ryoma: (disappears)
Ryoma: (offscreen) Azama, he's calling for you. Not me.
Azama: (appears) Hello, Shiro. What is it?
Shiro: (frowning) *sigh* ...I've been thinking. About the whole being raised as a non-royal back in my Deeprealm.
Shiro: I'm still upset that the royalty stuff was kept secret from me. Especially knowing you were responsible for it.
Azama: And you aren't wrong for feeling that way. No amount of apologies will really make up for that mistake.
Shiro: But I also felt...kinda grateful? Because you care for me enough to change dad's mind about raising me so I got to grow up without worrying about any royal responsibilities.
Shiro: (frowning) The thought of me ending up like my dad, all strict and boring... *shudder*
Azama: (laughing) Hahaha! Perhaps, but what has passed is past. It's meaningless!
Azama: (smiling) Regardless of what others say, I think you've grown to be a splendid young man.
Shiro: (smiling) Aw, thanks Pops!