closed

[disfavored]

Characters: Tarrlok and Noatak
Date: June 15
Location: Noatak's Suite
Situation: Tarrlok went to see his future and found out that he and Noatak are dead. Now he's going to either break the news to his brother or find out if he knew all along.
Warnings/Rating: Discussion of dead/suicide.

[As much as he wasn't looking forward to this discussion, he had to talk about it with someone and, well, his brother was the only one in the same situation. He had remained surprisingly calm after finding out, perhaps because he was in shock, perhaps because he felt he deserved it. He wouldn't have ended his own life if he didn't, right?

Either way, he had to tell Noatak. He didn't want to keep something like that from him if he didn't know and Tarrlok figured it more likely that he did know and had been hiding it, anyways. The amount of trust he had in his brother was...not exceptional.

He took a deep breath and knocked at the door. If Noatak didn't want to answer, he would break it down at this point, but it wasn't often that one of them actually sought the other out unless there was some urgent matter.]

Comments

[amonfire]

I know that there is no change without intervention.

[ He squeezes. ]

Without risk.

[disfavored]

If that's the way it has to be, I suppose I have no choice.

[He wants to argue that he was perfectly happy when he had wealth and power even though he was alone, and it's not a total lie, but he does have to admit that he may have been happy alone because he forgot what it was like not to be.]

There are so many things I still disagree with you about, but in spite of all that - for this, thank you.

[amonfire]

I'm- [ He lets his hands slip back into his lap as he almost appears to curl into himself as if every negative space was occupied by the oppressive guilt Tarrlok carried with him.

There was no one else but Tarrlok who knew how well-heeled and otherwise happy he had been before the revolution and Noatak was avoiding bringing up the tally of their collected loses. For his own part, as Amon he had been loved and surrounded by those who had been built up as a surrogate family that he ultimately abandoned. History had a way of repeating itself and now he wanted to dodge all the sentimentality before it stung too much. ]

Also very drunk.

[disfavored]

Moderation, Noatak. I know you understand the concept.

[He stops. For a moment, it was almost as if he was part of a normal family, lecturing his brother on responsible drinking.

He's not really up for that sentimentality, either.]

You should get some sleep. I'm going home now.

[amonfire]

I was never one to turn to drink before.

[ 'Before' encompassing everything that transpired between running away in an ice storm and leaning he had been deceased for months, but there was truth to it. Noatak knew his limits through practice, but it was limited and he had no prior history to be found in a bottle. ]

That is a good idea; I will...I will leave you to yourself for the time being,

[disfavored]

Alright. Be careful with that. [Don't fall down or something.

He turns and heads towards the door.]

Goodbye.

[amonfire]

This was probably never your romanticised image of that boy of all those years ago. [ Defiantly not someone who shut down at the revelation of defeat. Of course that wouldn't relate to Tarrlok's hero worship of his formative years. ]

The same to you. This world is unkind- though I wish you'd at least engage with it.

[ Noatak falters before he completely relaxes. ]

Take care, brother.

[disfavored]

I'll engage with it, but I hope you can understand why I have to be careful.

[He doesn't answer the question about his romanticized image of Noatak. He needed a strong role model back then, even if it was only a version of someone he remembered. He was still a bit afraid to let go of the version of his brother he'd created for himself, but it was so far from the real thing that he had no choice.]

You, too. [And he exits.]