OPEN

[disfavored]

Characters: Tarrlok and OPEN
Date: Early November
Location: Around Keeliai
Situation: Tarrlok has temporarily lost all memories of his father. It makes a pretty big difference.
Warnings/Rating: None yet.

[Tarrlok is up to his usual routine - looking at clothes, getting some groceries, generally keeping an eye on how things are going - but ever since he came back from his disappearance, something has been different about him.

While he usually looks somewhat disheveled and deep in thought (a consequence of knowing your own death is soon and all your plans utterly failed), as it is now it looks like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He looks closer to how he was when he first arrived - proud, confident - but there's something a little off about him there, too. He also seems to be more willing and glad to engage in social interaction than he has been the last few months.]

Comments

[amonfire]

[ As he watched his brother greet him, and with open arms no less, Noatak stood glued to the ground, mouth agape as if spellbound by what unfolded. ]

My- ? [ Even if it was the last possible thing he expected to hear his brother comment on after yet another month-long estrangement, his hand reflexively shot up and felt the bare nape of his neck. Instead of feeling angry for Tarrlok's out of left field comment, he instead for the first time in a long time, felt a sense of insecurity and shame for how he looked.

A man cutting his hair so short among their people was taboo and looked down upon. Tarrlok bringing it up so suddenly had him under a spotlight he was uncomfortable with. ]

I...[ Noatak felt every word he wanted to say ripening his chest only to rot away on his tongue as Tarrlok eyed him as if they were brothers without pain of the rift between them. This is what he wanted, but why was it so off-putting and had him slow in the tongue. ] I cut before moving to Republic City.

[ That felt like a safe, neutral answer. ]

[disfavored]

Sure, you did. [Sarcastically.]

Admit it, I've been telling you you should tie it up better for years and you've finally learned why. I knew an accident would happen one of these days. [For years. Because they had been keeping in contact, right?

But Noatak looked awfully upset. True, it'd be odd to walk around with such short hair, but no one else here was Water Tribe except Korra, so who'd say anything?]

Don't worry, it'll grow back.

[amonfire]

[ Forgetting himself, or that they were standing in the middle of crowded market centre, Noatak took one disbelieving look at his brother before lunging forward. ]

What the hell are you doing? Don't screw with me like this!

[Grabbing him tight by the lapels of his too-expensive jacket smelling of some too-expensive cologne he shook him and shouted out everything that had painfully coiled in his chest.

Between them they had their fair share of demons, but even after Amon they never denied their relation like this. Even by their own standards this was sick. ]

[disfavored]

...What?

[He doesn't bother trying to push Noatak off, because he's not really threatened by him. Just extremely confused by what's happening.

And then he remembers he spent a good few days as a near-ghost that no one could see or hear, and given how prone people in this place were to disappearing for quite a while, it might have been upsetting. Surely that must be it, right?]

I'm sorry, of course I should have found you sooner. I am fine, though. Everyone who was gone for a few days came back just fine, although the Avatar barely remembers anything, for some reason. I hope she'll be alright.

[amonfire]

[ Noatak relents only to stare at Tarrlok as if the latter spontaneously grew three heads. In a moment of clarity when Tarrlok mentions what had happened with the Avatar's own memories does he put two and two together. Only to shove it aside for his own bout of denial. ]

No, [ He says so forcefully it veers into sounding like a tantrum. ] No you can't just forget who I am or what I did. No, you're not going to let everything get swept under the rug. You would hate me if I tried something this delusional; you stop this now.

[disfavored]

I'd never hate you. [He steps back.]

But I don't understand what's going on right now. Did I do something wrong, brother?