(Untitled)

[growing_roots]

Characters: Fletcher Tringham, Russell Tringham, open to anyone else who really wants to find him
When: After the Animus have made their post
Where: The Chateau
Rating: Eeeer, no more than PG-13
Summary: Between Hiiro dying, people lying to him about Hiiro dying then finding out the truth, and the Animus post, Fletcher is one upset little kid. He's

Comments

[he_bangs]

Russell understood his little brother better than anyone. So when the little boy did not return home and disappeared without a word, Russell knew that he had himself partially to blame. He had wanted to protect Fletcher just as any older brother wanted to protect his younger siblings but in doing so, he had sent Fletcher flying into unknown danger. If he wandered somewhere unsafe in his highly-emotional state then...

He did not want to think of it.

The message from the Animus was troubling at best. He knew better than to trust the strange voices that haunted the network from time to time and being sent back would come with a price. He and Fletcher might not end back up together in their respected timelines. Or worse. There was no doubt that Fletcher would find the news upsetting as he had made so many friends here. Even if the place was full of death and danger, Fletcher had come to think of this place as his home.

He had to find his little brother before it was too late.

"Fletcher!" he called as he searched the area, already mentally exhausted from the earlier hours of the day.

[growing_roots]

Fletcher was on his way home after talking with Mr. Hughes, holding Dart in a tight hug, walking slowly and solemnly.

He heard someone call his name though and glanced up ahead, the voice familiar. When he saw his brother, he paused. Yes, he was still a little upset... but the Animus message was more important now. Fletcher bite down hard on his lip, trying to keep himself together as he let go of Dart and ran towards Russell, his dragonhawk flying after him.

[he_bangs]

Russell heard the sound of fast footsteps from far ahead and knew without seeing Fletcher clearly that it was his little brother. He ran towards him and scooped the younger boy up, holding him close to his chest. He was aware of Dart fluttering close by but all his attention was on Fletcher as he held him tightly and fought the urge to tremble.

"Fletcher, I was so worried..." was all that he could manage in a normal voice.

[growing_roots]

"I'm sorry," Fletcher mumbled, voice muffled because it was pressed against Russell's shirt. "I'm so sorry, Brother... I was just... really upset and... I'm sorry... I'm not mad about the filter, really I'm not, I don't... don't want to see that kind of stuff but I don't want you to not tell me about it either..." Fletcher's voice was trembling as he spoke, fighting the urge to cry again as he clung to his brother.

"B-but looks like... that won't matter anymore... Brother, I don't want to go... but I d-don't want them to send you away and have me stay behind... I want to stay with you the most..."

oh no crying fletcher icon

[he_bangs]

"I know...I wasn't trying to hide everything from you. I just knew how the other deaths affected you when you saw it firsthand. I just wanted to soften the blow if it ever happened again...but I didn't get the chance to talk to you about it before you found out. But I suppose that I should have..." Russell trailed off and then pulled back a little bit to look at Fletcher as the other voiced his fear.

"I don't want that to happen either. Their message troubles me so much, Fletcher," Russell murmured. He didn't want to say that he was afraid either.

Sad Fletcher is sad ;_;

[growing_roots]

"We'll still be together if we go home, right? You... you're from my future and I've been there with you... and when we go back home we don't remember this place... so the me that's with you in my future could be the same me right now, right?"

Fletcher turned away and looked at Dart sadly. "He won't understand what's happened... He'll be... he'll be all alone again..."

Re: Sad Fletcher is sad ;_;

[he_bangs]

"You are always my little brother, Fletcher. No matter what. And the past me will be the same me for you," Russell said, gazing into Fletcher's eyes before the other turned away. He didn't let any doubt of that shine through. The older brother truly did believe in those words and he wanted to convey that confidence when it was needed most.

"I'm sure Dart will miss us as much as we'll miss him," he added, trailing off. Reassuring Fletcher about their status as brothers was one thing. Trying to console him about his beloved pet was another. Dart was more than just an oddity to him after all.

"We should make the best of our time with him. Make sure that he'll have enough for a while..."

[growing_roots]

Fletcher nodded, reaching out an arm for Dart to curl around and latch onto him to. He stroked the dragonhawk's head sadly and the animal crooned, still not understanding just why the boy was so upset. "He'll be okay... He's been getting small mice and things like that, he knows how to get his own food... He just needs a nice warm place to sleep..."