[closed/complete]
Characters: Famine (eatasam) and Raven (goquothyourself)
Date/Time: Thursday, noon
Location: Bethesda Fountain
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Famine, some swearing
Summary: The brothers meet again
The tug of the leash against Famine's wrist went mostly ignored as the slender Horseman stood with a leg propped up against the perimeter surrounding the fountain, a cigarette tucked between the fingers of his casted arm. He'd been in a mood since earlier that morning, distant and anti-social, but the glance up at the angel on top of the fountain was the first thing to infuriate him.
Samael. So many complications had arisen because he'd chosen to contact that angel. Many things he couldn't undo at this point in the game. Something dark flashed in Famine's eyes as he traced his gaze along those stone feathers.
Fantasizing about plucking them one at a time out of Samael's back, he took a long drag from his cigarette, ignoring much of the activity going on around him.
~*~
Already at the fountain, though over the other side, Raven had been people watching when the phone in his pocket vibrated to indicate the alarm he'd set earlier was going off. Standing up, he stretched a little before picking up the bag at his feet and looking around for any sign of the brother he hadn't seen in years.
Jack. He had been less shocked to see him on the forums than he probably should have, though truthfully that was because he'd known his brother was in the city. His own presence there was the more surprising thing.
Strolling over towards the only other redhead (though darker and not as clearly ginger as him) Raven let out a soft whistle as he approached, extending his hand for the dog to sniff.
~*~
Beast's attention was immediately drawn to the sound of the whistle, and though he didn't recognize the boy approaching him (he'd been a little thing when they last saw each other), he did offer that hand a sniff. Some seconds passed before Famine realized his dog was being paid attention to, and he angled a glance over his shoulder, exhaling a long stream of smoke.
"And you beeline for the dog. Shocking." Maybe it wasn't a greeting, but he wasn't in a particularly hospitable mood.
~*~
Raven crouched down to pay better attention to the dog after noticing Famine was distracted, a happy smile on his face as it occurred to him that this dog was the same little guy his mom had gotten for his brother when they were younger. Glancing up as his brother spoke, Raven laughed softly and shrugged.
"What can I say, I like dogs." Standing up, he took a moment to study the man before him, shaking his head. "What happened to you?"
~*~
That could've meant a lot of things. With that sort of vague question, it could have been anything from the smoking to his more slight than usual frame to the cast. Famine wasn't interested in assuming or elaborating on just how his wrist had ended up that way, so he took a safer, more sarcastic route.
"You look pretty, too," the older boy managed without a drop of sincerity, tapping ash from his cigarette with the opposite hand. Finally, he shifted to face his brother. "Ever heard of a hair dresser?"
~*~
"Oh ho ho, good one," he responded, laughing shortly. "Maybe the better question is when's the last time you ate? Ever heard of a burger?" As he spoke, Raven reached in his pocket and pulled out a bag of gummy candy. "Can I interest you in a brain? They're blue raspberry."
He wiggled the bag slightly, the same stupid grin on his face from before. He tilted his head to the side, blinking at the other man while chewing thoughtfully. "Seriously though, why's your arm in a cast?"
~*~
The disdain that painted Famine's gaze as he looked down at the bag couldn't be faked. It lasted all the way up to Raven's eyes. "I was hit by a car as I tried to save a lone child in the middle of the crosswalk," he easily lied, bringing the cigarette up to his lips as his gaze remained on his little brother.
Corbin had been in, what, middle school when he'd left for New York City? Not exactly a terrible time to leave one's family, but his mother did have half of a crying fit trying to convince him to stay. It'd led to a series of very awkward moments, though most importantly to him being given Beast and a plane ticket to JFK.
Beast took that opportunity to sit himself down between the two of them like a sort of fluffy wall.
~*~
Aware of the lie but uncaring, Raven's smile didn't waver one bit as he pocketed the candy once again. His brothers' loss, really. "You should sue, it's against the law to hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk," he pointed out helpfully. "Just think of all the money you could get to ease your pain."
Jack had always been distant, even when they were younger, and yet that never bothered him all that much. Their mother tried so hard with him, and Raven could still remember how she cried when he'd left for the city. To this day he wondered what might have happened if she'd been able to convince him to stay.
He looked down at Beast before speaking again. "Are you sure you want the jacket?" There was a hopeful note in his voice.
~*~
And it was easily picked up on. The Horseman canted his head slightly, admiring his brother for a moment through an exhale of smoke. "Are you going to try and convince me not to take it?" He figured he already knew the answer written in Corbin's eyes.
But he'd always been greedy, and a gift, from his mother or otherwise, was still a gift.
~*~
Much as the Native American might want to keep the jacket, he knew that their mother would be hurt if she found out he'd lied to her. "No, I guess not. Mom made a big deal about me making sure you get it."
Holding out the bag with a resigned sigh, he waited for Famine to take it.
~*~
That much Famine believed. He had, after all, known their mother for twenty-two years. Granted Corbin likely knew her better. He was the preferred son. The least likely to commit a homicide or give their parents each a heart attack from the stress. Briefly, he wondered what would've happened if he ever ended up in jail.
She'd probably think that was where he belonged.
One spidery hand snuck out to grab the handles of the bag, wrist jerking the dog's leash. "She makes a big deal about everything. It's her fucking day job."
~*~
There wasn't much Raven could say to dispute the claim. Their mother did have a tendency to make mountains out of molehills about things that weren't exactly important. Shrugging slightly, he nodded as he continued to watch his older brother. He never really understood what Jack's deal was, but he still loved him.
If it wasn't for the pictures around the house he'd question their relation.
He winced as he saw the leash get jerked. "Of course she does, mothers do that. Some fathers do too, but ours is just happy to have an empty house."
~*~
"Some fathers also like to stay out of their kid's life because it suits them," the other boy returned, dropping his eyes to meet Beast's dark ones. Their father had barely made the effort to get to know his son, and it suited Famine fine. The less people meddling in his life, the better.
He dropped the cigarette, slowly crushing what life was left of it with the tip of his shoe into the ground.
"Do I scare you like I scare her?"
~*~
"When one parent has to stay home the other parent works. It's just how they decided to do things," he felt the need explain. It wasn't even like he wanted to defend their father, it just seemed like the right thing for Raven to do. The man did keep them off the streets.
He wrinkled his nose, the acrid smoke making him cough slightly. Stupid lung problems.
"Not especially, but then again I'm not like her."
~*~
Not especially. An interesting answer. Not yes, but not no, either. Famine tightened his hold on the handles. Only curiosity had him questioning his brother's state of mind. Their parents found him unnerving, his aunt and uncle had never liked him. Hayden seemed to be impassive about the situation.
He bent one long leg at the knee and pressed his foot up against the fountain's perimeter. "I scare everyone else in our family. Why not you?"
~*~
At first, it seemed like Raven wasn't going to give an answer. In fact, a good two or three minutes passed before he betrayed any reaction at all, and that simple reaction was yet another shrug. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he met his brothers' eyes before speaking, the words coming out slowly.
"I didn't realize I was supposed to find you scary, is all." And he hadn't. Sure, Jack was weird, but so was he. "A bit morbid, sure, but I like morbid."
~*~
Finding those to be decent enough answers, the older of the two drew his dog's leash closer when the fluffy beast attempted to draw himself toward another approaching dog. "Morbid," he murmured, mostly to himself, or to Beast.
Famine meant to say more, but he fell silent when a tall blonde man passed behind his brother. And once again, his mind cycled back to Samael and the stone angel in the fountain. His eyes found Corbin's again after some moments ticked by.
"We're not going to hug, are we?"
~*~
Scratching his head while he waited to see what else his brother might have to say, Raven raised his eyebrows and nodded at the one-word answer he received. "Yeah, morbid. as in not gloomy enough to be goth and not pussy enough to be emo."
Raven had put some thought into this, having gone through a pretty serious Goth phase himself at one point. Then he discovered he just preferred darkeness and wearing black because he was once able to become a fucking raven, and it all made sense.
"I'd rather not, if that's alright with you."
~*~
Despite it not lingering, Raven's keen gaze took note of the brief amusement in Famine's eyes. It was good to know that his brother found him funny, even if he didn't actually laugh out loud at the comment. It was a start.
Shaking his head, he snorted. "What is so wrong with my hair? You sound like mom, always harping on me for looking like a bum. Eat a burger, and I'll consider it." The words were delivered with a trace of humor.
~*~
A set of eyebrows went up, not at the comment about sounding like their mother -- a horrible prospect on its own -- but the burger. Come to think of it, Famine was craving something, and for once it wasn't another cigarette. He'd figure it out on the way back home.
"Buy me one, and I'll consider it," he shot right back, moving to slide past the younger man.
~*~
As far as he was concerned buying his too-skinny brother a burger wasn't exactly an issue, though Raven had to make sure he had the money for it. Checking his wallet, he smiled brightly.
"Sure, where did you want to eat?" he asked, looking up at his brother.
~*~
The Horseman paused at the other boy's side, eyeing him slightly. "You think I know all the burger joints in the city?" He breezed past, his faithful pup right at his side. "Suggest McDonalds and I might stick you in that fountain."
Because that water was so very tempting.
~*~
The Native American scoffed as he side-eyed the taller man. "Hey look, I only moved here like two weeks ago, so you should know more than I do." He continued walking, keeping up with the boy and his dog. "I'm good with anywhere."
Except McDonald's, apparently.
Date/Time: Thursday, noon
Location: Bethesda Fountain
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Famine, some swearing
Summary: The brothers meet again
The tug of the leash against Famine's wrist went mostly ignored as the slender Horseman stood with a leg propped up against the perimeter surrounding the fountain, a cigarette tucked between the fingers of his casted arm. He'd been in a mood since earlier that morning, distant and anti-social, but the glance up at the angel on top of the fountain was the first thing to infuriate him.
Samael. So many complications had arisen because he'd chosen to contact that angel. Many things he couldn't undo at this point in the game. Something dark flashed in Famine's eyes as he traced his gaze along those stone feathers.
Fantasizing about plucking them one at a time out of Samael's back, he took a long drag from his cigarette, ignoring much of the activity going on around him.
~*~
Already at the fountain, though over the other side, Raven had been people watching when the phone in his pocket vibrated to indicate the alarm he'd set earlier was going off. Standing up, he stretched a little before picking up the bag at his feet and looking around for any sign of the brother he hadn't seen in years.
Jack. He had been less shocked to see him on the forums than he probably should have, though truthfully that was because he'd known his brother was in the city. His own presence there was the more surprising thing.
Strolling over towards the only other redhead (though darker and not as clearly ginger as him) Raven let out a soft whistle as he approached, extending his hand for the dog to sniff.
~*~
Beast's attention was immediately drawn to the sound of the whistle, and though he didn't recognize the boy approaching him (he'd been a little thing when they last saw each other), he did offer that hand a sniff. Some seconds passed before Famine realized his dog was being paid attention to, and he angled a glance over his shoulder, exhaling a long stream of smoke.
"And you beeline for the dog. Shocking." Maybe it wasn't a greeting, but he wasn't in a particularly hospitable mood.
~*~
Raven crouched down to pay better attention to the dog after noticing Famine was distracted, a happy smile on his face as it occurred to him that this dog was the same little guy his mom had gotten for his brother when they were younger. Glancing up as his brother spoke, Raven laughed softly and shrugged.
"What can I say, I like dogs." Standing up, he took a moment to study the man before him, shaking his head. "What happened to you?"
~*~
That could've meant a lot of things. With that sort of vague question, it could have been anything from the smoking to his more slight than usual frame to the cast. Famine wasn't interested in assuming or elaborating on just how his wrist had ended up that way, so he took a safer, more sarcastic route.
"You look pretty, too," the older boy managed without a drop of sincerity, tapping ash from his cigarette with the opposite hand. Finally, he shifted to face his brother. "Ever heard of a hair dresser?"
~*~
"Oh ho ho, good one," he responded, laughing shortly. "Maybe the better question is when's the last time you ate? Ever heard of a burger?" As he spoke, Raven reached in his pocket and pulled out a bag of gummy candy. "Can I interest you in a brain? They're blue raspberry."
He wiggled the bag slightly, the same stupid grin on his face from before. He tilted his head to the side, blinking at the other man while chewing thoughtfully. "Seriously though, why's your arm in a cast?"
~*~
The disdain that painted Famine's gaze as he looked down at the bag couldn't be faked. It lasted all the way up to Raven's eyes. "I was hit by a car as I tried to save a lone child in the middle of the crosswalk," he easily lied, bringing the cigarette up to his lips as his gaze remained on his little brother.
Corbin had been in, what, middle school when he'd left for New York City? Not exactly a terrible time to leave one's family, but his mother did have half of a crying fit trying to convince him to stay. It'd led to a series of very awkward moments, though most importantly to him being given Beast and a plane ticket to JFK.
Beast took that opportunity to sit himself down between the two of them like a sort of fluffy wall.
~*~
Aware of the lie but uncaring, Raven's smile didn't waver one bit as he pocketed the candy once again. His brothers' loss, really. "You should sue, it's against the law to hit a pedestrian in a crosswalk," he pointed out helpfully. "Just think of all the money you could get to ease your pain."
Jack had always been distant, even when they were younger, and yet that never bothered him all that much. Their mother tried so hard with him, and Raven could still remember how she cried when he'd left for the city. To this day he wondered what might have happened if she'd been able to convince him to stay.
He looked down at Beast before speaking again. "Are you sure you want the jacket?" There was a hopeful note in his voice.
~*~
And it was easily picked up on. The Horseman canted his head slightly, admiring his brother for a moment through an exhale of smoke. "Are you going to try and convince me not to take it?" He figured he already knew the answer written in Corbin's eyes.
But he'd always been greedy, and a gift, from his mother or otherwise, was still a gift.
~*~
Much as the Native American might want to keep the jacket, he knew that their mother would be hurt if she found out he'd lied to her. "No, I guess not. Mom made a big deal about me making sure you get it."
Holding out the bag with a resigned sigh, he waited for Famine to take it.
~*~
That much Famine believed. He had, after all, known their mother for twenty-two years. Granted Corbin likely knew her better. He was the preferred son. The least likely to commit a homicide or give their parents each a heart attack from the stress. Briefly, he wondered what would've happened if he ever ended up in jail.
She'd probably think that was where he belonged.
One spidery hand snuck out to grab the handles of the bag, wrist jerking the dog's leash. "She makes a big deal about everything. It's her fucking day job."
~*~
There wasn't much Raven could say to dispute the claim. Their mother did have a tendency to make mountains out of molehills about things that weren't exactly important. Shrugging slightly, he nodded as he continued to watch his older brother. He never really understood what Jack's deal was, but he still loved him.
If it wasn't for the pictures around the house he'd question their relation.
He winced as he saw the leash get jerked. "Of course she does, mothers do that. Some fathers do too, but ours is just happy to have an empty house."
~*~
"Some fathers also like to stay out of their kid's life because it suits them," the other boy returned, dropping his eyes to meet Beast's dark ones. Their father had barely made the effort to get to know his son, and it suited Famine fine. The less people meddling in his life, the better.
He dropped the cigarette, slowly crushing what life was left of it with the tip of his shoe into the ground.
"Do I scare you like I scare her?"
~*~
"When one parent has to stay home the other parent works. It's just how they decided to do things," he felt the need explain. It wasn't even like he wanted to defend their father, it just seemed like the right thing for Raven to do. The man did keep them off the streets.
He wrinkled his nose, the acrid smoke making him cough slightly. Stupid lung problems.
"Not especially, but then again I'm not like her."
~*~
Not especially. An interesting answer. Not yes, but not no, either. Famine tightened his hold on the handles. Only curiosity had him questioning his brother's state of mind. Their parents found him unnerving, his aunt and uncle had never liked him. Hayden seemed to be impassive about the situation.
He bent one long leg at the knee and pressed his foot up against the fountain's perimeter. "I scare everyone else in our family. Why not you?"
~*~
At first, it seemed like Raven wasn't going to give an answer. In fact, a good two or three minutes passed before he betrayed any reaction at all, and that simple reaction was yet another shrug. Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he met his brothers' eyes before speaking, the words coming out slowly.
"I didn't realize I was supposed to find you scary, is all." And he hadn't. Sure, Jack was weird, but so was he. "A bit morbid, sure, but I like morbid."
~*~
Finding those to be decent enough answers, the older of the two drew his dog's leash closer when the fluffy beast attempted to draw himself toward another approaching dog. "Morbid," he murmured, mostly to himself, or to Beast.
Famine meant to say more, but he fell silent when a tall blonde man passed behind his brother. And once again, his mind cycled back to Samael and the stone angel in the fountain. His eyes found Corbin's again after some moments ticked by.
"We're not going to hug, are we?"
~*~
Scratching his head while he waited to see what else his brother might have to say, Raven raised his eyebrows and nodded at the one-word answer he received. "Yeah, morbid. as in not gloomy enough to be goth and not pussy enough to be emo."
Raven had put some thought into this, having gone through a pretty serious Goth phase himself at one point. Then he discovered he just preferred darkeness and wearing black because he was once able to become a fucking raven, and it all made sense.
"I'd rather not, if that's alright with you."
~*~
Despite it not lingering, Raven's keen gaze took note of the brief amusement in Famine's eyes. It was good to know that his brother found him funny, even if he didn't actually laugh out loud at the comment. It was a start.
Shaking his head, he snorted. "What is so wrong with my hair? You sound like mom, always harping on me for looking like a bum. Eat a burger, and I'll consider it." The words were delivered with a trace of humor.
~*~
A set of eyebrows went up, not at the comment about sounding like their mother -- a horrible prospect on its own -- but the burger. Come to think of it, Famine was craving something, and for once it wasn't another cigarette. He'd figure it out on the way back home.
"Buy me one, and I'll consider it," he shot right back, moving to slide past the younger man.
~*~
As far as he was concerned buying his too-skinny brother a burger wasn't exactly an issue, though Raven had to make sure he had the money for it. Checking his wallet, he smiled brightly.
"Sure, where did you want to eat?" he asked, looking up at his brother.
~*~
The Horseman paused at the other boy's side, eyeing him slightly. "You think I know all the burger joints in the city?" He breezed past, his faithful pup right at his side. "Suggest McDonalds and I might stick you in that fountain."
Because that water was so very tempting.
~*~
The Native American scoffed as he side-eyed the taller man. "Hey look, I only moved here like two weeks ago, so you should know more than I do." He continued walking, keeping up with the boy and his dog. "I'm good with anywhere."
Except McDonald's, apparently.