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 Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 1:34 pm
Asa ll 1
The rowhouse was horribly quiet without his family present. Today had been a rare day where both of the twins were well enough to attend class and with them gone both Asa and his wife should have been able to work. Pity, then, when he'd been forced to return home after a particularly rough bout of nausea. His constitution had begun to fail since his meeting with the Zenan boy and really, he should have just told Ygraine what it was all about. At least then Asa might have been able to form a plan, have another set of eyes to guard his back, to watch the family...Instead, he'd pushed it so far inside that it nearly destroyed his appetite and his sleep schedule.
How pathetic was he, really, that just seeing someone connected with that family had shaken him so badly? And what sort of man would he be now if he forced his family to move again just to avoid them?
Hunched over the dining room table, Asa ran one hand through his hand and leaned forward so that his forehead could press against the smooth, worn wood.
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Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 1:42 pm
Arden ll 1
Explaining to his family why he was returning so early in the day wouldn't be easy. He was supposed to be in class for another few hours, and yet, Arden was returning home with a stray at his heel. All he could hope for was that his mother would get back before their father because with the man's health he truly didn't want to startle him. Too much of a shock could make things worse, but then a part of Arden almost wanted it. That's awful to think. And it was, wasn't it? To want that?
But he also wanted to know why a stranger had shown up, speaking of a family left behind in Zena and wanting to meet his father?
"We're here," Arden murmured and motioned to the rowhouses splayed out before them. It was hardly a luxurious community, with even the cobbles they walked on being chipped at best, missing at worst, but it was a warm area. His neighbors had been kind to the family of foreigners and even now, years after their move, they still stopped in with plates of food whenever they conveniently had 'too much'. It was nearly idyllic if it weren't for the secrets it covered.
Arden strode up the stone steps toward the door, and paused before knocking. Instead, he turned toward Amon, using his broader frame to block it. "Run the deal by me one more time just to make sure you remembered it."
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 7:03 pm
Colm 1
With how far the walk was from home to school, it wasn't typical that Colm would come home early for any reason, even during his lunch breaks. However, now that the twins were old enough to start school as well - and now that he was in his final year - there had been certain allowances in his schedule. For one, a good portion of his afternoon was spent in study periods, dedicated to give him time and space and resources to finish his various assignments. Attendance was encouraged, but not strictly required, and though he mostly utilized that time... when the twins needed something, he volunteered as a good older brother to take care of it for them.
In this case, Yona had arrived at school with a mild fever, and while she insisted she felt good enough to stay, he'd noted that she'd sweat through her makeup and seemed uncomfortable when he saw her during lunch. So here he was, headed home to collect her makeup and a hairbrush (and perhaps a pin, to help her put her hair up) - when he spotted Arden in the distance, with an unfamiliar stranger.
Instead of calling out to him in greeting, Colm slowed and tucked himself by the corner of the next building, watching curiously. He didn't think his brother would do anything nefarious, especially not after their recent excursion together - but he was curious nonetheless.
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Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 7:07 pm
(Amon 1) Amon shouldn't judge, and yet when he surveyed the modest accommodations he felt a jolt of disbelief. Why would a runaway lord resort to a place like this? It wasn't as heinous as some of the run down taverns he'd been made to stay at on this journey, nor was it the hovel he'd sometimes wished to find Asa in, in the few daydreams he had where his father begged him to lead him home or something equally mean spirited. He crossed his arms, and forced away the unease he felt being in such a place, unfamiliar and strangely vertical.
Amon moved to follow Arden (for that was what the teen had finally named himself, partway through their walk here) inside, only to pause with a soft huff, eyes flicking over the boy with some measure of impatience.
"I swear not to harm Asa, or your family, and only to talk. On leaving safely, you will return my heirloom to me. Is that sufficient?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 11:06 am
Arden ll 2
With a pensive exhale, Arden unlocked the door and stepped inside, only pausing long enough for the little lord to come through the threshold. Once he had, Arden shut the door behind them and bent at the waist to untie his boots. "Take off your shoes," He hissed, "You'll track in dirt." It may not have been something that Amon had to worry about at his estate, but with as much sweeping as they did just to keep the place clean Arden wasn't about to add onto it.
A noise from within the home caught his ear and he paused. When he heard it again - the faint murmur of a voice - he looked to Amon before motioning for the Zenan to follow him. He lead the way forward through clearly lived in rooms with little touches and smells that reminded him of home into the kitchen where Asa himself sat at the table-
-looking rough. The man was still in his work clothes, but it wasn't as if that mattered. A cup of barely touched tea sat near his head, which was laid up on the table and Arden edged around the side to get a closer look at his face. No flush; so no fever. That was a good sign at least. "Father? Are you awake?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 11:10 am
Asa ll 2
"Mmm?" Was he awake? Or was Asa caught somewhere between consciousness and the world beyond, his stressed mind carrying him off this plane entirely? When he caught the faint outline of his son's body moving into the corner of his vision he sat up with a groan and raised a hand to push back the hair from his face. It took a moment for the Zenan to collect himself - quite literally, since his wardrobe was askew- and by the time he truly looked at the boy-
-he noticed the other. And Asa's eyes widened in alarm.
"What are you doing here?" All at once he slammed both of his palms against the table and stood, dizziness overcoming him for a moment, but the man stood firm. "How did you find this place?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 2:48 pm
(2/7)
Arden and his guest stepped inside, and for a moment Colm hesitated, mind reeling. What a cryptic thing to overhear - a deal? Arden had made a deal, involving some sort of heirloom, with a posh Zenan. One that Arden felt the need to make swear he wasn't going to hurt the family. "What have you gotten yourself into, brother?" Colm whispered, sighing deeply as he followed after them, at a distance - and by the time they were stepping into the kitchen, Colm had silently let himself in the front door and stooped to remove his own shoes, still eavesdropping, but ready to jump in should this stranger be less than honorable.
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Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 3:27 pm
(2/7) He'd already lost his necklace, what were his boots compared to that? Still, Amon was surprised at the instruction and paused, feeling out of place and somewhat foolish as the younger boy stooped to tug off his own shoes. Amon hurriedly followed, arranging them neatly out of the way. Inside, the home was... comfortable. Somewhat cramped, foreign in that it was Belrean and not Zenan in design. He wanted to take it all in, knowing this was very likely the only time he'd see the sort of place his father had made home, and while his nobleman's sensibilities recoiled at the tiny place, the part of him that missed his old nurse found comfort in the tidy clutter.
It seemed like an actual home, and not the empty halls he'd grown up in.
But Arden moved swiftly, and Amon didn't have long to dawdle. When he stepped into the kitchen though, he froze at the shape of a small, thin man hunched over at the table. In his mind, he'd always imagined Asa like his grandfather - straight backed, scowls and emanating a feeling of power and intimidation despite his old age. He imagined his father would be a merchant, running his own lucrative businesses here in Belrea, with employees and an office and means to exert on Amon if he wanted him out of his city.
The very last thing he expected was the polite, kind faced healer he'd stumbled into weeks before. The healer who had lied through his teeth and said he lived above the apothecary, who had warned him to leave, while also promising to deliver a letter to his father--
Who had heard his pleas, and sat unmoved and uncaring. Who now looked at him like HE was a villain.
Despite how long he'd searched for Asa, Amon felt the urge to spin on his heel and leave the room, lest he do something drastic like shake this man, yell at him or, Gods forbid, weep. Instead he drew himself up and adjusted his coat, remembering at the last moment he didn't have his necklace to arrange carefully on his chest, like he often did when he needed to keep his hands busy. "Well, you see, I didn't hear from you within the week you promised, and couldn't find you at the apothecary. I hope you at least received my letter. You did promise to deliver it to my father." Amon let his voice dip with disdain at the last part, letting out a quiet breath.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 1:55 pm
Asa
Spirits save me. What kind of curse was on them, if after so many years of lying low his own son would invite danger into their home? Asa's eyes traveled from Amon to Arden, who was doing a stellar job at schooling his emotions into a 'calm' façade, even if Asa could see the anger beyond. In that moment the two of them could have been brothers - if only for their postures alone - and honestly didn't want to let either know how much it unnerved him.
So, as he collected himself, his eyes went back to Amon. "And were your father here I would have delivered it." After taking a breath, he added, "I'm not who you're looking for, Amon; the man you want is back in Zena, no doubt living a life that doesn't belong to him."
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Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2024 2:03 pm
Arden
So they'd already met? Arden's blood stilled and his teeth pressed down on one another. When Asa's eyes turned to him he met his father's scared gaze with hardened steel. Any other time he might have jumped to the man's defense, but today - in this moment - Arden was just plain pissed.
"He says your his father. " The teenager motioned toward Amon. "So, are you? He knows about our crystals - that's how he recognized me - and your illness. If you've already met why didn't you say anything to us? What are you trying to hide?" He didn't realize how loud his voice was getting anymore than he realized how tight his fist had become.
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:21 pm
(Colm 3/7)
Colm felt cold dread prickle its way down his spine as he listened. He'd never heard his father like this, so coldly serious and composed. But he supposed it made sense, given the... nature of the conversation. At first, he had no clue what the young man was talking about, but when Arden interjected, shock went through Colm. This boy said - he thought that Asa was --
The thought was laughable. Asa was a man who flushed purple when their mother, his wife, kissed his face infront of their children. In what world would he have another child? But Arden made a good point, it was strange that this stranger would know so much about their father. He moved to stand in the doorway, making no effort to hide himself from his father, but behind the two other young men, arms crossed as he listened.
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2024 6:28 pm
(Amon 3/7) It took a moment for Asa's words to connect, but when they did Amon's shoulders lifted, face gone ruddy with insulted anger. In no scenario had he ever thought his father the type of man to suggest he was illegitimate - his mother spoke so confidently of their marriage, complaining often of how rushed the wedding was due to Asa's illness, how she hadn't even known him very well, that Amon should get used to the idea of an arranged marriage too, it was just how their family did things.
... But a prickle of unease slid down into his belly, because - that was back when she suggested Asa had died to his illness, before Amon was born. How Amon was a miracle child, because if he hadn't made it, or if he'd had his father's illness too, then their family wouldn't have had an heir.
"Is Geir not your father? Tikaani not your mother? How- how dare you suggest I'm a b*****d, when I was raised in our family home with your own parents! Why would they suffer such insult and make me their heir?"
And yet, even as he said it, the words Asa had given him their first meeting trickled back into his ear. 'The more you learn the more you stand to lose.'
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 12:53 pm
Asa
"I do not suggest anything; my words are true." The boy's face was flushed with an anger that Asa knew far too well and if he hadn't known the boy was raised in Geir's own home then he could have guessed. Pieces of his father trickled down through a face he didn't know, and yet the damage had been done. He'd been just as influenced by them as Asa had and worse - they were only his 'grandparents'. The child had his own parents to fuss over him and 'guide' his actions.
It was utterly nauseating.
When he looked at Arden and Amon he caught the sight of Colm behind them, arms crossed in the doorway, but made no motion to greet his son. As much as he didn't want this to happen it was and there was no point in hiding it now.
"What choice did they have? What choice did I leave them when I left but to accept a b*****d that they knew not to be mine as the heir?" Even as Asa spoke, as his own irritation and fear slipped in, his words were hard. As if the very act of saying them were taking life from the man while providing a much needed release. He hated this, all of this, but at least...at least now he didn't have to hide from his sons.
His true heirs.
"...Sit down. This is going to be a long discussion and I'm very tired. Arden? Some tea, please." And without waiting on any of them to say anything else, the Zenan reclaimed his place at the table.
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Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2024 1:02 pm
Arden
"Yeah...sure." Arden murmured a curse under his breath before moving across the kitchen toward the kettle. When he lifted it to turn and add water he jolted, noticing Colm in the doorway for the first time. "Shoulda known you would show up. Hope you locked the door," He murmured. Who were Tikaani? And Geir? And why hadn't their father spoken to them about them, even if they were terrible people? A little rune had been carved into the handle of the kettle so all Arden had to do was move a little closer to Asa, have the man touch it and within seconds the water was bubbling hot.
He placed four cups onto the table, measured out the tea and started to pour. "Colm, this-" He said with dripping sarcasm, "-is our esteemed guest, Amon, who came all the way from Zena to claim our father is his father. And Amon? This is my older brother, Colm, who may or may not be the true Sargsyan heir, depending on which one of you is lying."
Once the tea was properly poured, Arden set the kettle back onto the stove with an audible 'thud'. "So, start from the beginning; who are the Sargsyans?"
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scarlett arbuckle Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2024 9:02 pm
(4/7)
Colm would have scolded Arden any other time, but even without his new campaign of acting his age he wasn't sure if he disagreed with his brother's anger. Their father was a mystery, one that he'd pondered here and there but never had any real drive to decipher. They knew no one from his family, but he knew things and even now got eye rolls from his wife and children over not knowing the value of money.
And now, he was here talking about... heirs, and 'leaving' someplace...
Colm's lip twitched into a half hearted smile at his brother, but then his eyes slowly drifted to the stranger as Arden introduced him, eyebrows raising at the strange explanation. He moved to the table, waiting until everyone else had sat before he joined, to his father's right - keeping a protective barrier between him and the stranger.
"I didn't think you had living parents, Father - but I suppose that explains why you never wanted us to visit your homeland." He said, somewhat icily.
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