Stone's Throw

[Andreas Amell]

"Alone then," Andreas says quickly, moving to stand behind Charon to read over his shoulder. Gentle Sam replies as he backs out of the room, but neither of them hear whatever it was as another voice drowns it out.

Or not a voice really. Oh it's certainly a word, very much a word, but it's not spoken. Not with a voice, not with vibrations in the air, at least. There are markings on the unfrozen ice in Charon's hand, ones that Andreas would normally recognize as Celestial as Charon feared. But neither of them have to read the word, as it reads itself to them. 

[_BR^OT_HE^RS]

[Charon Tethras]

Charon freezes, dropping the tablet. "Wh-what?" 

[Andreas Amell]

"What?" Andreas says blankly, mind reeling. Not half-brothers? Or cousins? Just-- "Brothers? But-- but I don't--" Wait. Would-- divination magic can be-- I mean, I thought that-- but could it-- "Oh. Oh gods. Meribeth," Andreas whispers.

[Charon Tethras]

"...who?" he asks, one ear swiveling towards his.... his brother. No. Dil is my brother. This guy is just... I don't know. 

[Andreas Amell]

"I-- She was-- I mean, he-- I--" Andreas smacks his cheeks with both hands, then shakes his head vigorously. A bit more centered now, he tries again. "I was born with a twin. Almost immediately after I-- we-- were born, they were taken and... They were never recovered. Divinations and scrying said... said they were gone. We-- well, my family-- they thought you-- they were dead. But maybe you were... changed?"

[Charon Tethras]

He hisses, his pale cheeks blushing prettily. "I'm not a-- I have a dick, just like you!" he snaps.

[Andreas Amell]

"No, that's-- I wasn't implying that-- look, it's not really all the uncommon," Andreas says quickly, just a bit biased by his atypical family. "Being born in the wrong shell and needing to be changed so you fit better. Your shell changed, I mean." He gestures at the-- oh. The tablet is gone, just a swiftly fading pool of water. Faltering only for a second, he barrels on. "I mean, even if I was going to not believe you-- which I totally do, please keep your pants on-- Bastion said 'brothers' and not 'siblings' so..."

[Charon Tethras]

"Maybe you're the one who was changed," grumbles Charon. "Maybe we were switched at birth and I'm Andreas Amell."

[Andreas Amell]

"That's... unlikely," Andreas says diplomatically. "The night you-- the night of the kidnapping, I was being fussy, so Mother had me overnight. The kidnappers broke into the nursery, not her bedchambers."

[Charon Tethras]

"We're identical," says Charon flatly. "How do you know it wasn't me being fussy and you who were kidnapped?" He knows it doesn't make any sense. But... "I mean, Charon would be the one you were-- whatever. My point is, my name is Charon, not Mary Beth, and I've never been a girl as far as I know. Or dead," he adds. "They taught me some tricks for detecting if someone's ever been dead and I haven't."

[Andreas Amell]

"Tricks to-- oh, yes, being Twice Lived. That's... a good data point," he finally musters. "And yes, I entirely agree that you've always been a boy. That's not..." He runs a hand through his hair, blow out a sharp breath as he does so. "Regardless of how it happened... we're brothers. Full brothers, born to the same mother and, err, father. By non-catfolk custom at least."

[Charon Tethras]

"...what if the tablet is thinking along Catfolk lines? Like, I was claimed by your mother and then she gave me away?"

[Andreas Amell]

"My mother would sooner give away her eyes than a child," Andreas says firmly. "She's..." He coughs lightly. "Her style of mothering has an 's' on it. Loving, mind you, just..."

[Charon Tethras]

"Well someone gave me up for adoption."

[Andreas Amell]

"You were kidnapped," Andreas protests. "That's hardly 'give you up,' Charon."