Under Darkness [AU]

[Carver Amell]

"Then. Get. Better." Carver snarls. "Do you want your son to be as broken and worthless as you are?" 

[Tethras Clan]

"I can't!" Andy shouts back. "I tried. I tried and I failed. Again. Over and over I just- I just can't." His voice is a lost whisper by the end, spoken to the table.

[Carver Amell]

"I should have known." Carver stands, pulling back in disgust. "You really are worthless. Less than a year and you're already abandoning your own fucking children." 

[Tethras Clan]

"...Lovan's," Andy says firmly. his gaze rising up for a few seconds. "They're pure. Not like me." A bit of heat there, a little spine. Evidently there's still something in there...

[Carver Amell]

"Is that why, then? Because they're human, their ears aren't fucking pointed enough for your bigoted ass?" he snarls. "Is that why you threw them away like garbage?"

[Tethras Clan]

Andy's eyes narrow. "There is nothing wrong with them! Nothing! Don't you dare call them garbage!"

[Carver Amell]

"Me? You're the one who abandoned them! They're going to know, you know. They'll never forget their father didn't love them. Didn't want them." He jabs a finger again. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Better than for me to be around," Andy says, the fire gutting out. "I'd... I'd make it worse. Seli can find someone better without me around." He scoffs. "Anyone would be better."

[Carver Amell]

"Nobody but you will ever be their father," he spits with disgust. "Every damn day they're going to walk into school and be the fatherless twins, the ones thrown away, the ones nobody wanted. Your son will get older and want to learn swordplay and have nobody to teach him because he's too ashamed to admit he needs help, that's what fathers are for, and he hasn't got one. And some day Seli will die and leave him alone and he'll have nobody to turn to, nobody, just an empty hole. He'll stare into a bottle of rum and wonder why he even bothers anymore, why he ever bothered, when it's plain as the ears on his face he wasn't good enough to be worth keeping around." He takes a deep breath, then another, his voice coming out gentler. "When that day comes, you better hope he at least has a dog. Otherwise he'll hang himself. Is that what you want?" 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy stares at Carver, eyes wide. As he continues, however, Andy's expression turns slightly puzzled before understanding comes. "..." He licks his lips. "It's different," he finally says. "Not... not having a father... I'm sorry. Sorry you... But having me would be worse than nothing. I'm just... not strong enough."

Under the table, Hunter gently rests his head against Carver's leg.

[Carver Amell]

"Then get stronger." He shakes his head. "Right now, my sister's fighting to recover from being kidnapped, raped, tortured, for months on end. If she can do it, so can you. No excuses." 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy blinks rapidly. "I... who? I mean... who are you?" he demands again.

[Carver Amell]

"My name is Carver Hawke," he says, at long last. 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy blinks some more. "Carver.. Hawke? You're... you said... your sister is Marian? She was..." kidnapped, raped, tortured. "Hurt?" he finishes awkwardly. "Is that... Seli was looking for her," he says blankly.

[Carver Amell]

"Yeah, well, we came to find her. Marian needs her." He sighs. "But that's not your concern, is it? Not unless you're done being weak."