Under Darkness [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

Andy gives Carver a look. "Different how?"

[Carver Amell]

"just... different." No, that won't do. "It's hitting you a hell of a lot harder than me. I've seen the end of that road you were going down. It's no good."

[Tethras Clan]

Andy smiles bitterly. "Right, of course. I'm just..." He pulls away, tossing the stick on the ground. "Think that's enough drills for tonight."

[Carver Amell]

He groans. "I don't blame you. If I hadn't seen it firsthand I might have ended up the same way. And that Mori shit, that was a real work." 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy stops walking away, arms coming up to wrap around his middle. "...firsthand?" he asks in a tight voice.

[Carver Amell]

Carver takes a deep breath, glancing away. "Did Marian tell you anything about Mother? Or about our uncle?"

[Tethras Clan]

Andy thinks a moment, then shrugs, back still to Carver. "... we only met a handful of times. She was friends with... Seli," he forces out, shame slick and festering on the name..

[Carver Amell]

"Mother was going to Memento Mori meetings -- well, I'm sure you saw her there. She was... still grieving Bethany's death, years later. I--" He chokes back what he was going to say, starts the sentence over. "She didn't like to leave the house. Refused to, for years. She didn't drink, but she lay abed most days, we were lucky if she'd dress. She tended the shrine to Bethany carefully, and she always had criticism for us, for not bringing in enough money. Of course, the money we brought in would have been enough if our uncle wasn't a drunk and a gambler, so I suppose the whole Amell side of the family was weak-willed."

[Tethras Clan]

Didn't like to leave the house. Lay abed most days. A drunk. Andy hunches inward a bit, eyes screwing up against tears. "Makes me wonder," he gasps out. "If my father was an Amell."

[Carver Amell]

"Could be. You could be my cousin, mayhap." He smirks a little. "Of course, I'm also an Amell. So that doesn't mean much."

[Tethras Clan]

On second thought, I think I'd prefer we weren't cous- Andy's heart clenches painfully as guilt wracks him. Gods, am I so pathetic that I just- that I would- "Maybe," he rasps out.

[Carver Amell]

"Definitely. You know why I'm not a mess right now? Because I refuse to be. I refuse to let my mother's weakness be my sin too. And I'm not going to let you do it either."

[Tethras Clan]

Not really my strength then, Andy thinks dully. Did I ever have any real strength in me? Or was it always stolen, leached, from those around me?

[Carver Amell]

Carver waits a moment, to see if he's going to speak. "Hey," he says, frowning. "Should we practice more or..?"

[Tethras Clan]

"...don't want to. Should," the tiefling says after another long pause.