savetheearth | [Video] backdated to the 7th

Entry tags:

[Video] backdated to the 7th

[ Arnold looks thoughtful, and Benedict his dopple can be seen huddled in an emo corner behind him ]

Hey... network. Your echoes, or pulses, or whatever... do they... normally make sense? Because all of mine seem... I dunno. Very disjointed. This most recent one is like... just a poem! Or something. A very, very depressing one.

[ And then there's a glow on the screen and he looks down, stares, and screeches, flailing, and a glowing rock goes sailing across the room as he tips backwards off his chair to land on the floor. Benedict jumps to his feet with a startled yelp spinning and brandishing a letter opener in his hand before blinking in confusion ]

Arnold?

'M fine.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So long as you do not break your neck! ... Also ... maybe don't do that if mum comes to visit, yeah?

[ What Lisa would think... oh boy ]

Eh. A weird one. I dunno if it's bad? Depressing though. You can see how bad Benedict has taken it. [ Then again Benedict takes everything as though it was the end of the world so... ]

It was a poem? Or... I dunno. A... declaration? It wasn't in that funky language I picked up, but something like it, a bit I think. The me in the past understood it well enough though. Um...something like...

Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean
Brood of Morgoth or bright Vala,
Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,
Neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,
Dread nor danger, not Doom itself
Shall defend him from Fëanáro, and Fëanáro's kin,
Whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh,
Finding keepeth or afar casteth
A Silmaril. This swear we all...
Death we will deal him ere Day's ending,
Woe unto world's end! Our word hear thou,
Eru Allfather! To the everlasting
Darkness doom us if our deed faileth...
On the holy mountain hear in witness
and our vow remember,
Manwë and Varda!

And then that rock thing appeared [ He's sitting up again by now and he gestures at where the Silmaril sits innocently in the planter box ]

[He glances at the shiny in the planter, but it doesn't seem to ring any bells.]

Oh, I got a song once. It happens. It was about--

[And then the sensation of an echo hits him. He pauses, then looks rather anxious.]

Liam? [ Arnold blinks, recognising the signs of a pulse ]

What's the matter?

Um...

[He looks down at the floor at first, trying to make sense of the echo. It's obviously making him uncomfortable though.]

Thats... not a good poem? I think it's like an oath. I think it's about bad people.

Yeah, well... it ... doesn't seem particularly nice? Very doom-y and gloom-y. [ Arnold tries to smile, but he didn't much like the implications of what his past self said either ]

Um. I... well maybe it wasn't as bad as it seems? Did... [ God, he doesn't want to ask, but... ] were you... was your other self... did I hurt you?

[He shakes his head.]

I don't think so. It's about these guys - kinslayers? They weren't good, I guess. The name kind of gives that away.

[He takes a seat on the couch, still uneasy at the new echo.]

At least it's not as bad as the ring one. This is just like... nervous and sad at the same time... maybe a little angry too?

[ Beat, hold, Arnold's eyes going blank with memory, and then with dawning awareness and fear, hand coming up to cover his mouth ]

Oh... Oh god. Oh my god. Liam, tell me, please tell me that you don't remember anything about a place called Sirion or the Havens. Please.

[Obviously he had just given his father an Echo.]

Uh...no, I don't think so.

[The way his father is acting has Liam both curious and anxious.]

...Why?

I... I'm a ... he was... oh god Liam, I was a kinslayer ... he killed so many people.

[There's a brief pause while that sinks in.]

For real?! ...Holy shit...

[He stands again, but now he begins to pace. The information probably wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't already have an strange and uncomfortable feeling about these kinslayers.]

Okay, that's okay... I mean, it wasn't really you, you know? Like... it's not as if you've been killing anybody now.

[He turns away, then, going pale and clamming up.]

I...I ... oh god Liam, I can see the blood on his hands...

I ... [ Focus, Focus, Arnold. Liam... something is wrong with Liam. Break down later. ]

Liam? What's wrong? Did I... did he... did he hurt you? What's the matter.

What? No! You didn't do anything to me, I swear.

[At least, Liam didn't remember anything like that, but he figured that he'd have gotten an echo by now.]

Don't worry about it, it's got nothing to do with you...

Thank God. [ A breath of a sigh and he focuses, reaching across to put a hand on Liam's arm ]

It does, because it upsets you. What's wrong, Liam?

[He shrugs away.]

I said don't worry about it. It's nothing.

Liam. [ Firmly ]

You're upset, and it's more than just finding out your dad used to be apparently a mass-murderer, and I am very carefully not thinking about the implication that you and I both echoed 'KINslayer' as the specific term. What is it? It isn't nothing, or you wouldn't be this upset.

Well, it's got nothing to do with your echo, then.

[Frustrated sigh - it wasn't something he wanted to talk about at all.]

Look, being numbered isn't all speaking elvish and remembering poetry and stuff, there's real shit that goes down sometimes okay? Just forget about it.

[It had been on the news, of course, but Liam feels it was worth repeating, when it came to his airhead father.]

Real shit that apparently has my son so upset he can't even look me in the eye.

Liam, whatever you did, it isn't going to change how much your mother and I ... or even your sister... love you, alright? Talk to me. I love you, Liam. I hate it when you're hurting.

[Liam snaps around, he was frustrated at being asked again, and still reeling from the various emotions the echo had caused. Anger was the most prominent now, and if his dad wanted to be looked in the eyes, he could have it.]

I killed somebody okay?!

Oh Liam. [ You know what? Dad is going to hug you now. Don't argue ]

I'm sorry, Liam, I'm so sorry you had to do that.

Oh my God, seriously?! I tell you I killed somebody and the first thing you do is hug me?!

[Liam's words are harshly said, but he doesn't move when Arnold embraces him, instead he just stands there. A small part of him was relieved that his father had guessed it was something he had to do rather than intended, but right now he's not sure what to think about this whole conversation.]

Because you're my son. [ Abruptly fierce ] Because I don't care what you do, you'll always be my boy. Because you would never have done if you didn't have to, I know you. Because it must tear you up inside, because you've always been so gentle. Because I love you Liam, and that isn't going to change just because you had your hand forced to kill someone.

[For a moment Liam says nothing and just stands there stiffly. Part of him wanted to say 'I love you too dad,' but the words stick. The echo about the kinslayers, and knowing that his father used to be one of them was still fresh in his mind.]

...They came after us. They hurt Ariel.

[ That's okay. Arnold won't let go ]

Oh Liam. I am so proud of you, my son.

[He didn't want his father to be proud. It wasn't something he was proud of himself - it had just happened. Seeing Ariel hurt and picking up the dagger had set the echo into motion. His movements had been automatic and almost without thought. Finally he pulls away from the hug.]

Look, I just... can't right now. I want to be alone for a while.

[ Arnold can't hide the hurt, but he nods and pulls away ]

Alright. But Liam - you protected Ariel. Remember that. I will never not be proud of you for that.

(no subject)

arrowpoint - 2015-03-29 15:47 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

bythewaves - 2015-03-30 04:14 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only