[CLOSED] we're gonna rattle this ghost town

[restinglichface]

Who: Barry, Lucretia, Lup, & Taako
What: Lucretia arrives and Lup insists she should be allowed to stay with them. Taako has his own opinion.
Where: Tres Horny House (Sorrow's housing, 5-1)
When: Backdated to Jan 10th
Warnings: Nothing but fighting twins.

[Lup knows she should warn her brother.

It would be as simple as a call to give Taako a head's up that she was on the way back to the house, now with a certain someone in tow. Hell, even a brief text would at least be better than just stepping into the house without warning with the woman who'd taken everything from him. But she can just hear his indignant response playing out in her mind, her twin absolutely refusing to even let Lucretia inside. Honestly, she wouldn't put it past him to lock Lup out too for even suggesting their friend stay with them, temporarily or not.

But Lup's hand is still tightly clasped in Lucretia's when she leads the woman back to the building that's starting to become like a home to them, attempting to fill her in as best as she can on the whole Hadriel situation. Her phone is tucked in her back pocket, woefully untouched, but Lup nudges the front door open with her shoulder and tugs Lucretia inside with her.

There. They've crossed the boundary. There's no going back now.

Now that they're inside, Lup turns to Lucretia, motioning for her to pause.]

--Oh, uh, also, we have a dog. She may lose her shit since you're new, but just keep your hands away from her whole mouth-area and you'll probs be just fine.

[Honestly, Peanut probably isn't the member of this family Lucretia needs to be warned about.]

Comments

[pocketspa]

[It would be easy to let this go. It would be easy to think they hate him, that he drove them all away, that he was terrible and poisonous and breaking this apart. It would be easy to turn all of that internally, to stew here until he can find somewhere to crawl and try and recover and regain something of himself from the heart he's ripped out of his chest, from the pieces of him he's shredded and torn for weapons and one last word.

He feels small. He feels weak.

He feels like he made a mistake.

Barry moves past him and Taako reaches out and takes his wrist. It's not threatening. It's not harsh. But he's grasping, more desperate than he could put into words.]

Don't leave. Please.

[He can't be responsible for this, anymore. Lucretia's gone. Lup has gone too. Barry's shouted at him and he's retreated into himself and he can't stay here anymore.

Isn't that what family is supposed to do? Make you do better? Push you to be something more?

His throat feels tight, but he chokes out a bit more.]

I don't want to be alone again.

[barold]

[He hadn't expected him to hold him back.

Honestly, Barry wasn't sure what he was expecting. If he was even expecting anything. He'd been prepared to walk out the door and break down sobbing, crying the whole way to wherever Lup took Lucretia. He'd been prepared to avoid going home for the rest of the day, knowing Taako would stew in his own fury and hurt for long enough to have some choice words for all of them as soon as they came home.

Would Lup even want to come home tonight? Would she stay wherever Lucretia ends up? Would Barry stay with them?

He doesn't know. It doesn't matter. Because Taako is holding on to him and asking him to stay. Saying please in the smallest voice he's ever heard him use. There's no way Barry's leaving now.]

Okay. Okay, I... I won't leave.

[Barry might be making a mistake here - he feels like he's already made a few - but he can't stop himself from moving closer. He can't stop himself from turning to face Taako and pulling him closer, wrapping his arms around him, and hugging him tight. Even if Taako doesn't want a hug right now, Barry really does. His stomach still hurts from the elf's distrusting words, from his stubborn refusal to consider past events outside his own perspective, but it doesn't change how much he loves him. It doesn't change that Taako is his brother. That he would kill and die for him in a heartbeat, like he's done so many times in their century together.]

I'm not leavin'. [Barry shudders softly, feeling the tears coming. He squeezes the elf close, runs a hand through his hair.] Not goin' anywhere.

[pocketspa]

[For once, Taako feels like he breaks first.

As soon as he hits Barry's chest, his hands fist into his shirt and he tucks his face down, the tears feeling hot in his eyes as his shoulders shake. He's selfish. He's fucking selfish, for screaming at all of them, for shoving them away and then expecting them to comfort him when he's down. When has he ever done anything for them? When has he ever given anything back? He's allowed to be hurt, but--

Well, it's the paradox. He deserves to be who he is, to act as he does, because he's struggled so hard to live and survive. The world owes him. The universe owes him everything. But he doesn't want to give that back. To become that ugliness, to break someone over his knee-- that's not Taako. If they remember it, if something he does crystallizes into horror and trauma and vengeance, he's gone too far.

That look in Barry's eyes, pushing him to walk out, to leave him? He knows where Barry's limits are. And he knows he crossed them.

His voice feels rough and wet, throat scratchy and pained, but he's still talking as he gulps for air.]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I don't know what to fucking do, I don't want to forget, I don't want to be alone again.

[Ironically, he doesn't remember if he's ever broken down like this on Barry. Everything feels like a blur, from having a family to nothing to everything all at once. There's still that well of shame, the anxiety of vulnerability, but he can't bring himself to let go.

He really is sorry. For what it's worth.]

[barold]

It's okay. It's okay, Taako, it's okay...

[Barry might be bad at a lot of things. Confrontation, conflict mediation, remaining impartial in a fight. Usually when the people he love are fighting, Barry keeps his opinions to himself, retreating to a dark, quiet place to brood and nurse his feelings until the yelling is over. The fiery, passionate spirits of some of his family members can sometimes be a little too much, something Barry isn't necessarily equipped to handle. The most he can do is help pick up the pieces in the aftermath. Comfort and soothe when the people he care about are hurting.

At least he's good at that. This. Hugging, soothing, picking up the pieces. This is the only thing he knows he can do for Taako right now.]

I know, Taako, I know... Nobody's gonna make ya forget. Nobody's gonna leave ya. I promise y'that, Taako. You're not gonna be alone again.

[He holds Taako close, feeling him trembling against him, clinging, weeping. This is so hard for him. Barry knows exactly how averse Taako is to this sort of thing, being this vulnerable, this small, even with someone he's known for a century. He's going to be here for him as best he can. Hold him close, gently stroking a big, warm hand over his back, his hair, letting him cry without letting anyone else see.

Taako should know Barry well enough to know he'll take this with him to the grave. No one will know except the two of them.]

D'ya think y'wanna talk t'Lup for a bit? Or wait 'til mornin', when things have simmered down? [He squeezes the elf closer.] Y'gotta talk to her, Taako... I know it's hard, but y'gotta.

[pocketspa]

[He fists his fingers into Barry's shirt, standing but still curling himself as tight as he can into Barry's chest. It's a long time coming for the burst of this tension, six months since he got back after knowing what Lucretia did and simply pushing it off because Lup was right by his side. He should've confronted this. He should have done so many things. But now all he wants to think about is someone holding him, the gasped breaths where he can get gulps of air between the tight way he's pressing himself inward. Everything's too much. All of it's always been too much. Why should he even have to deal with this.

Taako registers that Barry's talking, eventually, but it takes him a minute to have the combination of air and words to actually respond.]

Yeah, I... yeah. I know.

[He doesn't want to have hurt her. But he did. And while he knows showing up like this would probably be enough for her to forgive him in an instant, he doesn't really want it to be that way anyway. He wants to... be better. She deserves him better.

Taako pulls himself back enough to breathe, making a wet sniffing noise and reaching up to shove a hand between Barry's body and his face to wipe some of that away.]

Can you, just... can you call her in like an hour? When I have time to, I dunno, stop all... all this. Actually talk.

[barold]

[At least he doesn't fight him on this. At least Taako knows what he has to do, and is prepared to do it.

In time. The least Barry can do is give him a little more time.]

Of course. Yeah, I'll call her later. No problem.

[Giving both of them time to simmer down is probably for the best. They might not have fought like this much in the century on the ship, but Barry knows first hand just how volatile the two of them can get when they're both fired up, egging each other on, pushing each other's buttons.

There's a hope, a small careful hope, that Taako will be able to talk to Lucretia too once he's calmed down. Maybe not right away, but... somewhere down the line. Baby steps. Not inviting her to stay with them in the house, but maybe letting her come over for dinner once in a while. His trust in her might be irreparably damaged, but you don't need too much trust in a dinner guest, right?

That's for another time. For now, Barry just keeps his hands on Taako, giving him as much space and as much touch as he feels he can handle.]

Wanna join me in th'kitchen? I'll put on some tea, get us some blankets. Whatever y'need.

[Trust in Barry to offer tea to someone who just verbally tore his ass to shreds.]

[pocketspa]

[He's just trying to find it in him to breathe, right now. His throat hurts, his eyes sting, he hates these feelings and can do absolutely nothing about them except give it time and try not to mourn himself. He's not even thinking about Lucretia right now- or at least, he's trying not to. Barry's right here. Lup was right there. And they didn't leave him, they're-- they're at least trying.

He huffs, but even Taako finds a chuckle in that statement.]

Jeez, Bar, you really like getting whipped around, huh? We yell at each other and then you wanna take care of me or something.

[He's still grateful, even though he knows he doesn't deserve it. The least he can do is make the tea. He probably won't.

Barry will get some cookies later. Just for him, in a little wrapped tin, left on his bed. Don't @ him. It's the only way he knows to say i'm sorry and thank you.]

Let's just. Get outta here, okay?