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feredarStory: Home
Year 990 FY
Characters: Mel, Isshiri
Warnings: Discussion of The Murderer, references to war, broken jaw, misplaced guilt, ostracism.
Notes: This takes place in the Mel Lives AU.
'Will you go home now?'
"I can't," Mel said, quietly, passing the slate back to Isshiri. He'd been told not to talk, the King--the dead King--had broken his jaw when they fought.
Isshiri blinked, erased the question with his sleeve, and wrote another. 'Why not? You're a hero now.'
He flushed. "It doesn't matter. I...what I did here doesn't matter."
Isshiri pointed at the first question again.
"I left my ship," he said.
Isshiri took the slate back. 'And that means never?'
Mel nodded. "Oathbreakers aren't welcome."
Isshiri didn't say anything for a long moment. 'Did you have a reason?'
He stared at the question for a long time. Whatever he'd expected...it hadn't been this. "Yes," he whispered.
Isshiri touched his hand gently, and mumbled something Mel couldn't catch.
"Hey--you're not supposed to--"
Isshiri just squeezed his hand. Mel pulled away and pressed the slate into it. "Please..."
'Tell me? You can write if you don't want anyone else to hear.'
Mel stared at the slate for a long moment, then slowly wiped it clean. 'My brother is a murderer, and it's all my fault.'
Isshiri read over his shoulder, then shook his head vehemently. "Not." he managed to get out, almost intelligibly.
"Isshiri--"
"Not."
"Please don't talk!" Mel yelped.
Isshiri snatched the slate back. 'Someone else's murders are not your fault.'
"He did it for me. I got stabbed and...and there were at least five and--"
Isshiri just underlined 'not your fault.'
Mel decided to drop that argument now--Isshiri was on painkillers and everything, he wasn't thinking clearly. "Either way, I broke faith. I can't ever go home."
Isshiri looked more than frustrated, but he nodded a little and flopped back, glaring at the slate. Whatever he wanted to say, there probably wasn't enough space for him to say it.
"I'm sorry..."
Isshiri shook his head, then sat up again, erasing the slate. 'Forget them, then. You and I will go exploring.'
Mel smiled a little, relieved. "Yeah. Explorin'."
Isshiri took the slate back and hugged it close, eyes drifting shut.
Mel settled back, resisting the urge to reach over and stroke his hair. He doesn't love you the way you want.
But he did love him. Enough to not care he was an oathbreaker, enough to give up his own home so they could travel together.
Once Mel convinced him of the truth about what K--what the Captain had done...if Isshiri could forgive him the oathbreaking, he could forgive him that.
That could be their home.
Year 990 FY
Characters: Mel, Isshiri
Warnings: Discussion of The Murderer, references to war, broken jaw, misplaced guilt, ostracism.
Notes: This takes place in the Mel Lives AU.
'Will you go home now?'
"I can't," Mel said, quietly, passing the slate back to Isshiri. He'd been told not to talk, the King--the dead King--had broken his jaw when they fought.
Isshiri blinked, erased the question with his sleeve, and wrote another. 'Why not? You're a hero now.'
He flushed. "It doesn't matter. I...what I did here doesn't matter."
Isshiri pointed at the first question again.
"I left my ship," he said.
Isshiri took the slate back. 'And that means never?'
Mel nodded. "Oathbreakers aren't welcome."
Isshiri didn't say anything for a long moment. 'Did you have a reason?'
He stared at the question for a long time. Whatever he'd expected...it hadn't been this. "Yes," he whispered.
Isshiri touched his hand gently, and mumbled something Mel couldn't catch.
"Hey--you're not supposed to--"
Isshiri just squeezed his hand. Mel pulled away and pressed the slate into it. "Please..."
'Tell me? You can write if you don't want anyone else to hear.'
Mel stared at the slate for a long moment, then slowly wiped it clean. 'My brother is a murderer, and it's all my fault.'
Isshiri read over his shoulder, then shook his head vehemently. "Not." he managed to get out, almost intelligibly.
"Isshiri--"
"Not."
"Please don't talk!" Mel yelped.
Isshiri snatched the slate back. 'Someone else's murders are not your fault.'
"He did it for me. I got stabbed and...and there were at least five and--"
Isshiri just underlined 'not your fault.'
Mel decided to drop that argument now--Isshiri was on painkillers and everything, he wasn't thinking clearly. "Either way, I broke faith. I can't ever go home."
Isshiri looked more than frustrated, but he nodded a little and flopped back, glaring at the slate. Whatever he wanted to say, there probably wasn't enough space for him to say it.
"I'm sorry..."
Isshiri shook his head, then sat up again, erasing the slate. 'Forget them, then. You and I will go exploring.'
Mel smiled a little, relieved. "Yeah. Explorin'."
Isshiri took the slate back and hugged it close, eyes drifting shut.
Mel settled back, resisting the urge to reach over and stroke his hair. He doesn't love you the way you want.
But he did love him. Enough to not care he was an oathbreaker, enough to give up his own home so they could travel together.
Once Mel convinced him of the truth about what K--what the Captain had done...if Isshiri could forgive him the oathbreaking, he could forgive him that.
That could be their home.