[The End 9/13] Mercy Kill
|| He could still hear it. That incessant ticking. Constantly reminding him that the woman he loved was dead. He knew it was just in his mind, /knew/. But still it irritated him. He'd spent a long time destroying every clock in his house, but still that wasn't enough. It /WASN'T ENOUGH/! He knew nothing could bring Chava back, but still it didn't help that everything constantly reminded him of her. His house was a mess, his throne was on it's side, and the wall was riddled with daggers. The only thing that stayed the same was the blood. Her blood. he didn't have the heart to wash it all off. It pained him even looking at it. Perhaps if he left the house, maybe the ticking would stop? Maybe he wouldn't be pained as much? He had to try. He didn't want the ticking to drive him insane. There was one place he could possibly go, one feud he might be able to end. He snarled out, grabbing one of the daggers from the wall, before walking out of the manor slamming the door behind him. It was a long walk, but finally he walked up to the Thorne Manor banging on the door.
|| He knew who was at his door before the banging started. It had been nearly three weeks since Chava came to kill him, and Lucedio showed up to make matters worse. It wasn't since then that he heard anything, not even from Lucedio himself, which was shocking, in all honestly. Aeron expected himself to be dead at this point, but he figured he truly was just a useless pawn, unneeded, he hoped that he would finally be left alone. In that time, he treated his wounds, scars spotting his body from the stab wounds he had received, and cuts; even reinforced the wards. Inside defenses and outside, as well as detection wards. Hence how he knew who would be at his door. Lucedio wouldn't have knocked, and Aeron could only assume Damien had Chava locked down. Knowing that woman, she'd escape anyway. To this assumption that it was Damien, Aeron contemplates opening his door. If he stayed silent would his brother go away? Why was he still being bothered with? He couldn't imagine he was exactly needed. A frustrated sigh leaves Aeron's mouth as he slips down the stairs and flings open the door, uncaring for whatever trap may have awaited for him. "How can I help this time, brother dear?" ||
|| The door opened, and Damien was surprised. After their last meeting he wouldn't be surprised if Aeron never opened his door again. He raised his brow before stepping inside. He wasn't even sure Aeron could help. Not unless he could bring Chava back which was... impossible. No, it was finally time to perhaps let bygones be bygones. The Thorne who suffered and the Thorne who was dragged in. "You can't really." He sat down in a chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest. The ticking never really went away, It always stayed there, echoing in his mind over and over and over again. He was hoping that a change or scenery would do him good, but was there ever any good for Damien Thorne? No, he would always suffer until he died, because life decided that he couldn't be happy. Not for long anyway. "But I think it's time to finally bury the hatchet."
|| Honestly, he half expected to be magically pushed against the back of the room, or a dagger at his throat. To see his brother just waltz right it made the younger male tilt his head. A moment of silence and his head is peaking out of his doorway, eyes scanning the grounds. No Chava. Was she in some kind of trouble again? This meeting almost reminded Aeron of the time Damien came to him to help bust Chava out of Azkaban, a time he honestly had trouble remembering. Mostly just images, save for the moment they entered the prison and rescued Chava. Damien sits but Aeron stays standing, if not after shutting his door. He couldn't help, no surprise there. When had he ever been helpful? Save, well, that time of Azkaban. "Bury the hatchet?" he repeats, his eyes roaming around his home, neater, more put together than it was three weeks ago. "Does Chava know? Last time I saw you, both you and your wife wanted to kill me, and you were happy to help." This had to be some sort of ploy. Although... this was what he wanted from the beginning. All Aeron had ever wanted was a family, one he could share laughs with, and memorable times with. Unfortunately, the Thorne curse only adored pain and suffering. It just seemed he was the lucky brother, he only suffered emotionally, and even then, it was nothing compared to his brothers, or even Chava. It was unfortunate she was married into his family. She may have had a better life if she hadn't been. "Where /is/ Chava? I don't imagine she'd be too happy learning you made nice with me." Aeron watches his brother. Was he okay? ||
|| For a moment, Damien watched Aeron look around, as if expecting trouble. Which, granted their history, he probably was. There was no one else near him, he'd checked the grounds himself, knowing how often Lucy showed up. Hell, the only weapon he had, was the usual dagger he kept at his side. Know knives, no secondary dagger. "Yes. Bury the hatchet." He spoke again, though his voice trailed off at his mention of Chava. And there it was, the ticking. Constant ticking. Why did everything have to remind him of her? "Times change." He says simply not quite willing to elaborate right then. "She..." The ticking just wouldn't go away. Constantly ticking. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. "Do you hear that ticking?" His eyes narrowed on Aeron's watch for a brief second before he rushed forward, Dagger in his hand. Instead of striking at Aeron as was probably expected, he grabs Aeron's hand, and begins frantically cutting his watch. If he managed to cut it off, he would let it drop to the ground before viciously stomping on it several times. Tick Tock. "The ticking just won't stop!" He slammed his hand into his head several times before turning back towards Aeron "Oh... sorry. I doubt whether or not I'm here would change a dead person's mind." He fell back into the chair, before placing his hands on his face. Chava. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he thought more and more about her, but the ticking cut into his mind again, and he growled out, before looking at Aeron. "Where was I? Oh, right. Burying the hatchet."
|| Did he hear what? All he heard was the silence of his home, save for the occasional word Damien would say. When Aeron's brother made to attack him, the youth stepped back. But, no, Damien wasn't after him, but his... watch? A sharp his and a help leaves his lips, a moment of shock passing before he pushed his brother, his wrist clutched in his other hand. While Damien was distracted smacking himself, Aeron looks at his watch. Any longer and it would have been off his wrist. Useless, it was. Just as he. A scowl paints his beautiful features, unbuckling the watch before tossing it towards his brother. Whatever he wanted with the broken thing, he could do. Seeing the man destroy it began to make Aeron worry. Was his brother no longer sane? "What the hell-" He stops, Damien's last words ringing in his mind. Whether he was here or not... would not change a dead person's mind... A dead person... "Damien," Aeron begins softly, his eyes struggling to focus on the other man. "What - she - what do you mean, Chava's dead? Did Lucedio-" That must of been it. Why Lucedio stayed away from Aeron. He had been busy with Damien and Chava... He succeeded in actually killing one of them. Aeron cursed, sea green eyes dulling the more his brother reacted. He actually /cried./ His brother who could murder without a second thought, who found relish in it, cried for Chava... his deceased wife. "Oh, Damien." His tone was sympathetic. Aeron never loved, never felt the need for a spouse, or a lover. His cold hearted brother did... and she was gone. "Damien, I buried our hatchet long ago," He says softly, releasing a shivering breath. "I'm so sorry." As if sorry's could bring back the dead. ||
|| Even with the watch gone, the ticking continued on and on. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. He just wanted it to end! He wanted it /all/ to end. Either to die and join Chava again, or to wake up and realize that this was all a very long, terrible dream. "The ticking won't go away. It's there, burning constantly. Tick Tock. Tick Tock." He explained as best as he could when Aeron was looking at him strangely for destroying his watch. "Why can't it go away?!" His younger brother's words caused him to look up at him. "Yes. Lucedio killed her. And I will do /whatever/ it takes to kill him." He stood up from the chair, before pacing around half-frantically. His eyes snapped to Aeron, and narrowed his eyes at the sympathy in his voice. He didn't want sympathy. He just wanted his wife back. "Oh. Good?" So their hatchet was buried. That was something. "Wait... I might actually need your help with something." He placed his hand on his brother's shoulder before saying. "It's not anything bad like what I've asked of you before, and certainly not like what Lucedio's had you do. But you're the only one who can. I need you to promise something for me. And I want you to keep to that promise no matter what." He releases his hand from Aeron's shoulder spinning around, his mind already elsewhere, "Can that ticking !#@king stop?!"
|| Without a doubt, Damien would do whatever he could to avenge Chava. To kill Lucedio. Aeron just really hopes he wasn't needed. He was only alive because of luck. He would not stand a chance against Lucedio. He hardly stood a chance against Damien and he hardly used magic! Too soon, his brother says he could help, and although a flash of hope spots his eyes, dread filled his body, despite the following words. A promise he just /had/ to keep, even after all the other things his brothers had made him promise to do - FUCK! That deal he made with Lucedio! Now that Chava was dead, was it null or did it still pertain...? "What, exactly, do you need me to promise?" Aeron asks in turn, eyeing his brother. "Damien!" He tells quite loudly, reaching forwards to grip the man's shoulders, the first time he ever touched Damien in a way that wasn't in self defense, or to harm. "Knock it off! It's in your damned head!" Aeron needed to know why exactly Damien had come to him, and what he had to promise. There was only so much he could do anymore. ||
|| Of course the ticking was in his damned mind. He just had to find some way to stop it. Tick Tock. Over and over. It didn't matter where he was or what he was doing, it was always there. Never going away. It was the ultimate annoyance. He moves his hand upwards to knock Aron's hands off his shoulders. His hand gripped his dagger, defensively, and for a moment it seemed he was ready to strike, but his hand falls back down to his side. No, he'd come here to bury the hatchet. Aeron was no longer an enemy. That ticking... that /damned/ ticking was. His eyes snapped up towards Aeron questioningly. "Promise?" For a minute he sat there, brow raised, wondering what the younger man was talking about, before something snapped in his mind. "Oh, right." he sat back down in the chair, drumming his finger against the armrest in tune with the ticking in his own mind. "What I wa..." He paused, leaning forward, his finger stopped drumming before he raised a brow "Do you have any tea? And mind if I have some?" Tea was a relaxing beverage. Perhaps it could help him soothe the ticking in his mind. "The promise. It's actually two things. One: When I die, watch over Chava and my kids. Not directly though. Not unless their lives are at stake. There are things that are better done on your own." he leaned back his finger returning to it's drumming. That was the easy request. Something that could be done easily. What he had to ask next would be the hardest request he'd probably asked of anyone "Two: No matter what, whether I change my mind or not, whether I beg and plead or not. If I'm still alive when Lucedio dies... I need you to kill me."
|| Tea? "Yeah, just give me a moment." A single, lingering glance leaves his brother as Aeron leaves the room and entering the kitchen, just to come out moments later with a hot cup of tea, freshly, magically brewed. This time, Aeron does sit, in a chair with a clear few of Damien. This was when he spoke of the promises. The first was easy enough. If he wasn't asked it, Aeron may still have had checked upon the children a few times. If he had kids and died, he would hope his family would look after his own kids. Perhaps the was the weakness in his heart. "You'd know more about that, wouldn't you?" Aeron mutters under his breath, softly. Damien /would/ know all too well that some things are handled on their own. Even Lucedio would know. But the second promise is what made his ears ring. Kill Damien? His mouth goes dry and he begins to think maybe he should have made tea for himself too. "I... I don't know if I could do that." Aeron shakes his head. He never killed to /mean/ it. He's only ever killed in self defense, and that was to go save Chava. Now she was dead, and... and to save Damien, he would have to kill him too. He closes his eyes for a moment, taking deep breathes, the muscle in his jaw twitching. "If that is your dying wish, Damien... I'll see what I can do." It was a vague answer, vague because it just didn't sit right with Aeron. It was hard enough purposely hurting people, to kill them was a whole other thing. But he would try. He would try so his brother could be happy again - surely he was happiest with Chava. ||
|| Tea wasn't much help, but it helped a little. That was more than he could say for anything else. "Thank you." He chuckled lightly before nodding. "It might not seem like it, but I learned a lot on the streets. They shaped me into who I used to be. And believe it or not, I was once a nice guy once. No murderous tendencies or anything. Lucedio Changed everything" He sighed lightly, leaning back in his chair, thankful that even if the ticking wasn't gone, it had gotten quiet. "They don't have a Lucedio, so they'll be fine." He raised his brow at his brother questioningly before shaking his head. "Please. The only thing I have to live for right now is killing Lucedio. Once he's dead, I want to join Chava. I don't want to suffer any more" He pointed towards his own head."I can't take it anymore. So when Lucedio dies. I need you to kill me. I can't ask this of anyone else."
Aeron was pleasantly surprised by the slightly open speech from his brother, and he liked it. He honestly did. If things had been different, if they weren't Thornes. could they have had a different relationship? It was questions like these that made Aeron sad, especially when his brother wanted to die after he managed to kill Lucedio - if he managed to kill Lucedio. All to have the life he wants with his wife. "Is there no potion to make the, the... ticking go away?" Damien was the best at potions, that much was clear. Surely he could even make a new potion if he wanted, just to get rid of the noise he was hearing. A sigh escapes Aeron's lips, slowly dipping his head up and down. "Okay," He starts low, then repeats it again, a little louder. "Okay. Okay." Was he really about to ask this? "When that time comes, how exactly do you wish to go?" A simple killing curse? Poison? How would his brother like to leave this world to go meet Chava again? That thought kills Aeron's heart, his eyes watering but nothing falls. Hopefully this would be years and not tomorrow. But who could ever know when Lucedio was involved? ||
|| He shook his head, before somberly staring into his tea. "No. No potion, no spell. Nothing." He set the cup down next to him, before pressing his fingers against his temple. "There is no cure for insanity." He was good with potions, but he wasn't that good. He would never be able to cure something like that. Perhaps in the future someone might manage it, but that someone would not be Damien. Finally Aeron seemed to understand. This wasn't a cold-blooded kill he was asking of Aeron. It was a mercy kill. "Quick. As fast as possible. So killing curse is optimal." He didn't want to have to wait to see Chava again. The longer it took for him to die, the longer he would have to wait. "There's one last thing." He sighs and shifts in his seat, before speaking again. "When I die, there's a spot I want to be buried. It's about a mile west of Ottery. Middle of nowhere. Lay me to rest beside Chava. The grave's already dug."
Aeron continued to flex that muscle in his jaw, the bone beginning to feel as if it was stuck in that resting place. His brother already had it all planned out. Killing curse... The day Aeron kills Damien is the day he has used all three Unforgivable Curses. It's the day he becomes the oldest Thorne brother. The /only/ Thorne brother. It was a mercy kill, but it would be a kill he wish didn't have to happen. A plot in the middle of nowhere, just for Chava and him... Secluded but together, as they always had been. Aeron rubs at his face and doesn't remove his hands when he stills. For moments he just sits there, silent. Mind racing. Then he looks at his brother again, face resolved and determined. "Okay, Damien. I promise to you to eatch over you and your wife's children, but only when it's needed. They will take their own paths and make their own fate. The day you and Lucedio decide to end things, I will be ready to either kill you or take your body to the plot you've created." And if Aeron was around when his children died, he'd bury them there, too. Hopefully, though, he would die before them. Those children deserve a better life than any of the Thornes, especially their parents. "I promise you that." ||
|| At last he had his promise, and everything would be how it should. Damien rises from his chair, before saying, "Thank you." As he walked towards the door. His family would be safe, and he wouldn't have to wait longer than he wanted to to meet Chava again. It was better than he could have hoped. As he reached the door, he stopped and turned around. "You should have been great. A Thorne with strong magic, and impeccable morals. I'm sorry that my war impeded on that." There was a lot his war did, and many died because of it. If there was an afterlife, there would be a lot he'd have to answer for. But as long as he was with Chava, he would suffer anything. "One more thing. Don't consider this a promise, but a favor. When I die, rebuild the Thorne name. Make it one to be proud of. I don't want another Lucedio. I don't even want another Damien." With that he walked out the door, and apparated home.
|| Those words were like knives to Aeron's heart. Should have been. He should have been a strong Thorne - near Lucedio? He could have been more of a person, more of a man and more of a wizard. Instead he found himself in the middle of a feud, then a battle, and then an all out war. He had to have been the least affected, but in a way, the most affected. The war had seemed to destroy any chance of family Aeron could save. Aeron played both sides, but because he had wanted to gain some form of acceptance, some form of acknowledgment. Until now, he had none of that. Was that his morals talking? He had abused Chava, put her under a curse that took away who she was - was that moral? Or was that the general of the side of the war he was on telling him what to do? Aeron stands up and turns at the favour Damien spoke of, his mouth hanging open. Rebuild the Thorne name. No Lucedio. No Damien. Just Aeron Thorne and his - he didn't even know if he had nieces or nephews! After today, would he be stuck in the Ministry, making a name for himself, his family, and not be a part of his only existing family? If that was the case, he had no choice but to do that. He /would/ do that. Maybe... Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could erase this curse that seemed to hang around his surname. He could make their name good again! Damien was gone, but the words still slip from his mouth: "Don't die so soon. Survive long enough to see your children grow. They already have no mother, do not let them be fatherless so soon..." With that, Aeron finds himself dragging his feet upstairs to his room, subconsciously slipping on another watch over his sore wrist, and closing his eyes, breathing in slowly. He had to be ready to kill his brother, should it come to that. His heart stutters and a silent sob shakes his body, then he was still, sinking into the dull, numbing sleep. ||
|| He knew who was at his door before the banging started. It had been nearly three weeks since Chava came to kill him, and Lucedio showed up to make matters worse. It wasn't since then that he heard anything, not even from Lucedio himself, which was shocking, in all honestly. Aeron expected himself to be dead at this point, but he figured he truly was just a useless pawn, unneeded, he hoped that he would finally be left alone. In that time, he treated his wounds, scars spotting his body from the stab wounds he had received, and cuts; even reinforced the wards. Inside defenses and outside, as well as detection wards. Hence how he knew who would be at his door. Lucedio wouldn't have knocked, and Aeron could only assume Damien had Chava locked down. Knowing that woman, she'd escape anyway. To this assumption that it was Damien, Aeron contemplates opening his door. If he stayed silent would his brother go away? Why was he still being bothered with? He couldn't imagine he was exactly needed. A frustrated sigh leaves Aeron's mouth as he slips down the stairs and flings open the door, uncaring for whatever trap may have awaited for him. "How can I help this time, brother dear?" ||
|| The door opened, and Damien was surprised. After their last meeting he wouldn't be surprised if Aeron never opened his door again. He raised his brow before stepping inside. He wasn't even sure Aeron could help. Not unless he could bring Chava back which was... impossible. No, it was finally time to perhaps let bygones be bygones. The Thorne who suffered and the Thorne who was dragged in. "You can't really." He sat down in a chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest. The ticking never really went away, It always stayed there, echoing in his mind over and over and over again. He was hoping that a change or scenery would do him good, but was there ever any good for Damien Thorne? No, he would always suffer until he died, because life decided that he couldn't be happy. Not for long anyway. "But I think it's time to finally bury the hatchet."
|| Honestly, he half expected to be magically pushed against the back of the room, or a dagger at his throat. To see his brother just waltz right it made the younger male tilt his head. A moment of silence and his head is peaking out of his doorway, eyes scanning the grounds. No Chava. Was she in some kind of trouble again? This meeting almost reminded Aeron of the time Damien came to him to help bust Chava out of Azkaban, a time he honestly had trouble remembering. Mostly just images, save for the moment they entered the prison and rescued Chava. Damien sits but Aeron stays standing, if not after shutting his door. He couldn't help, no surprise there. When had he ever been helpful? Save, well, that time of Azkaban. "Bury the hatchet?" he repeats, his eyes roaming around his home, neater, more put together than it was three weeks ago. "Does Chava know? Last time I saw you, both you and your wife wanted to kill me, and you were happy to help." This had to be some sort of ploy. Although... this was what he wanted from the beginning. All Aeron had ever wanted was a family, one he could share laughs with, and memorable times with. Unfortunately, the Thorne curse only adored pain and suffering. It just seemed he was the lucky brother, he only suffered emotionally, and even then, it was nothing compared to his brothers, or even Chava. It was unfortunate she was married into his family. She may have had a better life if she hadn't been. "Where /is/ Chava? I don't imagine she'd be too happy learning you made nice with me." Aeron watches his brother. Was he okay? ||
|| For a moment, Damien watched Aeron look around, as if expecting trouble. Which, granted their history, he probably was. There was no one else near him, he'd checked the grounds himself, knowing how often Lucy showed up. Hell, the only weapon he had, was the usual dagger he kept at his side. Know knives, no secondary dagger. "Yes. Bury the hatchet." He spoke again, though his voice trailed off at his mention of Chava. And there it was, the ticking. Constant ticking. Why did everything have to remind him of her? "Times change." He says simply not quite willing to elaborate right then. "She..." The ticking just wouldn't go away. Constantly ticking. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. "Do you hear that ticking?" His eyes narrowed on Aeron's watch for a brief second before he rushed forward, Dagger in his hand. Instead of striking at Aeron as was probably expected, he grabs Aeron's hand, and begins frantically cutting his watch. If he managed to cut it off, he would let it drop to the ground before viciously stomping on it several times. Tick Tock. "The ticking just won't stop!" He slammed his hand into his head several times before turning back towards Aeron "Oh... sorry. I doubt whether or not I'm here would change a dead person's mind." He fell back into the chair, before placing his hands on his face. Chava. Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he thought more and more about her, but the ticking cut into his mind again, and he growled out, before looking at Aeron. "Where was I? Oh, right. Burying the hatchet."
|| Did he hear what? All he heard was the silence of his home, save for the occasional word Damien would say. When Aeron's brother made to attack him, the youth stepped back. But, no, Damien wasn't after him, but his... watch? A sharp his and a help leaves his lips, a moment of shock passing before he pushed his brother, his wrist clutched in his other hand. While Damien was distracted smacking himself, Aeron looks at his watch. Any longer and it would have been off his wrist. Useless, it was. Just as he. A scowl paints his beautiful features, unbuckling the watch before tossing it towards his brother. Whatever he wanted with the broken thing, he could do. Seeing the man destroy it began to make Aeron worry. Was his brother no longer sane? "What the hell-" He stops, Damien's last words ringing in his mind. Whether he was here or not... would not change a dead person's mind... A dead person... "Damien," Aeron begins softly, his eyes struggling to focus on the other man. "What - she - what do you mean, Chava's dead? Did Lucedio-" That must of been it. Why Lucedio stayed away from Aeron. He had been busy with Damien and Chava... He succeeded in actually killing one of them. Aeron cursed, sea green eyes dulling the more his brother reacted. He actually /cried./ His brother who could murder without a second thought, who found relish in it, cried for Chava... his deceased wife. "Oh, Damien." His tone was sympathetic. Aeron never loved, never felt the need for a spouse, or a lover. His cold hearted brother did... and she was gone. "Damien, I buried our hatchet long ago," He says softly, releasing a shivering breath. "I'm so sorry." As if sorry's could bring back the dead. ||
|| Even with the watch gone, the ticking continued on and on. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. He just wanted it to end! He wanted it /all/ to end. Either to die and join Chava again, or to wake up and realize that this was all a very long, terrible dream. "The ticking won't go away. It's there, burning constantly. Tick Tock. Tick Tock." He explained as best as he could when Aeron was looking at him strangely for destroying his watch. "Why can't it go away?!" His younger brother's words caused him to look up at him. "Yes. Lucedio killed her. And I will do /whatever/ it takes to kill him." He stood up from the chair, before pacing around half-frantically. His eyes snapped to Aeron, and narrowed his eyes at the sympathy in his voice. He didn't want sympathy. He just wanted his wife back. "Oh. Good?" So their hatchet was buried. That was something. "Wait... I might actually need your help with something." He placed his hand on his brother's shoulder before saying. "It's not anything bad like what I've asked of you before, and certainly not like what Lucedio's had you do. But you're the only one who can. I need you to promise something for me. And I want you to keep to that promise no matter what." He releases his hand from Aeron's shoulder spinning around, his mind already elsewhere, "Can that ticking !#@king stop?!"
|| Without a doubt, Damien would do whatever he could to avenge Chava. To kill Lucedio. Aeron just really hopes he wasn't needed. He was only alive because of luck. He would not stand a chance against Lucedio. He hardly stood a chance against Damien and he hardly used magic! Too soon, his brother says he could help, and although a flash of hope spots his eyes, dread filled his body, despite the following words. A promise he just /had/ to keep, even after all the other things his brothers had made him promise to do - FUCK! That deal he made with Lucedio! Now that Chava was dead, was it null or did it still pertain...? "What, exactly, do you need me to promise?" Aeron asks in turn, eyeing his brother. "Damien!" He tells quite loudly, reaching forwards to grip the man's shoulders, the first time he ever touched Damien in a way that wasn't in self defense, or to harm. "Knock it off! It's in your damned head!" Aeron needed to know why exactly Damien had come to him, and what he had to promise. There was only so much he could do anymore. ||
|| Of course the ticking was in his damned mind. He just had to find some way to stop it. Tick Tock. Over and over. It didn't matter where he was or what he was doing, it was always there. Never going away. It was the ultimate annoyance. He moves his hand upwards to knock Aron's hands off his shoulders. His hand gripped his dagger, defensively, and for a moment it seemed he was ready to strike, but his hand falls back down to his side. No, he'd come here to bury the hatchet. Aeron was no longer an enemy. That ticking... that /damned/ ticking was. His eyes snapped up towards Aeron questioningly. "Promise?" For a minute he sat there, brow raised, wondering what the younger man was talking about, before something snapped in his mind. "Oh, right." he sat back down in the chair, drumming his finger against the armrest in tune with the ticking in his own mind. "What I wa..." He paused, leaning forward, his finger stopped drumming before he raised a brow "Do you have any tea? And mind if I have some?" Tea was a relaxing beverage. Perhaps it could help him soothe the ticking in his mind. "The promise. It's actually two things. One: When I die, watch over Chava and my kids. Not directly though. Not unless their lives are at stake. There are things that are better done on your own." he leaned back his finger returning to it's drumming. That was the easy request. Something that could be done easily. What he had to ask next would be the hardest request he'd probably asked of anyone "Two: No matter what, whether I change my mind or not, whether I beg and plead or not. If I'm still alive when Lucedio dies... I need you to kill me."
|| Tea? "Yeah, just give me a moment." A single, lingering glance leaves his brother as Aeron leaves the room and entering the kitchen, just to come out moments later with a hot cup of tea, freshly, magically brewed. This time, Aeron does sit, in a chair with a clear few of Damien. This was when he spoke of the promises. The first was easy enough. If he wasn't asked it, Aeron may still have had checked upon the children a few times. If he had kids and died, he would hope his family would look after his own kids. Perhaps the was the weakness in his heart. "You'd know more about that, wouldn't you?" Aeron mutters under his breath, softly. Damien /would/ know all too well that some things are handled on their own. Even Lucedio would know. But the second promise is what made his ears ring. Kill Damien? His mouth goes dry and he begins to think maybe he should have made tea for himself too. "I... I don't know if I could do that." Aeron shakes his head. He never killed to /mean/ it. He's only ever killed in self defense, and that was to go save Chava. Now she was dead, and... and to save Damien, he would have to kill him too. He closes his eyes for a moment, taking deep breathes, the muscle in his jaw twitching. "If that is your dying wish, Damien... I'll see what I can do." It was a vague answer, vague because it just didn't sit right with Aeron. It was hard enough purposely hurting people, to kill them was a whole other thing. But he would try. He would try so his brother could be happy again - surely he was happiest with Chava. ||
|| Tea wasn't much help, but it helped a little. That was more than he could say for anything else. "Thank you." He chuckled lightly before nodding. "It might not seem like it, but I learned a lot on the streets. They shaped me into who I used to be. And believe it or not, I was once a nice guy once. No murderous tendencies or anything. Lucedio Changed everything" He sighed lightly, leaning back in his chair, thankful that even if the ticking wasn't gone, it had gotten quiet. "They don't have a Lucedio, so they'll be fine." He raised his brow at his brother questioningly before shaking his head. "Please. The only thing I have to live for right now is killing Lucedio. Once he's dead, I want to join Chava. I don't want to suffer any more" He pointed towards his own head."I can't take it anymore. So when Lucedio dies. I need you to kill me. I can't ask this of anyone else."
Aeron was pleasantly surprised by the slightly open speech from his brother, and he liked it. He honestly did. If things had been different, if they weren't Thornes. could they have had a different relationship? It was questions like these that made Aeron sad, especially when his brother wanted to die after he managed to kill Lucedio - if he managed to kill Lucedio. All to have the life he wants with his wife. "Is there no potion to make the, the... ticking go away?" Damien was the best at potions, that much was clear. Surely he could even make a new potion if he wanted, just to get rid of the noise he was hearing. A sigh escapes Aeron's lips, slowly dipping his head up and down. "Okay," He starts low, then repeats it again, a little louder. "Okay. Okay." Was he really about to ask this? "When that time comes, how exactly do you wish to go?" A simple killing curse? Poison? How would his brother like to leave this world to go meet Chava again? That thought kills Aeron's heart, his eyes watering but nothing falls. Hopefully this would be years and not tomorrow. But who could ever know when Lucedio was involved? ||
|| He shook his head, before somberly staring into his tea. "No. No potion, no spell. Nothing." He set the cup down next to him, before pressing his fingers against his temple. "There is no cure for insanity." He was good with potions, but he wasn't that good. He would never be able to cure something like that. Perhaps in the future someone might manage it, but that someone would not be Damien. Finally Aeron seemed to understand. This wasn't a cold-blooded kill he was asking of Aeron. It was a mercy kill. "Quick. As fast as possible. So killing curse is optimal." He didn't want to have to wait to see Chava again. The longer it took for him to die, the longer he would have to wait. "There's one last thing." He sighs and shifts in his seat, before speaking again. "When I die, there's a spot I want to be buried. It's about a mile west of Ottery. Middle of nowhere. Lay me to rest beside Chava. The grave's already dug."
Aeron continued to flex that muscle in his jaw, the bone beginning to feel as if it was stuck in that resting place. His brother already had it all planned out. Killing curse... The day Aeron kills Damien is the day he has used all three Unforgivable Curses. It's the day he becomes the oldest Thorne brother. The /only/ Thorne brother. It was a mercy kill, but it would be a kill he wish didn't have to happen. A plot in the middle of nowhere, just for Chava and him... Secluded but together, as they always had been. Aeron rubs at his face and doesn't remove his hands when he stills. For moments he just sits there, silent. Mind racing. Then he looks at his brother again, face resolved and determined. "Okay, Damien. I promise to you to eatch over you and your wife's children, but only when it's needed. They will take their own paths and make their own fate. The day you and Lucedio decide to end things, I will be ready to either kill you or take your body to the plot you've created." And if Aeron was around when his children died, he'd bury them there, too. Hopefully, though, he would die before them. Those children deserve a better life than any of the Thornes, especially their parents. "I promise you that." ||
|| At last he had his promise, and everything would be how it should. Damien rises from his chair, before saying, "Thank you." As he walked towards the door. His family would be safe, and he wouldn't have to wait longer than he wanted to to meet Chava again. It was better than he could have hoped. As he reached the door, he stopped and turned around. "You should have been great. A Thorne with strong magic, and impeccable morals. I'm sorry that my war impeded on that." There was a lot his war did, and many died because of it. If there was an afterlife, there would be a lot he'd have to answer for. But as long as he was with Chava, he would suffer anything. "One more thing. Don't consider this a promise, but a favor. When I die, rebuild the Thorne name. Make it one to be proud of. I don't want another Lucedio. I don't even want another Damien." With that he walked out the door, and apparated home.
|| Those words were like knives to Aeron's heart. Should have been. He should have been a strong Thorne - near Lucedio? He could have been more of a person, more of a man and more of a wizard. Instead he found himself in the middle of a feud, then a battle, and then an all out war. He had to have been the least affected, but in a way, the most affected. The war had seemed to destroy any chance of family Aeron could save. Aeron played both sides, but because he had wanted to gain some form of acceptance, some form of acknowledgment. Until now, he had none of that. Was that his morals talking? He had abused Chava, put her under a curse that took away who she was - was that moral? Or was that the general of the side of the war he was on telling him what to do? Aeron stands up and turns at the favour Damien spoke of, his mouth hanging open. Rebuild the Thorne name. No Lucedio. No Damien. Just Aeron Thorne and his - he didn't even know if he had nieces or nephews! After today, would he be stuck in the Ministry, making a name for himself, his family, and not be a part of his only existing family? If that was the case, he had no choice but to do that. He /would/ do that. Maybe... Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could erase this curse that seemed to hang around his surname. He could make their name good again! Damien was gone, but the words still slip from his mouth: "Don't die so soon. Survive long enough to see your children grow. They already have no mother, do not let them be fatherless so soon..." With that, Aeron finds himself dragging his feet upstairs to his room, subconsciously slipping on another watch over his sore wrist, and closing his eyes, breathing in slowly. He had to be ready to kill his brother, should it come to that. His heart stutters and a silent sob shakes his body, then he was still, sinking into the dull, numbing sleep. ||
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