[ There's a quiet shuffling and Huaisang opened the door.
...
His room's a mess. A chair's knocked over, with covers on the floor and papers strewn everywhere.
He looked a mess as well. His eyes were red, brimming with tears, and face flushed due to how much he was crying. ]
I know...I don't look presentable right now, so...I understand if you don't want to do much with me right now.
[ He'll be able to gather himself when trial hit, but right now he's letting himself be as miserable as he felt to get at least a good amount of it out. And if anyone judged him, he might just try to punch them in the face. ]
It's...it's been over a decade now, but I miss them too.
[ His father, mother, and his brother. They were people he cherished greatly. ]
I don't want to be like this for too long.
Our situation can't really afford for me to be too upset when trial hits. But, I really do appreciate you coming here, even if I'm going to be like this.
I was even more of a crybaby back then. I'm sure that if Hamelin had decided to draw me into this place I'd be fainting left and right as soon as everything got too tense, which has happened here a lot.
My mother died when I was rather young, my father a few years after her, but it was harder when my brother passed as we were all that we had. And to me, his passing was the most recent.
[ He doesn't understand how Huaisang's world even works, but he can imagine how hard it must have been... ]
I understand how it feels, but... I don't think I've ever had the luxury of having a brother help me out after my folks passed away. Had to make it on my own, somehow. Guess I was lucky enough to have been raised in a mining town, but... You know how that turned out down the road.
[ Norton's not one to cry about it. He's prone to lashing out, yes, but even if he's no fighter he wouldn't consider himself weak.
Not that he'd say that part out loud at a time like this. ]
[ At 'luxury', his smile turned pained. He wasn't really all that helpful to his brother, so it was really just him at times being a weight. But emotionally, that was different.
Even if...in the end, the last interaction that had been between them was an awful fight he wished had gone far better. ]
I'll be blunt and say that I don't know if I could ever make it like you had if I were on my own from the beginning. But who knows...in times of adversity they say that is when a person's truth colors, or their strengths, may show. Also, you do seem generally like a strong person in general.
Even if...I guess, we haven't known each other for years but for almost a month instead.
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no subject
Uh... Huaisang? It's Norton.
no subject
...
His room's a mess. A chair's knocked over, with covers on the floor and papers strewn everywhere.
He looked a mess as well. His eyes were red, brimming with tears, and face flushed due to how much he was crying. ]
I know...I don't look presentable right now, so...I understand if you don't want to do much with me right now.
[ He'll be able to gather himself when trial hit, but right now he's letting himself be as miserable as he felt to get at least a good amount of it out. And if anyone judged him, he might just try to punch them in the face. ]
no subject
It's fine, I'm here to check on you.
[ The man has every right to grieve. Norton can't deny him that...
He can offer some company, though. ]
Mind if I come in?
no subject
[ Huaisang let his defenses come down some more at the question. ]
The door. Lock it behind you for a bit.
[ He'll come further into the room, hands shakily pick up the covers before he sat on the bed, and he rubbed at his eyes. ]
no subject
... You two must have been real close, back where you're from.
[ The similar names and fashion choices hinted as such. ]
no subject
He was the only one I had left, after I was alone for so long.
[ There was a beat. ]
All of my immediate family has been dead for awhile, after all.
no subject
[ Another orphan...? Norton never had siblings, but he did lose both parents when he was a kid... ]
Terribly sorry to hear that.
[ There's a genuine tone of sympathy as he gazes at the floor. ]
no subject
[ His father, mother, and his brother. They were people he cherished greatly. ]
I don't want to be like this for too long.
Our situation can't really afford for me to be too upset when trial hits. But, I really do appreciate you coming here, even if I'm going to be like this.
no subject
We have a few hours. Plenty of time to get it together.
[ Which is why Norton is not investigating today. Whoops. ]
... Over a decade, though... You must have been pretty young.
no subject
Yes, I suppose you're right...
[ But, he'll also nod. ]
I was even more of a crybaby back then. I'm sure that if Hamelin had decided to draw me into this place I'd be fainting left and right as soon as everything got too tense, which has happened here a lot.
My mother died when I was rather young, my father a few years after her, but it was harder when my brother passed as we were all that we had. And to me, his passing was the most recent.
no subject
I understand how it feels, but... I don't think I've ever had the luxury of having a brother help me out after my folks passed away. Had to make it on my own, somehow. Guess I was lucky enough to have been raised in a mining town, but... You know how that turned out down the road.
[ Norton's not one to cry about it. He's prone to lashing out, yes, but even if he's no fighter he wouldn't consider himself weak.
Not that he'd say that part out loud at a time like this. ]
no subject
Even if...in the end, the last interaction that had been between them was an awful fight he wished had gone far better. ]
I'll be blunt and say that I don't know if I could ever make it like you had if I were on my own from the beginning. But who knows...in times of adversity they say that is when a person's truth colors, or their strengths, may show. Also, you do seem generally like a strong person in general.
Even if...I guess, we haven't known each other for years but for almost a month instead.