gunsforhire | LOG: Immovable Object Versus Irresistable Force

Entry tags:

LOG: Immovable Object Versus Irresistable Force

Who: Delta Ai (Native) and Omega Ai (Native)
What: The awaited argument.
Where: Outside the Ai family home, 4/9
When: After the little ones are put to bed at night.
Warnings: Arguments, potential harsh language.

He feels like a thief here. A burglar. A mugger standing outside the airlock to their own house, laying in ambush for Omega's pending return. His brother had left hours ago, and while he was gone... While he was gone Delta managed to put two and two together.

An influx of money? A new side job? Explosions at his job site? A friend who needs 'renovations' done without a permit? And how Omega knowing a confessed mercenary that Delta thought he could befriend? God where has it all gone wrong. How have they gotten to the point where Delta seriously has to have a talk with his older brother about not going out and getting himself killed to make their lives a bit more comfortable? How could Omega even do this to him?

Delta swallows back the emotions building up in his system as he waits, and just stares out into the darkness of the night. Sooner or later, Omega has to come home. And then...

And then they have to talk.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The job went well. Omega's bringing home donuts, and more money than he's ever brought home at one time. And if Maine will help him get more jobs...he could buy Delta a new helmet. He could buy Sigma his own computer. He could buy Delta a new helmet and Sigma his own computer and Theta a game console.

He could work less hours and play more games with the little ones, actually spend time with his family.

Delta won't be happy, but Omega is sure he can bring him around.

He looks up when he hears Omega's footsteps. So it was now. Alright.

"Stop," Delta calls out from where he leans against the airlock, shivering in his coat. He's been out here, waiting, for a while now.

Oh. This isn't good. Omega tries to bluff his way in anyways. "Hey, D. Sorry I missed bedtime. I brought donuts for tomorrow." He holds up the box. "You look cold. Let's go in, yeah?"

"I don't want them hearing us fight," Delta answers bluntly. "I don't want them to hear how their brother is apparently trying to get himself killed."

Because in Delta's book, that's what's going on.

"Fight? Why are we fighting? We're not going to fight." So Delta's just going to be abrasive right out the gate. Fine, Omega can work with that. "We're going to go inside, and you're going to take the money like a good little boy who doesn't complain."

Well, it's worth a try.

"No, I'm not," Delta answers bluntly. "Because my older brother doesn't care enough about his family to not put himself into the literal line of fire. Tell me, Meg, do you know how to explain to five year olds the concept of death? Because I've been working on it all night and can't see a way to explain it that they'll understand!"

"Oh, I don't know," Omega drawls. "Try something like, 'because your brother sacrificed higher education the only job he can get to keep food on your table involves running around -and falling off- roofs.' No, wait. That won't work. What about, 'Death is when you love someone so very, very much, you keep your mouth shut about frayed wires because risking electrocution is better than being fired.' Is that better?" He shrugs. "Personally, I would have started thinking about that a long time ago. But what do I lnow about our five year olds. Not like I ever see them. You sure they'd notice if I was gone?"

There. If he can get Delta to admit they would, Delta won't be able to throw him out of the house.

"They would," Delta hisses angrily. "All of them would. I would. But I REFUSE to bury you, Omega. I refuse to have to stand there at your funeral and listen to them cry."

God how can Omega not understand that this is the stupidest idea that he's ever had?

"We love you, Omega. But love isn't going to make it easier to face tell them that we can't have an open casket because someone shot your eye out!"

Thank god he has his helmet on, because Delta knows he's near to tears at the very idea of his older brother dead. "January. You promised me we just had to make it to January when I have a real job. Then you can go to school yourself, only need a part time job like Sig to pay for books. You can be what you've always wanted to be!"

Oh, that's cute. That is just. Adorable. Delta has no idea how the world works, apparently. "And you believed that. You silly little fool. Do you really think you're going to find a job, with next to no history, that will pay enough for me to stop working. Is this job going to let you work from home, too? Take a couple of hours off to run the kids to school?" Omega shakes his head. "You can't do it, D. You're not going to be able to take care of us on your own."

Omega's never going to go back to school. He'll make his peace with that someday. But at least he's not like Delta, dumb enough to believe he just needs to work a little harder and everything will be okay. "I'm not going to make you take care of every one. I'm not going to die. Have a little faith in me."

"If I'm a fool to think I can make this family work, then you're a bigger one to think you'll live!"

His arms come up to wrap around himself defensively. "You promised me we'd do this, Meg. Together. It's... It's really great to how little faith you have in me. How valueless your promises to me are."

God how can he even begin to justify what he's doing? Can't Omega see it's not a question of 'if' he'd die, but 'when'?

"Let me make this exceedingly simple for you then. If you're that willing to risk never being there for your family, then just go all the way. If you go back out there, with those people, then don't come home after."

"You can't kick me out, leprechaun," Omega says. "I'm not going anywhere." His brother is scared, he can see, and getting angry isn't going to help. No matter how tempted he is to shake Delta until the pieces fall into place in his head. Omega will just have to lay everything out for him.

His strongest argument might actually be how safe it is, compared to construction, and that he's willing to compromise the kind of jobs he'll take. The weakest is, of course, the money. He might be more receptive to the time argument, though. And of course, his idea that Delta will go to work and Omega will go back to school is just laughable.

Thanks, Mrs. Frelich, wherever you are, he thinks. The old bat had been a strict grader, but at least Omega could still construct a decent argument ten years later.

"Did you think that out at all? How much does an entry-level accountant make? Can you work from home or would there be confidentially issues? If you can't work from home, what sort of hours would you be working? If you can work from home, is this the kind of thing you can do while the twins are there, too?" Omega sighs. Did Delta put any thought into this at all? "Do you even have any offers? How long would it take you to find a job? I know I promised January, but you had to have known. I thought you knew."

"The money is good, D. Really good. I made two weeks' worth tonight. And that's just tagging along with Maine. If I was certified, I'd make even more. I'd make enough to quit construction, maybe even enough for you and Sig and Ep to not have to. Certainly enough to never worry about groceries or the power getting shut off." All Omega wants anymore is to make enough money to take care of his family. For that, he'd give up anything short of his family themselves. "I'd be home more, too. I could spend more time with the kids. I could help more around the house. I'd actually be part of the family again. I miss that, D. Do you know how much I've missed?"

Finishing with safety is risky. But it's the most important part, to Delta. "And it's safe. I swear, it's safe. Do you know what we did this time? Maine gave me a bullet-proof jacket and told me if they started shooting to hide. I don't think any of them even knew I was there. I can get a bulletproof helmet too, I'll never take it off. If you don't want me to carry a gun, if you don't want me to go on jobs alone, we can talk about that. I don't want you sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring."

"But this is happening, Delta. I'm doing this."

It's... reasonable when Omega lays it out like that. Or at least it sounds reasonable. Of course Omega had made the dangers of construction work sound reasonable then too. And now Omega was arguing that construction work was too dangerous, so how could Delta trust him.

So... he just says the first think he can think of.

"I already have a job lined up. One where I can set my own hours."

He's going to have to contact that woman. "They're willing to take me on now, before I finish my certification, so long as I continue working toward completion. I have a meeting with them coming up to iron out details. Can... Can you at least wait until then to make up your mind?"

Well, that's easy enough to promise. "Sure, little brother. In fact, if they'll pay you more than I'd make, I'll promise you right now to never mention the idea again."

There is no way anyone would pay an accountant that much. Omega is confident that he won't be held to that. "But Delta? Two and a half thousand a week. That's a hundred and twenty five thousand a year. Part time. And it only goes up from there. So I'll wait, but don't get your hopes up."

He does clap Delta on the shoulder, hoping he doesn't bite his hand off. "Congratulations on the job, D. I'm proud of you." Delta said he wanted to hear that more often, right? "I've heard people have a hard time finding jobs fresh out of school, and you went and got one before you're even done."

Delta shrugs away from Omega's touch. "Don't... don't touch me. How many people died tonight, Omega? How many lives did you ruin?"

He's never going to make that much. Never. God what is he even thinking. Of course Omega never listens to him, never really hears Delta out. Why does he even hoped?

"Blood money. That's all you'd bring to this family."

Omega is trying. He really is. Why does Delta have to make it so hard? "It all spends the same," he says, grabbing Delta's shoulder. What does Delta want him to do? Work himself to death for barely enough to get by, building the palaces of the bourgeois? Not that Omega ever really built those. But he did put together places he's pretty sure were ruining lives all on their own. "I didn't kill anyone. Nobody died tonight that wasn't trying to kill us first. And if they had such a problem dying for someone else's property-" he makes that sound like a foul word "-then maybe they should have stuck to feeding the masses flipping burgers at the diner."

"I don't care about other people. I only care about you and our family. And if blood money is the only way to do it, then I'll take it. Gladly."

Again Delta jerks away from Omega.

"What happened to you? When did you... when did you get so angry? When did you start caring enough to call things 'palaces of the bourgeois?' What happened to my older brother?"

Except he knows. Omega gave up more than his future for them. He gave up being the brother Delta remembers.

"Do what you must, then. But don't begin to expect me to support your decisions."

"The first time we ran short at the end of the month. You remember that? I sure do. The first time I got fired for sneaking food, from a job that didn't pay enough to feed us. The first time I stayed home with a sick kid and was told not to come back to work. You remember those? Because you certainly had enough grief to give me over them."

Omega doesn't understand why Delta's giving him such a hard time. "What do you want from me? Why is nothing I do ever good enough for you? What would make you happy?"

Okay, he's losing his patience a little. Just a little. Not enough to get mean. Not enough to remind Delta he is not, actually, Omega's mother.

"Not killing for the sake of our family," Delta says quietly. "Giving me a chance to do the things that our family needs without you resorting to something so..."

He shakes his head and turns to the door. "Nothing I say will convince you not to do this. You've made up your mind. All I can do is..."

Delta shakes his head again. He'll have to figure that out himself. And soon. "I want our family happy and safe without bloodshed. And you can't give me that."

Oh, Delta can just go jump off a bridge. "You were fine with it, until I started giving you hard numbers," Omega says, quietly so Delta will have to pay attention to what he's saying. "Until you realized you couldn't do that either. I'm so sorry you've finally realized you were wasting your time these past few years. But don't take that out on me."

"Wasting my time?" Delta demands, turning back to stare at his brother. "WASTING TIME!?"

God he wishes they were inside and had no helmets on. Then he knows he'd smack Omega as hard as he could.

"Then tell me what else to do with my life, you asshole. Other than everything that you couldn't do because of work? Other than act as a fucking live in maid and nanny? God you're just so... superior. I don't know why I wanted to be like you."

Well, at least Delta's stopped putting words in Omega's mouth. That's an improvement. "I am trying to make it so you can do whatever it is you want to do. You, personally, the guy who spend years taking care of everyone else. I am trying here, D, and you won't give me an inch!"

Omega doesn't know why Delta would want to be anything like him. Delta should be his own person. "I'm not you, I don't need to control what everyone else does. I just want to give you, and Gamma, and Theta, and everyone else the opportunities we didn't have."

He takes his helmet off, so Delta can know exactly what he says next. Somehow this went from Omega's news to all about Delta. Which is pretty much the story of Omega's life, and most of the time he's okay with it. Most of the time. "Or are we going to fight over your fucking martyr complex again?"

Target presented just as Delta needs it even more. He reaches out and slaps his brother.

"Do what you will, asshole. Nothing I ever say or do matters to you."

Delta storms into the airlock and closes the door behind him, quickly keying the filtration cycle so he could get the door to lock and keep Omega out. Give him a chance to be alone and go up to the bedroom he shares with the twins. There, trying to keep them asleep, he's certain Omega won't come after him.

He hopes.

There are plans to be made.

Omega bangs on the door, but it doesn't let him in until it's done cycling. Delta is already upstairs and in his room, where Omega won't dare wake them up. Sneaky little fool. Omega's almost proud of him.

Omega's also putting a hole in the wall, above the box of donuts. It makes him feel, if not better, at least quieter. So does eating Delta's donut, and leaving the credit chip in its place.

As an afterthought, Omega scrawls across the top of the box, "for the kids only. NO MOMS ALLOWED!!!"

That'll teach Delta to slap him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

LOG: Immovable Object Versus Irresistable Force

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject