Home Again, Home Again

[amanika]

"Bunked off the first class about shop safety, nearly put a nail through my hand in the next one. They didn't mind that, but they got fussy about it when I nearly sliced someone else open with a hacksaw. I slipped," he added, not about to let his brother think he'd been intending to do damage, "the thing was blunt anyway." Tugger was silent for a moment, "I'm not surprised you don't remember," he added suddenly, though his tone didn't change. "you wern't here."

[Meadowlark]

The elder brother’s ears flickered back and forth uncertainly for a moment, settling in the slightly back position they took when he was responding to guilt or a reprimand. “Well, surely you didn’t flunk out of everything before you left school.”

((hoping this color works on the lighter background...))

[amanika]

Tugger shrugged, his back still turned to his brother, "Gave up going to a lot of it, there wasn't much point. I passed gym," he thought for a moment, "and and I got a D in biology, which isn't a fail, technically."

[Meadowlark]

Well…that made this simple. Or not. The tabby shook his head slightly. “Surely there’s something you’re good at besides chasing every skirt you come across.”

[amanika]

Another shrug, "You tell me," there was the flat defeatest tone again, but the swish of the tail betrayed Tugger's mounting frustration, "because I never found anything."

[Meadowlark]

Tail curling and coiling around his leg, Munkustrap considered backing down from this, but he couldn’t make this much worse he supposed. “Well, what have you tried?”

[amanika]

That was rather a sticking point, Tugger was silent, his body held a little too still, except for the swishing tail. Suddenly the damp patch above the counter had become the most interesting thing in the world.

[Meadowlark]

The silver tabby allowed the silence to lengthen, waiting for an answer, before finally speaking again. “You have tried, haven’t you?”

[amanika]

The silence continued, before Tugger finally managed, though a partially cleched jaw, "Like I said, what's the point? I did try some places, but they're all the same."

This was partially true, whilst in highschool he'd held down a casual job stacking crates for a few weeks, but they'd fired him when he failed to turn up on time, knowing full well there was plenty more labour, and more reliable labour at that, where he'd come from. There was the bar that had given him a trial run as well, but sacked him for spending more time flirting with the witresses than serving customers. There had been a few other things he'd gone for and not got as well, but it was safe to say he'd not bothered looking for a job again within the last two years at least.

[Meadowlark]

“You mean expecting you to be where you say you’ll be and do what you say you’ll do?” He asked dryly. “I don’t know, Tugger, but we seem to be running low again, thanks to Dad. If you’ve tried everything you think you can stand I guess that’s that. We’ll have to take what we can get.”

[amanika]

Tugger barely supressed a growl at Munkustrap's first comment, which cut through him like a knife, though moments later he was trying to stop his ears flattening in something that felt a little too much like shame, Munkustrap knew exactly how to make him feel small. He leant against the counter, his other hand balling into a fist, again he was silent for a long time.

Finally, Tugger exhaled in a long sigh, though his tail was curling at the amount of pride he was having to swallow back to say this, "Look, I'll go tomorrow alright. Maybe I can find a friend who'll hook me up with someone, or something." He turned sharply, heading past his brother towards the kitchen door. "I'm gonna get in something to eat before Deuteronomy gets home." it had been a long time since Tugger had referred to his father as 'dad' or anything similar, "I'll see you later."

The door swung sharply behind the maned tom, too much more of that treatment and it would probably be off it's hinges. The abandoned and still full mug of coffee stood rapidly cooling on the counter.

((exit Tugger))

[Meadowlark]

Munkustrap sighed, opening his mouth to call after his brother, but deciding it was best if he didn't. He knew he'd hit a nerve, but he couldn't help it some days. His blue gaze focused on the still swinging door left in his brother's wake. Everlasting Cat, he needed to learn when to keep his mouth shut.

The silver tom poured out the remains of his coffee and his brother's untouched drink before slipping through the front room and up the stairs to work on the latest case files.

[Thread End]