help, I need somebody | closed

[bornofstone]

What: Kili's having a hard time with his upcoming birthday
Who: Fili and Kili
When: forward dated to the 16th

Kili's been worrying Fili quite a bit lately. He's getting worse the closer his birthday gets, and Fili still can't understand what exactly it is about getting older that bothers his brother so much. It isn't just Thorin having to go back to Caldera; there's more to this and Fili is determined to figure out what.

He drags Kili out of the city for the day, out into the forest where everything is stiller, calmer. Maybe that will help? At least with their Pokemon at their sides, they don't exactly have to worry about getting into any trouble. Kili is unbearably quiet, and it's Fili that has to break the silence.

"Kee, what's going on?"

Comments

[youngestone]

Kili hates his birthday, he really does. He has since Fili came of age and just seemed to know what he was going to do and how to do it and seemed to have it all together. He doesn't.

He doesn't hear his brother at first, too busy throwing rocks at trees and thinking.

[bornofstone]

"Kili, hey." He leans forward, grabbing his brother's wrist gently. "We need to talk. You're not yourself lately."

And as annoying as Kili can be, Fili misses his wildness and his infectious laughter. It's been too quiet.

[youngestone]

"Huh?" He starts when Fili grabs his wrist, nearly braining him with a rock. "Oh. Uh, well, Uncle went home, didn't he?"

[bornofstone]

Fili winces in anticipation, but at least that blow doesn't come. "Come on, I know you better than that. You used to love your birthdays, and now it's like..." he shakes his head. "I don't know. You hate them. What happened?"

[youngestone]

Kili shakes his head before Belbul sighs and floats over to Fili. She's tired of this nonsense, so she quickly tells Fili what's been bothering Kili.

[bornofstone]

Fili listens in complete confusion, shaking his head slowly as he looks over at his brother.

"You...think I have it all together?"

[youngestone]

"Traitor." Kili glares at Belbul, who just twirls and goes off to talk to the other 'mons out today. He sighs and looks away, unwilling to look at his brother right now. It's embarrassing for him to know what's bothering Kili, for some reason.

"You do, don't you? Job, military service, probably got someone around somewhere wanting to marry you..."

[bornofstone]

Fili lets out a short, startled laugh, more out of astonishment than amusement. He shakes his head slowly. "I hate to break it to you, Kee, but if that's who you think I am, you've got it all wrong."

[youngestone]

"Do not." At least he's still surly. "Come on, Fee, look at you! You're everyone's favorite and for good reason!"

[bornofstone]

"Kili..." He runs a hand distractedly through his hair, not sure how to address this. Of course he's wanted to look good for his little brother, but this isn't what he had in mind.

"I have no idea what I'm doing, Kili. None. I just did what seemed like a good idea and there's certainly no one waiting for me. I'm as clueless as you are."

[youngestone]

He snorts. "Trust me, someone back home is writing your name in hearts in their diary." At least one girl he can think of, though seeing how Fili doesn't know her... "And c'mon, you had a job already picked by the time you were my age. You have an idea."

[bornofstone]

"Alright, that's true." Fili relents slightly, nodding. "But it was an idea, Kili. Just an idea. And honestly? A lot of what I did was for you, so you wouldn't have to. I went to war so you could stay home and be safe, stupid." He gives him a gentle shove. "I always wanted you to have a choice."

[youngestone]

Kili looks at his brother before shoving him back. "Jerk. I only don't have to because politics're weird and no one's sure if war is even really going to be needed anymore." At least, he thinks that's the case. "You didn't have to go either."

[bornofstone]

He smiles faintly. There's a little bit of the old Kili, painfully naive and liking the banter.

"I don't really want to get into why I left right now. We've gone over that before. But look, Kili." He grows serious again. "You don't have to be like me, or Thorin, or anyone. Just be you. And if you don't know what you want yet, that's fine. You have your whole life to figure that out." He smiles wryly. "I still have no clue what I'm doing."

[youngestone]

"Shut up or I'll throw Belbul at you." The Carbink squawks indignantly, threatening to dump water on Kili's head. "You so know what you're doing and you can't tell me otherwise. At least you can do something useful. I'm good with Eggs. That's it."

Part of Kili needs Fili to know what he's doing, otherwise what hope is there for him?

[bornofstone]

Fili shrugs. "I take care of the family. That's what I'm doing." He ruffles his brother's hair. "Kee, you're great with Eggs. You're great with 'Mon in general. People would pay you to teach their 'Mon the things you can. Seriously."

[youngestone]

"Lots of other people can do it, and it isn't like it's in demand like talking to them is." He frowns at the hair ruffles, reaching over to muss Fili's hair up. The perks of being taller. "I just feel...like a screw up, y'know? Fairy-typing, Egg...whatever, how often to do see that stuff in Caldera?"

[bornofstone]

Fili huffs but doesn't bother trying to fix it. His hair is wild enough as it is; a little mussing won't do much. "I dunno. Seems better to me than being the same as everyone else. Plain old boring Steel or Rock or Fire..."

[youngestone]

"Yeah and the only reason I'm not, I dunno, breaking out into a rash every time I punch you is because I have medicine for it. Fairy-type sucks in Caldera."

[bornofstone]

"Good thing we're not in Caldera anymore, isn't it?" Fili gestures around them. "Why do you think Ma was so keen to let you come out here in the first place?"

[youngestone]

"Because she's tired of worrying about me dying from, whatsit, anaphanaltic whatever?" So much sarcasm.

[bornofstone]

"Come on, Kili. Seriously." He huffs at him.

[youngestone]

"I am! You can't tell me that wasn't part of it."

[bornofstone]

"Maybe a little, but it was so you could see it's not weird being...Fairy and Egg or whatever." Fili shrugs. "Union fits you better than Caldera, anyway."

[youngestone]

That was probably the worst thing Fili could say right now. Kili's face falls and he turns around and starts off in another direction, waving Belbul away as she tries to follow him.

He knew it.

[bornofstone]

Oh hell.

Fili runs after him, catching his arm. "Hold on, Kili, that isn't a bad thing!"

[youngestone]

Kili pulls away, refusing to look at Fili.

"How is it not a bad thing?! My own brother doesn't think our home suits me! He thinks I fit in better in some weird foreign city!"

[bornofstone]

"That isn't what I meant and you know it."

But he can see how Kili took it that way. "Isn't it better not having to drug yourself stupid?"

[youngestone]

"Obviously I didn't know it, dumbass." Kili still won't look at his brother. "And no, it isn't, because Union isn't home. Besides, s'not like it makes me drowsy or anything."

[bornofstone]

"Kili..." Fili sighs. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I'm trying to help, I'm just...really terrible at it."

[youngestone]

He sniffs. "Y'think?"

And then Kili is punching Fili in the arm several times in rapid succession. "Big brothers are always stupid."

[bornofstone]

Fili winces slightly, but he has a type advantage here and Kili can pound on him all he wants if it makes him feel better.

"Big brothers are really stupid."

[youngestone]

It does. He's kind of a brat that way. He stops soon enough, however.

"Especially you."

[bornofstone]

"Ow." He rubs his arm. "Yeah. I'm sort of useless without you guiding me."

[youngestone]

Kili stares at his brother before snorting. "No you aren't." He manages a smile.

[bornofstone]

There. That's better. Fili smiles wryly. "Yeah I am. Wouldn't be me without you."

[youngestone]

"I dunno, boring, dutiful, hard-working...you don't need me for that."

[bornofstone]

He snorts. "Yeah, okay. I guess not."