the consequence of obligation~ [Ren]

It had been so long since he has seen his eldest brother Artemis, in honesty he didn't know exactly how long it had been given the constant studies, exams, lessons, social obligations that was pressed onto him. He knew it had been several months however as he often got a letter here and there telling him some of the exciting jobs his elder brother was doing, he couldn't wait until he was of legal age so he could get out from the suffocating grasp of his parents and live a little more freely like Artemis seemed to he doing. He unfortunately knew that he was years away from such a thing happening especially since his studies seemed to be never ending, he was trying to figure out why he was put under such pressure when none of his elder siblings seemed to have went through the same issues as he currently was. Something must have happened before he was born that caused such a extreme change with his families standing towards their children that came after that incident. He had tried to enquire but was often hushed and told to get ready for a lesson, social event or go study, his family had far to many secrets and it bothered him to no end as none of his own 'friends' seemed to have that issue but then again he had no idea if these people where true friends or they just wanted to suck up to him to get better standing, that irritated him also.

He had been dosing off in the back of one of the family cars that where being driven by his personal butler. The young red head treated the lanky, dark haired man like a friend but damn was he annoying it was like having a second shadow at times because he was always so close. That was unless he sent him on a task for him, this was rare but occasionally needed, what many didn't know was that the butler was also the bodyguard to the youngest of the the Dagger line, it wasn't like he needed it given how much training he had to go through but still his family seemed somewhat paranoid on such things at least with him. Apollo most often referred to as 'Ren' due to his middle name being Rennard thought this was beyond strange as it was his elder brother whom was the heir not him yet to him it felt like he was being groomed and protected as if he was the next in line to take over the family business. To him they could keep it if this was what it was how it was a normal routine for someone not to take over the family then he couldn't blame his elder brother for running off trying to be free for as long as he wanted.

It was then that the cars lacrima seemed to start going off instantly waking the dozing youth, who could only sigh sitting up checking himself over to make sure he was presentable to whomever was on the other side of the conversation. His family had a high standard and reputation that went with it, it wouldn't be kindly look dis-shuffled when happy with his appearance he looked to the lacrima. "Answer" he said calmly looking confused as he seen an elder red headed male, his father. "Good evening Apollo, I hope the conference went well." he said watching his son's body language noticing how it got a little tense, in the younger red heads defence he wasn't expecting to talk to his father until he got home. "It went as well as expected, two more investors are signed up however and it seems the stock on the wanted requisition has went down six percent since yesterday; if we wait until the end of the week it should be the perfect time to put in an offer." he answered his father motioning to the paperwork in the magically sealed binder that sat next to him "I will show you the numbers when I return, but I am sure you aren't contacting me for such things as I would be home tomorrow. What is so pressing father?" he asked at a complete loss of the goings on at current. "Ah, very good you can see when there are more pressing matters at hand." he praised his youngest a little "I require you to head to the company building at Crocus before heading home, everything else will explained then." he said calmly though the youth knew this wasn't a request but an order and nodded "I will make my way there now then. I'll see you soon." he said the communication coming to an end, wither or not his father would be there or not was up in the air but it truly got him curious.

His crystal blue eyes looked towards the divider pressing a button alerting his butler he wanted to talk, the divider fading "Yes sir?" a formal voice was heard "Lynus, change of plan. My presence has been requested at the Dagger Corp offices in Crocus before I head home. Make the required amendments in our journey." he said with a somewhat sleepy voice, he really just wanted a journey without a detour for a change. "Yes young sir. I suggest trying to get a bit of rest before we get there however, you seem worn down." he said with the same formal tone yet this time it held concern for his well being "I shall, thank you Lynus wake me when we are close so I might straighten up." he said watching as the other nodded and the divider went back up. Closing his eyes it felt as if only a few minutes had passed but it must have been hours as before he knew it he was hearing the noise letting him know the driver wanted to talk. Sitting up he pressed a button letting the divider fall "Yes?" he asked in confusion "We are here young sir." he said just starting to park allowing Ren to fix himself up and slide towards the car door that was opened from the outside by Lynus whom bowed a little as was usual.

Lynus had short black hair, dark storm grey eyes, stood 6'5" tall and was slender, he wore a black suit and tie with a white shirt and shiny black shoes and a silver pocket watch and the family pin on his lapel proudly showing the family that he worked for. As Ren slid out of the car he would be wearing a set of black set of black shoes, black dress trousers, white shirt, white and red waistcoat, black blazer and what looked like a silver set of rosarys that connected to what appeared to be a silver cross with an amethyst in the centre, his short hair neat as normal. His crystal blue eyes looked to Lynus. "Park the car and get something to eat and some rest as I have no idea how long this meeting is going to be or even what it is about." he instructed the other knowing he'd likely get an earful from his father for separating from Lynus even for a short time outside an area deemed as secure but he didn't feel under attack, after all he was on his families property. With a nod Lynus done as he was instructed allowing the youth to enter the building, he walked quickly across the reception area nodding at the receptionist whom seemed to blushing. This to him was weird but he wasn't about to question it given he might be late and didn't know it, his father had no patience for lateness and usually even if you where five minutes earlier than what was asked for somehow you where still late in the mans books. Getting into the elevator he pushed the button for the board room fully unaware his brother was in the other elevator. That was until they would both meet inside the board room "Artemis?" he said in confusion almost hoping he had a clue about what was going on.

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Ren in honesty hadn't paid much attention to the background noise that was the elevator music, if anything it was annoying as hell white noise but had never complained about it as it seemed to make others happy. In honesty he believe that his family must have put subliminal messages within the music as everyone seemed to walk out of them in a weird mood regardless of how heated things were in meetings. Seeing his elder brother as the ding happened and the doors opened he couldn't help but smile a little seeing his eldest brother, it had been far to long since the two of them had been in the same area let alone the same room. It had seemed like time had treated his brother kindly and for this he was indeed glad, he did however wonder why his brother would be summoned to the company building in Crocus as usually everything was done by letter and call. Well he often heard people complaining that they couldn't get through to his elder brother, this only made him quietly chuckle as he had to remind them he was also a guild mage and that came with it's own responsibilities. He knew about his brothers reputation and had even seen his latest wanten conquest when he was in Magnolia a few months previously. He had remained quiet about the long haired red head given how the girl had been dressed and behaving if he had indeed told his family about it he was quite sure that his brother may have been disinherited or they would have forced him into marriage right there and then. Even then he was unsure if forced into a marriage if that would have stopped his playboy mannerisms.

Hearing his brother greet him his smile got brighter "It's been a while Artemis, guild life has been keeping you busy I guess... either that or they've been keeping me busy." he said his smile dimming, he hated just how much was on his shoulders given just how young he was, he had no chance to be a normal kid. "Yeah, I was just returning from a conference on behalf of the family." he said motioning to the binder in his hand "I was actually hoping to be home soon but I was called to the office by father. Do you have any idea what's going on?" he asked quietly hearing noise from the board room, it was clear he had no idea what the hell what was going on. He knew that his older brother didn't want anything to do with the family business, he wanted a free to live his life free from strive and the headaches of being a member of one of the powerful Dagger family, in honesty he didn't blame him but at the same time he was upset that his brother was allowed to run free and rampant doing as he liked within reason, while he was at home dealing with the slack. He would understand that if he was the families heir but he was the youngest meaning their older sister Pandora was more likely to be classed as an heir before he was. She was gifted with the families magic, from what he had heard she was a successful guild master but their family had traditions as old as time it seemed and refused to budge an inch from them no matter how any of them complained about them. From what he could understand the only reason that Pandora wasn't the heir was the fact that she was female, he still thought that was stupidly archaic but he wasn't in the position to call his family out on it.

The fact that he and Artemis had both been called meant two things, the first something happened that couldn't be ignored and the second was that they would be compared to one another. Gods that annoyed him, they were two different people nothing was going to change that no matter how much comparing their elders done in regards to them. Walking into the board room he was met with several members of the board one of them being Mr. Laine, their father's personal yes man in his personal opinion as he had never disagree with his father on anything. He seen his elder brothers personal lawyer at the table and looked to his brother "I'm surprised you didn't know about his promotion." he said walking around the table as his family started taking their seats leaning in and whispering something into their father's ear giving him the binder. Moving back he walked around the table taking the seat to the left of his brother, this made him right across from their cousin Gabriel, he was older than himself but he didn't trust him even a little though wore a smiled on his face hiding his contempt for the other being there.

As the meeting started he closed his eyes taking in the information commiting it to memory, he now knew what was going on and knew the lashing that was about to come with it and so moved uncomfortably in his chair. He really didn't want to be there his eyes open showing his discomfort, he seen Gabriel trying to hide a smug grin; how he would love to move over and knock it right off his face but that was out of the question... at least for the moment, he wanted to protect his brother. "If I may.." he begun taking a deep breath, he was the youngest in the room and right now he could feel all eyes on him more than a little anxious but swallowed it for now "Where the primary charge might indeed be correct we have no way to know just what happened for Artemis to do as he did, it would be wrong for us as gentlemen of means and reason to jump to conclusions without proof or knowing what started the events that happened." he said his crystal blue eyes turning towards his brother "And I am sure you have some sort of proof to show that you didn't kill forty-two members of your former guild and destroy the guild hall for a mere squabble, right?" he said knowing without such proof there would be little chance of winning such an argument regardless of how good a negotiator he was. "My elder brother might be many things, such as as a playboy but he is not a serial killer. He would not put me or any other family member in that kind of danger... he's not a dark mage." he said his voice though calm was slightly heated with the passion in trying to get them to see sense, he could feel Gabriel's delight on the matter as if his older brother got shamed and disinherited then it meant that he would be closer to the seat of power; if that happened the only thing that would be in the way of Gabriel's ascension to power would be him and he would rather not have a target on his back from his own family. Then again he would love to see someone try to get past Lynus he had been hand chosen by his grandfather meaning that he had to be extraordinary, as he knew personally just how high those standards were.

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Total Word count: 2,592

All Ren could do was smile weakly as his brother looked at the binder in his hand, he noticed the narrowing of his eyes though it was slight and looked down almost ashamed. Had he done something to upset the elder red head, he truly had no idea since it had been so long since the two had seen each other face to face. What he did know was that recently there had been a lot of the same look going on and he had absolutely no idea why, and this was something he knew better than to ask about as if he had time for that type of enquire he had enough time to make calls or deal with other matters. His eyes closed for a long moment, he was feeling exhausted he couldn't remember the last time he had a decent night sleep. He could feel his body in it's weary state wanting to give out on him due to the exhaustion he was feeling, it was only due to sheer will that he was still awake and standing. This was something he had gotten use to over the last several years, he knew it wasn't fair on him but it wasn't exactly like he could decline his family; could he? He knew from a very young age to be born with the name 'Dagger' meant you had responsibilities just seemed like some had more than others. "Have I upset you Artemis?" he finally asked as he opened his eyes looking to his older brother once more fear of letting him down seen in his eyes.

Feeling the elder red heads on his shoulder as he spoke didn't fill him with confidence, what was he about to find out? What was so wrong that his bother, the person he was closest to within the entire family wasn't giving him any information in what was so important that it couldn't wait until business hours. "Artemis, I don't like this." he admitted to the other in a small voice, he knew that most if not all areas within the building were under constant observation, he raised his hand to cover his mouth yawning briefly. He really wanted to be resting but alas this seemed like a pressing matter. It was then his mind clicked to what his brother had actually said and bit the inside of his cheek "What do you mean by that Artemis? You're not in serious trouble are you?" his voice showing true concern about what this could be about, he knew that his elder brother head was indeed quite often in trouble for smaller things, but nothing that could ever warrant a meeting of the board, it was normally handed by their father and grandfather to make the issue vanish. Then again he had been in Bosco for the last few months dealing with business, his university lessons had been don via lacrima links and his personal tutors sent to continue his education unhindered. He took his brother's wrist as he moved "Artemis, tell me what is going on? Let me help you... we're brothers, it's what we do... right?" he asked his voice pleading with his older sibling on this matter, he knew it would likely be for nothing but he would at least try and get the information so he wasn't caught unawares any further than he currently was.

The youth had listened to his father tare his older brother a new one after the charges had been read to the board, he hated when this stuff happened. It happened to often for his liking that was for sure, he wanted to stand up and bang on the table telling his father to stop it but what would that accomplish other than directing the anger for a short time. In the end he knew that his older brother would be blamed for the outburst, he didn't want to be the cause of that and so had given his argument calmly. He knew that doing it wasn't exactly the brightest idea he ever had given how harsh his father could be with his tongue lashings, but he was sleep deprived and his brother was being attacked without all sides of the story being known and so worked on his instincts regardless of how foolish it was on his part. He had noticed as he spoke his father seemed less than impressed and seen quite a few of the family and employees seem somewhat perplexed at what the youth could be thinking coming to the family failure's defence. Leaning back after he finished spoke his eyes closed once more as he could listen what would happen next, his right eye opened a little as the board room door opened and in walked in his personal butler Lynus. In his hand was a tea cup on a saucer in his other hand was a file, without a word he placed both in front of the youth before leaning in covering his mouth whispering something nodding his head "Make the arrangements for me then please Lynus." he said calmly keeping a keen ear on what was being said by his father. "As you wish young sir." with a hand going to his chest he bowed a little to both his young sir and to the head of the family before leaving without another word.

By the time the tall male had left it had seemed it was now his older brother's time to talk, picking up his tea he drank listening intently. The fact their father had been reading from a file meant that no evidence would have been needed as anyone in the employ of their family done a thorough job when dealing with reports. He had seen people be reprimanded and even fired for sloppy reports boy was he glad that he learned quickly because he would hate to see what would happen if he had been sloppy or done anything half baked given his schedule already. "Wait a sec... you're saying a legal guild filled with wizard saints wanted to take down the magic council? Where they insane?" he said in disbelief placing down his cup unable to believe what was going on, more so what it would be like if their family would be caught up in such a scandal. "They would have been deemed a dark guild and you a dark mage with them Artemis..." his voice sounded worried for his elder brother more than the family at that moment and it was reflected in his eyes, he knew logically his family would have wiped out any proof of a member of their family being inside a corrupt guild but again he was sleep deprived and not thinking as logical as he normally would be. Gabriel smirked a little seeing the disshuffled youth trying to play catch up with what everyone in the room already knew, it was clear to him that he shouldn't be at this meeting and was wondering what his uncle was thinking "Don't worry Apollo, as normal its been dealt with." he said trying to seem caring about his cousin, even tired Ren seen right through the bullshit but still played nice and nodded with a smile showing he understood. "That's a relief but why wasn't I told about this before today?" he enquired "Likely because you were away on business, but that's just my theory of it." he said back watching as his younger cousin picked up his tea once more and thumbed over the file that was in front of him. He hated the other, in his mind his own younger brother would have been better suited to be here. That they would have been better suited than the walking disaster that was Artemis and as he seen it pampered and spoilt Apollo but knew better than to rock the boat.

Word Count: 1,314
Total Word Count: 3,906

Ren was looking between his elder brother and his father, he was unsure what was going on but even he could see that their father even for a moment seemed to be proud of them both for standing their ground. As quick as it had come it seem to disappear which worried the younger of the two red headed brothers in attendance, in honestly he was just glad to see his father was proud of Artemis for a change; he was honestly sick and tired of hearing all the negative things that others seemed to come from the others about his elder brother. Who where they to judge him? It wasn't like they didn't have skeletons in their closets or without there own sins. He knew that his family had many secrets and knew that he had been kept out of the loop on so many, he thought this was just to keep him protected but he was starting to believe that was just him trying to fool himself on the matter. The one thing that kept him going was the fact that secrets would always eventually bubble to the surface no matter how much preparation had been done to keep it in the the closet they called home. It just bothered the youth some that he done so much and was still in the dark about a lot of things, his brother would have let him know he was sure if he was allowed to so the ruling either came from their father or grandfather and he wasn't stupid enough to challenge on that.

Ren turned his eyes to his elder brother and smiled "I'm glad you stood your ground Artemis, I would have hated to lose you." he said his voice calm and filled with pride that he had such an elder brother as he did. He could hear the slight whispered "If he's your role modal the company is doomed, you could do so much better." coming from his elder cousin Gabriel and tilted his head as he fixated his gaze on the elder red head, leaning forward he looked serious as he put an elbow on the table and leaned his own head in the palm looking somewhere between bored and annoyed at what he had heard "I'm sorry Gabriel, I didn't catch that perhaps it's something you want to share with the board? It seems kind of important." Ren said watching all eyes turn on the other a micro smirk appearing on his lips as he turned his eyes to his elder brother, knowing he would notice his brothers normal unnoticeable quirks "It was nothing, I was making a mental note for something later." he said quickly it was clear however with how he moved in his seat he hadn't expected anyone to hear his words let alone his youngest cousin. He was wondering how the hell they had such keen hearing, it seemed like a trait most of the head family seemed to hold on some scale. "Ah, yes. I'm like that quite often with my own busy scheduled, though I tend to jot it down instead of speaking out loud just in case it could be mistakenly misconstrued as me talking about another." he said knowing at that point his elder cousin would know he knew exactly what was said. "Thank you for the advice Apollo, I'll bare it in mind." he said trying to keep his calm but Ren could see the tension in Gabriel's jaw as he tried to force a smile, the anger in his eyes showed he wasn't happy about being called out especially by what he deemed as a spoilt brat.

His crystal blue eyes turned back to his father as he began to speak once more and sighed a little "In all respect father, you are giving Artemis a hard time over something that was out of his power." he said once again challenging his father on the matter, as he tried to defend his elder brother once more that was a perfect storm that was going to happen with or without Artemis there regardless. "He did not have the information that the company did and guilds like companies do not tell everyone everything." he continued leaning back a little with sigh as he tried to calm himself for doing this stupid action for the second time in the same meeting. "He may not have been at the station or rank to know what they had been planning, then there is additional factors such as having to deal with jobs for the guild that kept him out of touch for his guild for a while." he said trying to think of logical ways that his brother might not have had this information, he noticed that Gabriel was about to open his mouth to put in his unwanted opinion but shot him a look that dared him to and see what would happen afterwards and the other quickly shut his mouth. The young red head was fed up of everyone putting his brother down and was at the point that he wanted it to stop one way or another.

He listened to the rest of what his father said without another word on the things about the Black Rose incident, his eyes looked down as a folder appeared in front of him. He opened it the moment it did and began to carefully read everything, including the fine print if any to him it was clear that this was a nondisclosure agreement. He hated these things with a passion but understood that they were required in their word "I assume that Lynus has already signed one of these so I can talk freely about such things in front of him when I am in the car and talking to the board." he said taking the family pin he wore on his left collar of his shirt and pricked his finger with its sharp pin before putting it on the paper and placing the pin back in the rightful place as he watched the blood move into the family symbol showing his magical signature. After a moment he brought a pen out of his pocket and signed the paper also, he knew it was strange the first thing that he done but it was something he had done since he was very young and wasn't about to change it for anyone. After this was just an added security measure as far as he was concerned, a written signature could be forged easily with enough practice. It was true that blood could be stolen from a hospital but it never held any magical energy and everyone's magical signature was different. The youngest of the main Dagger branch wasn't known for leaving anything up to chance. "As it always has been Apollo" His father said in a matter of a fact way, this seemed to much for Gabriel to understand given what happened next.

"You speak business in front of your driver?" Gabriel couldn't help ask him, Ren nodded seeing no real issue in it "Yes, don't you?" he asked in a retort "That's foolish of you, some matters are sensitive." he rebuked making the youth's eyes flash red for the briefest second, he hated being called foolish on so many levels "First of all Gabriel I have had a seat on this board since I was ten, I know the do's and don'ts of the board so do not presume to think that I would do anything that I was not permitted by it..." he began as he stood up his hands firm and flat on the table showing he was more than a little irked right now "Second of all, Lynus is not only a driver for me. He is my butler and bodyguard when I am away from home... which he has done without fail since he took the position for close to thirteen years ago now, so show some respect to the man especially since he is not here to defend himself. That not being enough he is the closest thing I have to a true friend outside of the family" his verbal onslaught continued his eyes narrowed "And lets not forget it was grandfather himself that chose Lynus for such a task and so he acts as an extension of myself when I am sick or otherwise incapacitated due to other business matters or my education. He is prone to the same rules as I myself or any other person under the employ of this company and will not have him slandered; so if you have issue with Lynus and his tasks then please take it up with grandfather I'm sure he would love to hear the complaint personally" with that the youth sat back down once more taking a deep breath and picked up his tea reading over the paperwork that Lynus had brought in previously as if what had just happened never had. He really did hate his snake of a cousin and wish he would just jump out of the boardroom window before he threw him out of it for being so gods damn stupid and slimy.

He noticed that his cousin had his pen over the area meant for his signature, it was clear that the other didn't want to sign it most likely he wanted to use it as ammo at a later point. This was just run of the mill stuff for himself, Artemis and even the fore mentioned Lynus but it seemed like a new prospect to his cousin. He knew that he had no reason to comment on this as his father would deal with the issue, and smirked a little into the cup as he heard his father's threat and knew he would do it without a second thought. Hearing his father's word he placed down his cup down once more giving his full attention to his father, all he could contemplate this was the reason that he was summoned to the office when he should have been allowed to head home. He raised his hand to cover his mouth as he yawned "Please forgive me, it's been a long few days." he apologised to his father and the others at the table knowing how bad it made him look, he seen the micro smirk Gabriel gave believing the youth would be given into trouble for unprofessional behaviour. Hearing his father's announcement his eyes went wide his hand dropping as if he had just been hit by a fatal blow, his eyes looking to Artemis the colour draining from his cheeks as he had no idea how to take the news. He always believed his grandfather to be so strong that he would have had to have been dead before such a thing would have happened and even then he was quite sure he would have found a way to do business from the after life. He opened his mouth but nothing came, no sound, no words he was at a lose tears filled the youth's eyes. He was just glad his brother was at least able to get something out were he had failed.

His eyes looked to the paperwork in front of him, the paper wet with his tears bringing up his sleeve he wiped his eyes to try stop them this wasn't the vision of a Dagger child or a man of business. Hearing his cousin once again speak and the wish to sew his mouth shut ever growing he stabilised his breathing and regained some composure "Really? Are you that hungry for power that you have to ask that question when grandfather..." he just shook his head his head breaking as he spoke he couldn't believe they were related, if anyone else had asked he could have passed it off as just an innocent question but he knew to much about his cousins Gabriel and Thaddeus to believe that anything was innocent were they were concerned. Unlike Artemis who had slumped back on his chair Ren had pushed his cup and paperwork to the side his head going to the desk as he tried to get his head around what had just been sprung on them. This was to much for him, he was exhausted and it felt like his brain was trying to play catch up with the whole thing with Artemis without this added on top of it. He wanted it to be just something that his tired mind had came up with, he knew even in his tired state this wasn't the case. "Ar.. Arty..." he whispered the fact he never shortened his brothers name unless he was struggling with something would be well known to his older brother "H.. help.. I.. please.. help... I.. I.." he whispered trying to figure things out his hand going to his head.

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Total Word Count: 5,158

Ren looked to his brother seeing that he was being looked at and smiled faintly, he wanted the other to know that he wasn't stranded on an island that there were people who would stand by him no matter how mad things got. That seemed to be quite a lot of late though he knew that he hadn't known everything that his brother had gotten up to since they last seen each other. He had noted that many of the board seemed to have been swayed by the arguments brought forward by subtle movements, glances and micro expressions. He had taken lessons in profiling and micro expressions when he was younger not because he was told he had to, but they seen such things as genuinely fascinating, he also seen it as a helpful tool considering what his career path was to be. In fact he was sure these were still lessons his family had known he had taken as he had taken them in what little free time he had and had paid for them out of his allowance. Like he had thought it had came in handy when dealing with business but also helped assessing people in general and kept him out of making mistakes more than once, he just wished it would help him here but he was far to tired and so more reckless than he would usually be. He had noticed the expressions of Artemis's former personal lawyer Chester seemingly switching sides but part of him believed that he had always truly been on his elder brothers side, what surprised him was that their distant cousins Victor and Abraham seem impressed by the argument that had been made and changed their minds. He knew normally when someone in their family made their minds up it wasn't so easily swayed, so this was indeed quite a feat in the youth's mind.

Seeing his brother's movements after Gabriel's comment he was about to grab his brother's sleeve to get him to stop, the last thing they needed was for Artemis to go off the handle. He wondered if this was perhaps Gabriel's plan, if his older brother lost his cool in the board room while filled with not only family but board members he'd be disgraced. How would they be able to trust him to run the company one day if he was seen to be hot blooded? Almost instinctively even before anything else had been done, Ren's hand moved to his brother's sleeve as if to subtly hold him back, a gentle reminder that this wasn't the time or place for such things. His crystal blue eyes went to his brothers as he smiled weakly, his eyes almost pleading the other to take a deep breath and let the comment wash over him; they both knew slimy weasels always got their dues and when they did karma most often made them their bitch. Hearing their father's cough he couldn't help but look in the same direction as Artemis and seen the subtle shaking of his head, right then and there he knew that Artemis had been warned. He bit his lip a little and released his older brother's sleeve knowing if Artemis tried anything then he would regret it as his father wasn't known to tolerate fools especially within his own family.

His crystal blue eyes went back around the table for a moment as he took in those that where there, he read most of them like a book due to expressions or body language, when he got to his uncle Jasper however it was a lot different. The youth was convinced if he was a book his pages would appear blank and the secrets it held hidden from those undeserving to know, in honesty he was starting to wonder if anyone in the family knew anyone else. To many times it felt like cloak and daggers not just to outsiders but those in the family too, everything seemed to be need to know and very few were ever picked to have that know. Looking at his uncle Jasper he bit the inside of his own lip wishing that he knew what the elder male was thinking about the whole situation but then also part of him wanted to learn to do what he was currently doing, to be honest if he was a poker player he was sure his uncle would have been banned from doing poker because of how it was near impossible for him to be read by anyone. He started to wonder however why he sat to his father's left like he did to Artemis, was his role the same as his own or was there something more to it or it could be the fact he was reading to much into it. Whatever the reason he was sure it would all be revealed in time. He just wish he knew more about his family members, but he was always so busy and that frustrated him that most of the time when he seen them it was for business reasons.

He had once again came to his brothers defence of the matter ignoring Gabriel for now, to the youth he wasn't worth anymore effort than had been spent on him. He knew his elder brother's hearing was just as keen as his own, at this point he was unsure if it was just something he and Artemis had for some strange reason or if it was a family trait. Then again he was unsure if he would want it to be the latter it unnerved him to think that someone could always hear his off cut comments, then again he always watched his words when in public as was expected from their family. Hearing his father's voice that was more than enough to tell him he overstepped the line even by a toe and bit the inside of his cheek as he took in his fathers words looking down "Yes father, I understand and apologise for my actions and reactions." he said calmly knowing it was the best course of action not wanting encourage any further anger from his father. "I didn't mean to shame the family or myself." he added to the end, he knew the chances of him being removed permanently from the board was slim but he knew he would end up in the mail room for a while at the very least if he didn't put himself into check. "Thank you for helping me learn further father." was the final thing he said on the situation knowing he was going to get punishment regardless, so was bracing himself for another late night doing paperwork. He knew that Gabriel was enjoying seeing the spoiled golden child being knocked down a few pegs but even he seemed surprised how Ren seemed to have lost his fire and became extremely submissive to his father.

Gabriel's red eyes moved to make direct contact with Artemis as much as he hated his cousins he was concerned because he had never once seen the youngest being publicly reprimanded, so seeing him act in such a way that almost seemed un-Dagger like concerned him. The look in his eyes were the questions of 'is this normal? Is he okay? and What the hell just happened?' he of course was unsure if he would get acknowledgement let alone an answer but he was concerned and it showed. Ren kept his eyes cast down as his elder brother spoke to him, it was almost like was ashamed to look at anyone at current. This was a trait that he had from when he was very young when he was told off by one of his seniors or felt like he had been an embarrassment to the family and what it stood for. He wasn't sure why he acted in such a way, it had always been as such for as long as he remembered and often worried if there was something wrong with him but had never voiced his concerns. Ren wanted to speak up again and argue the fact because there was no way in his mind that Artemis had all the information or he would have personally left and let the family deal with the issue quietly, it was just their family looking for some dumb reason to make him a scapegoat for something they had likely done. He knew better than to voice his opinions on the matter and just nodded a little "I understand Artemis, I wish it could have been different..." he cut himself off almost as if he knew he was going to say something that he shouldn't.

He knew that when it came to Gabriel their father wouldn't step in on the issue of Lynus, he wasn't to sure if he didn't see it as his problem or if he wanted to see if Ren would step up like a business man and put another in their place. He was being groomed to be his elder brothers advisor and to deal with things that their family believed he was to tactless for, in his own mind that was just stupid as where his brother might not have been as keen minded as himself he certainly wasn't a fool as much as he enjoyed playing one it seemed. It wasn't like he could fault his brother on that, he understood what it meant to want freedom away from the family name and be your own person and he would never wish to strip that freedom from his elder brother. This is why he complied he believed with the unreasonable demands placed upon him, his eyes closed a little as he smiled weakly as he thought something to himself; a promise he had made years ago and never spoke out loud. Regardless that had come to an end as he verbally assaulted his older cousin into submission, he watched him squirm in his seat and didn't give a damn there was a few things you never done and he had done one of them so deserved everything that was said to him. He knew such a thing normally should have been done in private and out of the sight of others but he guessed this was allowed to continue to show that he was indeed a force to be reckoned with thus taken seriously despite his young age. Feeling Artemis's eyes on him he turned his attention to his brother to see the smile and wink making him smile too, he knew that his elder brother had approved of his actions; he felt like he had gotten justice for them both in that moment. His eyes diverted however as he heard his uncle Jasper whispered words, the tone he could tell was hostile that alone sent the sensation of someone's finger going up his spine causing him to shudder a little. He was starting to wonder if it was a trait that their grandfather had passed down to their own fathers, what he was now starting to call 'the scary gene'. he knew there was no such thing but still they were both intimidating in their own ways.

By now the news of their grandfather, the one that all the grandchildren had thought invisible and eternal had relinquished the reigns to not only the company but as the head of the family to his own father. He knew it was a terrible thing to think but what if this hadn't been of their grandfather's choice, what if this had been forced by his own father. Keeping his head on the table he shook his head as if trying to get such foolish thoughts out of his head, his father would have never been idiotic enough to challenge for the company he would had been squashed under his grandfather's power for sure. This had to have been all done legitimately but still why so sudden? Why wasn't their grandfather there to give the information in person? Why had the papers been signed away from the eyes of others? There where so many unanswered questions for the youth and between the exhaustion, the issue with his brother, dealing with Gabriel and the announcement it had all been to much for him. He felt so weak right now, his body felt like it had lead on it and so couldn't move. Once again he heard his uncle Jasper's voice suggesting that he and Artemis be dismissed given how badly they had taken the news, his grandfather wasn't known to be the most affectionate of people and even at a young age he was criticised by the man were others had praised him. It actually made him believe that there may have been something wrong with him, that he wasn't good enough for the family and whatever roll he would end up obtaining so pushing passed his limits.

He remembered one time he was training and had pushed so far passed what he should have that it had all went black, next thing he knew he was in his bed with his older brother asleep in a chair as if he had been watching over him the entire time. He remembered the questions of what he was doing and why and the fact he was called an idiot for trying to live up to expectations that would never be reached because something else would be wrong or the bar would be raised higher and so always out of reach. He always said he would reach the bar no matter how long it would take to gain grandfather's approval, to this day he still didn't know if his elder brother ever told his parents what was wrong. Then again it hadn't been the first time that he had collapsed because of pushing, he quite often skipped a meal or seemingly went nights with little to no sleep and it had taken its toll on him. Even though the blame was squarely on his family he never once blamed them, in fact he blamed himself for not being more time efficient and not doing better. He knew that this irked Artemis to no end but it was how he had been conditioned from a very young age, he couldn't put his finger on it but it was almost as if they had shortened the leash and tightened the collar on him after how Artemis had turned out. Then again he guessed that could be for a number of reasons such as his safety or something else, he didn't really see his brother in the same light others did but a caring and loving older brother who would protect him the best he could when he could. He honestly couldn't ask for a better brother and hero in his mind. With Lynus around he doubted he was in any danger so there had to be more to the reason he was wrapped in bubble wrap, never left alone and was kept on his tight schedules.

Hearing his father's words about outbursts he sat up trying to regain some composure he was still trying to push back the tears, he really wasn't taking the news all to well his eyes cast down "Again father I am sorry for my behaviour, I will do better in the future..." he whispered quietly, once again it was almost like his submissive streak hard returned. He hated feeling like he was a disappointing the family, he knew better and internally scolded himself for something doing things he knew would never fly; why was he acting out like he was? He just couldn't understand it. Feeling the warmth of his older brothers hand on his wrist he looked at him his eyes soft, the other would see the tears he was trying to push back. "I know Artemis, but he always seemed so strong... like he had so much time before this happened." he said gently as he tried to work it through, he knew his elder brother's instincts had clicked in and he was doing everything that he could to help him through the shock. He listened to Artemis as he asked his question and then their father's reply, it honestly did make him think something bad might have happened as both himself and his elder brother knew that this wasn't like their grandfather at all. "Artemis, I think I have a day or two free this coming week; would you like to come visit grandfather with me? If you say yes then I can give Lynus a day off because I'd be with you." it had been a while since he himself had seen the elder male so could easily use that as excuse not to seem like he was doubting things, then again he didn't know if his father would permit him to be away from Lynus when away from the places the family deemed as 'safe zones' even if he was with Artemis. Then again part of him thought his own family seen his older brother as a threat to not only him but the family in general with how he acted. "It's been a while since I've seen him, I'm always busy and times I am not he seems to be..." his crystal blue eyes moving to his brother he tried to keep his emotions under control, he didn't know if the other was suspicious but he certainly was. "With his retirement I could see him more frequently or at least that's my hope." he said with a smile hoping his brother would catch on to why he was saying all these things, he knew there was no love loss between Artemis and really anyone within the family but still not everything was adding up in the teens head and he wanted the whole truth for a change. He was sick of all the half truths and shadow play his family seemed so good at, they expected him to be an adult from a young age in the eye of the public but still hid things from him as if he was a normal child. In his mind it was time for them to make up their minds on what he was or he'd make it for them regardless of the consequences that came from it.

Word count: 3,057
Total personal word count: 8,215
Total job word count: 14,293
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