Summary: A really short fic about Noahtok facing his father.
Rating: K+
Word Count: 482
Note: I had to repost this because I accidentally deleted it! Sorry. ;~;
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The night’s frost came and bit at the corners of Noahtok’s face as he lay his aching body down to rest.
He was done with training for the day, but his brother was not. His father was determined to improve Tarrlok’s skills, so he decided to treat him to some one-on-one training time. Unfortunately, his younger brother’s bending would never suffice.
Noahtok could hear his father now.
“Why can’t you do it right?” and “I’ve showed you hundreds of times. Can you not get anything right?”
He witnessed the flow of Yakone’s words every day. They left his mouth with ease- as if he did not feel a meager ounce of pity or regret when he spoke them.
“Worthless,” his father muttered to himself as he trudged his way back indoors, leaving Tarrlok in the cold outskirts of their home.
“Your brother is a failure” his father barked, his voice gnarled with annoyance.
Noahtok only stared at his father without a reply.
Yakone’s voice was stern. “Lying around and doing nothing? I let you off this early, and you waste your time like this?”
He continued. “Child, doing nothing is for fools. You’re not a fool like Tarrlok, are you?”
Noahtok did not break his stare, his beady eyes basking in his father’s fury.
“No answer?” He scowled. “Don’t you dare go about thinking that you’re higher than me. You will never be higher than me, no matter what. Answer me!”
But Noahtok kept silent.
“The kid can’t even speak! You are a fool. A failure, just like your brother. You were born for a sole purpose— to obey me.” Yakone inched his way closer to his son. His voice gradually became louder and louder with each step. “Who do you even think you are?”
With a whisper, the young waterbender managed to let out, “I’m your son, and so is Tarrlok.”
Yakone’s words clustered together and then came to a cease. And with that, the sounds of his fists against Noahtok’s body replaced those of his voice. He striked. Again and again and again, harder and louder each time.
Father versus son. Like an Agni Kai, except with a fist and the vengeance and frustration that fueled his father against a helpless teenage boy.
Noahtok knew that the violence was not meant for him. It was meant his brother. But Yakone would risk hitting an eleven-year-old, for hitting Tarrlok would risk Yakone’s true identity to be leaked to his wife because Tarrlok would most likely go crying to his mother. Instead, he found the most similar thing to Tarrlok- Noahtok.
“One day,” Noahtok promised himself, “one day… Tarrlok and I will make it out of here.”
Noahtok just sat still and attempted to tune out the pain, with only the sound of each impact to break the silence. There was nothing else he could do.
He was used to it, anyway.
