On the floor, sitting by the coffee table in the living room with Fang is where Tanah is. They're currently, or rather, supposed to be discussing about their project for a school assignment. The cap-wearing boy knows he should be concentrating and putting more effort into the discussion seeing as how, for a while now, Fang is the only one who keeps talking and planning things out while he just nods stiffly with stuttered 'yes' and 'sure' every now and then. But he just can't..! Especially not when...
Tanah's hand twitches by his side on the floor.
He can just feel it. Eyes boring into the back of his head and he can't help but move rather stiffly. Feeling nervous and sweating. Wary and downright uncomfortable.
He is also internally blaming his brothers for making Fang and him unable to do the project at their home instead of Fang's place where his older teen brother is here and is killing him with his unforgiving eyes. Why all his 6 brothers choose to take up basically every space in the house instead of just go outside and play TODAY of all days, is beyond him.
The living room is occupied by his two brothers in blue. Air being sprawled on the couch, sucking on his straw unnecessarily loud while Angin is taking up the space on the armchair, his recently injured leg propped up and is surfing through the channels on TV. Fang and him can't possibly work in that noisy environment, no sir.
His bedroom that he shares with Angin and Petir is being conquered by Solar in his ever so stunningly dazzling glory. The boy in strikingly pearly white and flashy yellow clothing had claimed that he's using their room instead of the one that he shares with Thorn, Api and Air because their (Tanah, Petir and Angin's) room isn't facing in the direction of the Sun's rays. Solar had said, even with the curtains drawn, the sunlight will still be able to penetrate through the flimsy fabric of the curtains in the room he shares with the others, and he NEEDS the room to be dark – well, somewhat dark enough– to be able to do his light-based experiment (which he's doing just for his love of bright, blinding rays).
There's no way Tanah could kick him out when he had looked so passionate and excited about it that morning. That, and how Solar had also claimed that Ocho (their pet cat) wants in on it too. The 'laser light show' part of the whole thing, anyway. "Ocho is really pumped about this and can't wait to catch those aliens (really just LED laser pointers)," Solar had said, holding their beloved kitty up.
As for Solar, Thorn, Api and Air's room... Thorn is in there, nursing one of his plants. This brother of his had claimed that one of his beloved English Ivy is not doing so good (aren't they supposed to be low maintenance or something? What does he even mean by 'not doing so good'?) and now he's blasting different kinds of soothing 'remedial' music whilst cooing to the plant in question.
Tanah as well as all his other brothers know how prickly Thorn can get when one of his beloved plants' well-being is at stake. So unless you're looking for a fight, it'd be best to just let him be until he's cooled down (that is, when he is sure his plant is finally in tip top shape again)
The kitchen is taken by the red duo. Just kidding. But really though. Api had made an assertion of his intent to make dinner for today just this morning during breakfast. Everyone thought that he might've gotten a screw loose. I mean, when has he ever cooked in his entire life?!
Petir takes it upon himself to be the responsible one (again) and is monitoring the little ball of hyperactive energy they call a brother in his endeavor to prepare them dinner.
His words with Petir that afternoon went exactly as so, "I don't mean to sound like the distrustful one, but I honestly think Api wants to cook mostly because he gets to handle fire with a valid reason." "Oh man, I think you might be onto something.." Tanah would've offered to keep an eye on him too if he doesn't have this whole project thing he has to do with Fang today going on.
Tanah bites his bottom lip. Oh geez...
Fang notices the uneasiness in his friend and project partner's demeanor and purses his lips with the shake of his head. Dark spiky locks swaying with the movement. He's tired of this and he finally decides that enough is enough.
"Big brother, please stop 'checking up' on us already," Fang murmurs as he pretends not to look like he's disturbed by this stiff and unwelcome aura in the living room as much as he really is.
His older brother, Kaizo, had situated himself by the pathway to the kitchen, leaning against the wall roughly 7 minutes ago and he is still there. Under the pretense of 'checking up' on his little brother and his friend's progress, the older spiky haired male takes to scrutinize every little thing the boys do. Silently judging them as well, most probably.
"You can't tell me what to do, Pang.. Not when father and mother have put me in charge of you." The eldest male in the room says as-a-matter-of-factly.
There it is again. That little nickname that has grown to be a rather irksome fixture in his life. Ever since his early childhood days when Fang still had trouble getting his pronunciations right, he had always mispronounced his name with it sounding more like a 'Pang' than a 'Fang' in the cutest way imaginable. That happened way back when Fang was full of naivety that came with being a small child. Completely oblivious, unaware of his continuous mistake that'll be brought up over and over again, and play as a curse on him for many years to come.
This is because Kaizo, along with their parents had taken to calling Fang in such a way. 'Oh, Pang' is what they'd say or something of equally embarrassing nature. Although now his parents have eased up (just a little bit) on calling him that mortifying pet name, Kaizo still shoves the unpleasant label more than an ample of times straight into his little brother's face like an irritable poke to the forehead. So much for brother dearest.
However, Fang knows he only has himself to blame for the whole existence of 'Pang' since it was born from his own - as one would say- 'stupidity' and 'incompetence'.
Fang narrows his eyes and looks at his brother suspiciously. Fang can't tell if his brother is being serious or not. He decides to voice out his doubt.
"When have they ever done that?"
"When they had brought me into this world before you."
Fang looks at his brother, baffled by his answer. Tanah is looking at him too at this point (or rather, is glancing at Kaizo from the corner of his eyes without properly facing his head in his direction for fear of being stared down again by the teen)
"You're kidding, right..?" Fang tries.
Kaizo simply chuckles at his brother's reaction. Opting to ignore Fang's question with a gesture of waving a single hand as if dismissing a child, he proceeds to say, "Really though, I am quite curious as to what you're planning on creating for your little 'project' here, Pang."
"I ... Don't think I need to tell you. Why does it concern you anyway?"
"I'm hurt, Pang. I do, too, care about what you do. I feel betrayed that you won't even tell me, your big brother, while choosing to just keep it to yourself and that..."
Kaizo turns to glare at Tanah who jolts at the sudden look of pure intolerance being shot his way, "... unskilled little friend of yours."
Tanah squares his shoulders and actually turns to face Kaizo and their eyes lock in an intense stare, fear of the older spiky haired male thrown out the window.
"I am not unskilled..! What gives you the right to look down on me?" The cap-wearing boy demands indignantly. Kaizo remains quiet, his eyes narrowing and lips in a thin line of distaste. The single sound of Kaizo snapping his fingers resounds in the living room and all too suddenly-
BARK!
Tanah swears that it feels like his heart is making a run for it out through his throat that very moment. That, as well as it feels like it's dead and has stopped beating for a short moment while trying to do so. Three words; Major. Heart. Attack.
Lahap, Kaizo's ever so loyal, slobbering dog has barked right into his unsuspecting ear. And the ringing is still there! When did the mutt even get here?! Or entered the perimeters of the living room anyway? Last time he saw, upon his arrival at the spiky haired brothers' not so humble abode, Lahap was fast asleep in the front lawn with a worn out chew toy sticking under its bulk.
Tanah gulps and opts to back away from the now growling dog, deeming that it's probably safer to make space. Ever so slowly.
He lets his shoulders go slightly lax once he feels his back hitting the knee of one of Fang's crossed legs. Fang has a good mind to push Tanah away by the shoulder but he doesn't have it in him. Not when he knows just how vicious and scary his brother's dog can appear added with Tanah's slight fear of dogs. He can sympathize.
Smooth voice of the older male is again heard in the form of a low, cool chuckle. Fang's eyes are now on his brother again and this time he dares to narrow his eyes in a show of anger, glowering. Kaizo notices the silent threat being thrown his way by his little brother and his chuckling, a natural display of being entertained at his little brother's friend's expense ceases.
He quirks an eyebrow and smirks, nonetheless."Something the matter, Pang?" He taunts, not even bothering to mask his still present amusement.
"Enough of this... brother." Fang forces out, fists clenching and unclenching irately, yet also in uncertainty. He's not used to telling his brother off, neither does he wish to act against him, but Fang certainly cannot and will not just stand by as his brother picks on his friend. No way. He's torn between his loyalty to his brother and defending his friend. Both matter, one just as much as the other.
Fang purses his lips as Kaizo goes stony faced, snapping his fingers for the second time that evening. Lahap ceasing its growling in an instant.
No longer being distracted by the thought of potentially being mauled to death by Lahap, Tanah finally catches how Kaizo is slowly approaching both him and Fang. How Kaizo's face is fixed in a way that's void of emotion. Tanah also doesn't miss how tense Fang had become as his eyes lock with his looming elder brother's.
Tanah got on his knees the moment Kaizo is too close for Fang's comfort (and probably safety), bringing his arm up in front of Fang in a defensive manner, guarding him from whatever his brother might bring upon him. Seeing as how the slight tremor in Fang appears to be present now, Tanah suspects Kaizo might pull something that'll compromise both, his and Fang's safety. Tanah thinks briefly, if Kaizo beats his own little brother up whenever he pleases and for whatever reason as much as he likes, then Tanah might just lose it and try to take down the teen then and there. Really now, his fear of the older teen that he had a few minutes ago just dissipated and has vanished in its entirety.
A hand that's too fast for him to catch grasps him by the shoulder and without warning, he's unceremoniously pushed aside with enough force to send him falling over on his side. Though it hardly hurts, the alarm in Tanah's mind is going haywire, saying how it WILL hurt for Fang if he lets Kaizo get to him.
Too late. Eyes wide as he's lying on the floor, he takes in how Kaizo is on his knee, one of his hands on Fang's bowed head, fingers grasping his little brother's dark locks.
Unbeknownst to Tanah, the grip Kaizo has on Fang is nothing close to severe or painful. Fang had looked down in fear of what is to come and he far from expects Kaizo pulling his head up to face him with little effort only to plant a chaste kiss on his forehead. Fang blinks once.
"Wow, Pang. You've matured, huh?" His older brother is smiling at him and Fang is just sitting there, blinking up at him, perplexed. Tanah is silent, blinking owlishly as well at this point, still in his position on the floor.
"Uh- I - Uhh-" Fang is struggling for words as his brain tries to compute what had just happened. Kaizo gets up before Fang can even get a coherent sentence out of his stuttering mouth, tossing a look at Tanah one last time before proceeding to saunter off into the kitchen, Lahap in tow.
Once the two are out of sight, Tanah slowly sits upright, eyes on Fang. "What was that?"
Fang quickly snaps to face Tanah, his face burning with sheer embarrassment. "Nothing!" The bespectacled boy says all too quickly. Defensively.
"Lets just get back to the project already, you dolt," Fang is quick to change the situation and turns his attention back to the pieces of papers scrawled with ideas and points, scattered in front of him on the coffee table. Tanah looks at Fang with a slant frown, he really does wish to get more of an explanation about what had just happened between Fang and his brother, but in all honesty, he knows getting it out of Fang will be far from easy. So he concedes and chooses to leave that matter of questioning for another day.
As much as Fang would love to get his mind to work on the project right now, he finds it difficult what with the whole thing Kaizo just pulled off. Of course, his older brother showing him any semblance of love is not unheard of, Kaizo can be and really is a caring and loving brother behind all that intolerable, high and mighty kaiser side of him that he puts up more often than not. However, Fang never receiving blows from him as a form of 'disciplining' is a far cry from reality as well.
It's just that, just then, Fang had strongly assumed his brother is more likely to beat the lights out of him rather than kiss him right in front of his friend.
Just as Tanah is about to voice out his part on the project at hand, Fang groans, running an agitated hand down his face. That successfully makes Tanah keep his trap shut momentarily.
"Hey, Pang."
The two boys turn their attention – Fang doing so reluctantly– to the direction of the kitchen where Kaizo is leisurely making his way out of. The older male takes a bite out of a pastry he presumably had taken from the kitchen. One hand holding the food to his mouth, the other, tossing a similar looking one to Lahap trotting by his side. The dog practically inhales the food in one go.
"Hope you don't mind." He says ever so simply, smirking through his mouthful of food as he goes up the stairs with his dog not far behind.
Tanah is about to ask, what's up THIS time, when Fang abruptly slams his hands on the coffee table causing it to shake, making his pencil that's on top of it to roll right off. The pencil falls to the floor with a light thud, but the sound is drowned out by the more alarming sound of Fang scrambling to his feet, knocking his knee against the table in the process.
Tanah is left alone in the living room as the younger spiky haired brother runs up the stairs in top speed.
"Honestly?" Tanah asks to no one in particular, a comical sweat drop forming at the top of his head. He shakes his head as Fang's voice resounds from a distance above, claiming,
"That's MY carrot donut, Kaizo!"