hunched over a desk with a bottle of pain pills and a glass of tequila, he works on paperwork. weeks and weeks of things had piled up or been pushed to the side, and now they needed tending. he grunts, placing the stump awkwardly to the side, feeling the phantom hand ache.

he doesn't look up even as the familiar voice rings. but, when did he ever?

"the wonders of modern medicine." it's dry and distant, distracted. "why are you here, boy?"

gabrielle black

the dynamic, no matter how oppressive his father may be, is different than it was in sinnoh. briefly, uri wonders who he has to thank for that.[break][break]

"just came to see how you were doing. check up on you, and all that."[break][break]

he approaches the desk, gesturing to the bottle.[break][break]

"you're not supposed to be taking those with alcohol."

[attr="class","ooc"]GABRIEL BLACK[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp"]

gabriel pauses with his pen mid-stroke, and looks up to his son. Pushing himself to his feet with his one arm, he towers over the oldest of his brood. the shadow he casts over uriah is more than a trick of the light. it spoke volumes about their relationship as a whole.

"did i miss something, boy? did seeing my missing arm somehow clue you into the idea that you could lecture me?" eyes narrow and nose flares.

"were you perhaps thinking you could speak back to me now?"

URIAH BLACK

don't.[break][break]

"i wasn't—"[break][break]

don't cower.[break][break]

"i wasn't lecturing you. i'm just worried, that's all."[break][break]

stand your ground for once you idiot.[break][break]

"we thought we lost you for a sec."

[attr="class","ooc"]GABRIEL BLACK[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp"]

"yet you did not show up at the hospital." he says flatly, wrapping the accusation up in bows of apathy and disregard.

in truth he preferred the isolation of his stay, and didn't mind in the slightest that his oldest didn't visit. mostly. the weakness he showed was... not something uriah should've seen.

"rest assured my... sabbatical has proved insightful. i've come to realize one thing that's truly important. do you know what that is, boy?"

URIAH BLACK

"i was undercover."[break][break]

his father not knowing is a little surprising, considering how the man usually has his hands in everything. but perhaps gabe's sabbatical took more out of him than uri realizes.[break][break]

he takes a step closer, approaching.[break][break]

"family?"

[attr="class","ooc"]GABRIEL BLACK[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp"]

"no," he says firmly, tossing aside the mans undercover comment like he'd been doing his son's entire life. gabriel's jaw steeled, gaze falling to the first of his brood with a level of coldness rarely felt.

"that you are not fit to carry the legacy of this family."

...

"none of you are."

URIAH BLACK

shocker.[break][break]

quietly, uriah wonders why it took his father this long to come to that conclusion when it should've been more than obvious years ago. none of them are fit to carry on whatever legacy gabe speaks of.[break][break]

"i guess our legacy will die with you."[break][break]

he could try and argue that gabrielle black has the best chance out of all of them to be molded into whatever gabe wants, but what's the point?[break][break]

they are their own people.

[attr="class","ooc"]GABRIEL BLACK[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp"]

"our legacy?" his voice noticeably angers this time, thinning into something cold and dangerous. "do not mistake the family name as something you can use when you wish, boy."

gabriel rounds the desk to stand in-front of his son. his breath comes out as a hiss, and beneath the dangerous cowl, he feels his muscles shake under the effort of not losing all of his shit right now.

after a moment, he turns and moves to look out the far window behind him, chest rising and following with controlled effort.

"who let you in, anyways?"

URIAH BLACK

uri tenses as his father approaches. the shifting of his gaze is the only indication of his discomfort. but it passes as gabe steps away.[break][break]

he exhales.[break][break]

"your assistant."[break][break]

a lie, really, as he had walked in like he owned the place. he might someday. likely not, considering how things between him and his father are going. gabe's wealth would likely go to some charity instead of his kids.[break][break]

"who's taking over for you, then? after you pass."

[attr="class","ooc"]GABRIEL BLACK[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp"]

he doubts sorely that iseult babineaux would let his children in without his express command. that was a sore spot for him, and she knew that. especially after his most recent outburst.
[break][break]
but, uriah's next question strikes at the heart of the matter, but gabe doesn't falter. not even when he says what he does next.
[break][break]
"no one," he answers, not even bothering to turn and look at his son. "no one will inherit the company. it will die with me."

[attr="class","notes"]URIAH BLACK[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

uriah doesn't particularly care about the company. he's grown indifferent to it after years of unrealistic expectations and pressure that would break most.[break][break]

he stares at the back of his father's head.[break][break]

"which charity did you pick for your money?"

[attr="class","ooc"]GABRIEL BLACK[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-machamp"]

"i don't know." it's a rare moment; gabriel rarely voices when he isn't sure. then again, was this a moment where it really mattered?
[break][break]
"i've left the vast majority to your mother." his reflection, should uriah see, would reveal gabriel's face is a stoic, glazed over expression. "there will be a good portion for the education of your younger siblings, too."
[break][break]
he turns to face his son again.
[break][break]
"suggestions for the rest?"

[attr="class","notes"]URIAH BLACK[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉