Renaer vs Atka - Take 2

I dragged myself back into the Yawning Portal late that night. Mamnen was clearly losing it and gaining something significant at the same time. I had a terrible feeling I was going to have to fight him, subdue him, or worse... My feelings are usually not wrong in these matters, and I wonder if he feels similarly when he thinks on me and my ability.
 
The tavern was still bustling--guess I wasn't as late as I thought. I scanned the room for anyone I knew, and saw some of my party relaxing at a table and carousing, but not all or even most. They weren't who I was looking for. Then my eyes locked with his: Renaer's. He sat at a separate table with Volo and Floon, who were obviously talking with him and my arrival had truly interrupted his involvement jarringly. Great, I thought, I probably will get chastised for that. Not really knowing what else to do, I half-smiled and waved slightly, curling my fingers lazily.
 
I saw him lean into the table, whisper something to the effect of "Excuse me" and make a bee-line straight for me. I bit my lower lip like I was in trouble. What should I tell him about Mamnen? Should I even at all? I quickly walked out of the way of the entrance and met him in the middle.
 
"Are you alright?" I asked him. "Yesterday was...pretty surprising. I am sure you weren't prepared to meet and experience my exceptional brother." I joked, hoping that's as far as it would go.
 
"Me? I'm fine. Are you alright? Did you find out what he did to you?" Renaer was eyeing me up and down like I was storing the ability in my traveler's clothes. I sighed and shook my head. "He led you off into the crowd, we don't see you for an entire day, and now you appear before me looking like you haven't slept and a ghost walked through you."
 
"Wow, I sound really attractive..."
 
"Atka--"
 
"Listen, I expect you to trust my ability to handle my family and whatever they throw at me, even the surprising bits," I said. He looked unconvinced. I was unconvinced. I'm a terrible liar. I'm better with dice; this is why I don't play cards. The first look he gave me was disgust, which I visibly saw him shake off and re-approach as concern,
 
"He was prepared to do irreversible things in public. Like, kill me. To prevent you from how you're feeling about my dad. Atka, I don't like you, but I would never tell you how to feel about my dad--I would tell how I feel, and I believe I have, and how I feel about how you feel, but to attempt to control your feelings? That's manipulative and controlling."
 
I grit my teeth a bit as I took it all in, eyeing the ceiling. I suddenly grinned and shook my head, eyes dropping to the ground. "Mamnen is not manipulative and controlling. He just cares about me."
 
"Funny way of showing it. He uses unspeakable abilities on you to prevent natural action, then when you protest his natural action, he silences you--or attempts to."
 
"Just stop, alright? He's my TWIN. I think I know his character a little better than you."
 
"Really? When was the last time you saw him?"
 
"About an hour ago." I said confidently as though I beat the game. He gave me a look. "Fine! Like almost 20 years or something, I don't know. But we're very close."
 
"Are or were? You write letters all the time. Any of them to him?"
 
"Him?" My mind was immediately on Dagult Neverember. He was my 'him.' "Oh, Mamnen? No. I never write letters to him... and we are--were--Look, we just got into a spat when we were young that I never recovered from. It's my fault."
 
"Hells, I've had lots of childhood spats. I wouldn't say that any were definitively my fault." Renaer said, and just looked at me. I placed a hand on my navel. He was...sad for me? But why?
 
"I guess you're better than I am to have such self-control that you don't create your own problems uniquely."
 
"Uh," Renaer blinked confused and cocked his head slightly, "what now? I didn't say anything about that at all. I just meant that most spats in childhood or youth--or even adulthood--are rarely one person's fault. It takes two to dance together." I swallowed hard and remembered what I said to my brother about resembling a devil and then the image of him holding Renaer up to his face by the collar came flooding back. His expression. Ire's expression in my dream. Mamnen's behavior was rather devilish.
 
A whistle and a snap in my face.
 
"What?"
 
"Where did you go? I was talking to you." Renaer said. I rolled my eyes, instantly tired of his nonsense.
 
"Go home."
 
"And we're back to square one. You're stubborn as all get out." Renaer sighed. "Just remember, I only have so many olive branches, Miss Secret."
 
"STOP CALLING ME THAT." I announced loudly and was met was his back walking away.