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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 27, 2008 15:09:25 GMT
It’s been almost two more weeks now, and still nobody’s heard a thing about my brother and niece – whether they’re alive, whether they’re okay. I imagine we’ll have a good shouting if/when he comes back in one piece.
But in the meantime, it is the highly esteemed opinion of my little sister that I need to get out more. And, while I do have suspicions that she really meant ‘give us a break from the kids whether it’s good for you or not,’ I can kind of see her point. Although maybe Diagon Alley was not the best idea.
”Ooh! Whoa! Was that a hag?!”
It’s Micheal shouting again. As always. He’s a five-year-old boy who rarely sees the wizarding world even though he is one, ‘cause his family are freaks who like muggles better. And he also has no concept of politeness. Totally normal, I suppose, but no less annoying.
I close my eyes briefly, shaking my head. “Micheal, that’s an old lady, no different from your grandmother. But she can probably turn you into a toad if you’re rude.”
He shrugs at that, completely nonchalant, and then starts making airplane noises with his arms held out to his sides.
Duh, Arden. He’d be thrilled.
“Or a little girl,” I say quickly, and he freezes. “Actually… I bet that’s exactly what she’d do. Turn you into a little girl so that you’ll be nice and quiet like Isobel.” I shake my niece’s hand as if to remind us both she’s still here, and the curly-headed two-year-old looks up at me and smiles in that bland, always close-mouthed way she has.
If Katie were still with us, like she always used to be, I’m sure she would be glaring impressively at this point and kicking Mike repeatedly for the drawn-out “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwww!” that he produces at the thought of becoming a girl. But apparently they’ve had a falling out while I was gone – some kind of little-kids’ drama that involves Dahlia’s kids – and so she was not invited.
It’s still normal, though. Pretty much. It’s not like she was with us all the time.
And at least my nephew’s started speaking to me again, even if it is to ask if people are hags. I find myself smiling as we keep walking along, looking for “that froufrou shop” that Isobel likes so we can get something for her upcoming birthday. Lilith was definitely right, I guess. Normal is good.
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 28, 2008 2:16:40 GMT
Shell was walking down Diagon Alley with her arms full of bags and boxes as Isaiah had a lot more bags in tow. "Mum, why do you start your christmas shopping so early?" he mumbles nearly dropping a bag or two in the process. "Because I buy what I can now and more later. I can't buy it all at once because of you nosy children trying to figure out what each of you got." she says to him with a roll her eyes which caused Isaiah to grin knowing that was true.
It had been a while since Shell had last seen Fitzy or Melody for that matter, and it started to worry her. After what Riyann told her about the war starting up again it made her wonder if he decided to help the deatheaters again and he was just avoiding telling her like Jack and Riyann were before.
"Hey mum isn't that Arden, the woman that's Riley's best friend or something?" he asks stopping for a second and letting the bags fall from his hands to stop and tie his shoe. Shell puts her items down as well and looks to where he nodded. Right in front of her was Arden and a couple of kids.
"Hey Arden... babysitting I see?" she calls with a smile as Isaiah pushes himself off the ground and greets Arden with a smile as well.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 28, 2008 2:23:49 GMT
I start just a little at hearing my name - it's still been a while since I was around anybody who knew me - but then smile slightly and relax when I see that it's Shelby.
"More or less," I shrug. "The small one here is more solemn than a grandmother -" I hold up Isobel's hand, still clasped firmly around mine. "-and that one seems to think that he's an airplane, but I guess between the two of them they're sort of like babies."
Micheal whirls around a bit indignantly at this, scowling, but I continue before he can say anything. "Got a small one yourself, I see."
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 28, 2008 2:29:15 GMT
Isaiah raises an eyebrow at her before Shell laughs a little. "If you're talking about me, I'm fifteen thank you." he says with a great deal of self pride as he says this.
Shell shakes her head a bit at her son before glances at Isobel and Michael. "Well he makes a pretty good airplane if I do say so myself." she says with a smile towards him. "As for her, I'd be grateful. Only Ashlyn and Isaiah here were the quiet ones out of all of them." she says with a laugh.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 28, 2008 2:42:39 GMT
"Doesn't mean that you're not little," I shrug, raising my eyebrows back. "Nor does the fact that I think you might be taller than me."
Then I turn to Shelby, smiling slightly. "Oh, trust me, I am. She's lovely. Just also slightly creepy with the never talking."
Micheal, for his part, grins at the strangers with his arms still held out, then starts circling Isaiah and starts making engine noises again.
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 28, 2008 2:54:43 GMT
"I think it does and I'm six feet tall and four inches thank you." he says crossing his arms now, feeling slightly insulted. It was obviously that he took after Shell's trait of overeacting to everything.
"Don't worry she'll out grow out of it when she turns twelve or thirteen both of them did." she says with a smile back to her. "Random question but have you seen your brother lately?"
Shell looks down for a second at Michael with a grin watching him circle Isaiah causing him to laugh slightly as well. "He is a good airplane. Couldn't tell the difference."
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 28, 2008 3:04:00 GMT
"Okay, so a fair bit taller than me," I concede, tilting my head. "But you're younger so therefore a small one. Deal with it." I stick my tongue out briefly, causing Micheal to stop his circling and stare, then shrug and continue on with it.
"Just as long as she learns how to speak by then, I'm good," I shrug. Reportedly she has said 'Ma' and made a few other occasional sounds, but being as she's nearly three that's not impressive.
But I'm brought up short in my thoughts by what she says next, and look down at the ground.
"No, and no one has, so far as I can tell." I shrug slightly, biting my lip. "I was kind of hoping somebody like you might know, really."
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 28, 2008 3:06:43 GMT
Isaiah rolls his eyes before sticking out his tongue back at her.
Shell nods, looking slightly to the ground as well for a few seconds. "Last time I seen him and Melody was a few weeks ago... I'm starting to think what happened between Fitzy and I might have made him run off somewhere."
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 29, 2008 2:07:28 GMT
"Hm...." I frown slightly, worried all over again. Then what she said catches up to me, and I raise my eyebrows. "Sorry - what happened you and Fitzy? Do I even want to know?"
So Fitzy's your latest, huh? I think with an unexpected flash of anger. I do hate to say it but she's kind of a whore, and it bothers me more than I would have thought to think of her with my brother.
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 29, 2008 2:14:35 GMT
Shell closes her eyes pretending that she didn't hear her thought.
Figures... jump to conclusions don't you?"
"We just kissed, nothing more than what you and Riley have done." she says raising her eyebrows at her back. Shell instantly feels guilty though, it was her fault that she could read her mind let alone control her temper.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 29, 2008 2:25:24 GMT
I'm a little surprised at that sort of comment, as I didn't think I was displaying any hostility at all and they're not necessarily connected....
I close my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, and smile reassuringly at Isobel when she she looks up at me. Micheal, in the meantime, abruptly breaks off his circling to go stare at a wall full of bricks. I have no idea why.
"Well, anyway... so you haven't seen him either?" I ask. "With what's been going on, I don't know if I'm more scared that he's dead or that he isn't."
I seem to recall that Shelby was involved in the war a bit, so I'm pretty sure she'll know what I mean.
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 29, 2008 2:31:54 GMT
"Not since we kissed and established that we would mutually care if the other died." she says with a bit of a sheepish smile, knowing that had to sound ridiculous, but then again she was Fitzy's sister. "I know that the deatheaters are starting up again... maybe one of them abushed him or convinced him to join up with them again." she says with a sigh.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 29, 2008 2:39:05 GMT
Mutually care if the other died.... I think exasperatedly, sighing lightly and shaking my head. Yes, that sounds like Fitzy.
Then I bite my lip again worriedly. "God, I hope not... but I guess it's pretty likely. I broke into his house, and it looked like most of Melody's things were gone, but not his... so what exactly that means, I don't know."
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 29, 2008 2:43:51 GMT
Shell frowns even more hearing about Melody's things. "You broke in? Never thought you'd be the type of person to do that Arden." she says with a shrug before thinking for a second. "Maybe he's hiding... he was sort of a coward in the past if I remember right."
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 29, 2008 2:51:14 GMT
"Only a bit," I agree, rolling my eyes. I love my brother, really, and I even like him. But it's hard not to remember why I didn't used to - he only tried to kill me, actually succeeded in killing another of our sisters and tortured the other one, and outed a pretty good friend of mine as a double agent, all because of cowardice.
"And I was worried," I add, shrugging. "Of course I broke in." And what sort of person is that, anyway?
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 30, 2008 3:00:04 GMT
"Only? He sold out three double agents to the dark lord, me included and your friends..." she says slightly with hesitance, remembering Riyann and how Maddie disappeared somewhere with Ian. "So you break into his house just because you were worried?" she asks with a slight smile tracing her lips.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 30, 2008 3:08:23 GMT
"Well, yes," I shrug, a little bit surprised at how surprised she seems to be. "What would you have done? I mean I really didn't know where he might be." I shrug slightly. "And I know what he did," I add quietly. "That's... why I don't know what worries me more. After all of that he chose to disappear rather than betray anyone else, but now I just don't know what he'd choose... or what other people might choose for him."
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Oct 30, 2008 3:11:29 GMT
Shell smiles a little more before shrugging slightly. "I figured you'd have a key or something. But I guess I would break into Riley's house or my sister's if I didn't hear from them after a while I suppose." she says with a nod. "You think that the deatheaters might have persuaded him?"
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Post by Arden Patricks on Oct 30, 2008 3:50:56 GMT
"I do, but he'd changed all the locks," I shrug slightly. "And I just don't know. I hope not, but at the same time at least he'd be alive...." I shrug again helplessly. "But you're not, ah... I mean, you don't have any insider information then?"
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Nov 2, 2008 21:20:54 GMT
Shell nods faintly before her ears tuned into what she was saying more clearly. "I'm trying to be a spy again, but the only information I have is that a few of the deatheaters are out trying to recruit the members that didn't show up at the meeting they all had a few weeks back. There was only about ten of them there."
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Post by Arden Patricks on Nov 3, 2008 2:54:59 GMT
"Hm...." I nod absently, eyes not really focused on anything in particular. "So I take it then... it's not Him back? Just a bunch of wannabes trying to cause mayhem?"
It's at this point that I remember the presence of the small ones... but luckily Micheal is just randomly tapping a wall with a small twig he found who-knows-where, while Isobel just looks up at me innocently and hopefully has not comprehended a word that we've just said. I really can't speak for Isaiah, however.
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Nov 4, 2008 15:11:12 GMT
Shell nods lightly before looking down at the kids the same time as Arden. Hopefully they weren't paying attention close enough or at all, but by the way Isobel was looking at Arden, it was safe to say that she didn't. Isaiah scrolled off somewhere, probably to go window shopping at the quidditch store in which they were heading originally. He had been bothering her for a new pair of goggles.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Nov 4, 2008 16:25:10 GMT
I'm relieved to find on further inspection that I can't actually see Isaiah anywhere... which maybe would be worrying but I suppose he's a big kid. And so now it's just mildly awkward that she's not said anything in response.
"Well, I suppose that's bad enough...." I murmur after a moment.
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Nov 4, 2008 16:28:20 GMT
"I don't know really... what good is six or seven deatheaters?" she says with a light shrug. "I doubt they could really start something up on their own. If they do though, we need the order back up and running." she says before frowning slightly.
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Post by Arden Patricks on Nov 4, 2008 16:35:05 GMT
"Well, obviously they're at least killing people," I point out, thinking of Lillian. "... Order might be good," I add a little more weakly. "Or someone to find out who started it."
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Post by Shelby Crescent on Nov 4, 2008 17:06:14 GMT
"Started the deatheater comeback or something else?" she asks with a slight tilt of her head. "But if we need the order to start up again, I think I'm going to be the only member to honest."
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Post by Arden Patricks on Nov 5, 2008 3:25:12 GMT
"Deatheater comeback," I murmur, nodding, then shrug at what she next says. "Well, not anymore. There's really not anything holding me back this time around. And I'm sure there would be others," I add, wondering why she would think that.
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