bad idea

[Arden Patricks]

I don’t even know if he’s still going to be here, I realize after I’ve already walked up to the door of Riley’s parents’ house and raised my hand to knock. Actually, why would he be? I mean, I’ve been gone for… longer than I really care to think about. Surely they’ll have found somewhere else by now? And what am I going to do… what am I going to say… if he does happen to be here? “Oh… hi. Er… I’m back… and… for some reason I’m here talking to you… even though you’re the reason I left and also once I was gone I figured out that I really didn’t miss you all that much, or anybody else, because I’m just that inhuman.”

I have a sudden urge to turn straight around and walk back to Canada. Maybe by the time I get back there, I’ll be ready to come home. Because clearly, I am not ready yet. Not if I don’t want to be here.

Sorry to disturb you, I think at the house, looking upward. I guess I’ll just be going now. And I turn straight around to walk... perhaps not back to Canada, but at least away from here.

[Riley Pearson]

I wasn't supposed to be here. I shouldn't be here. I should be where I'd been staying with the kids; Up at Riyann's parents old house.
This whole situation with the dark mark was getting out of hand. I didn't know what to think about it and now that time was passing, I was really sort of less worried about it. Somehow. Riyann was still gone for days at a time, which is why it didn't really make sense that I felt less worried. I should feel more worried. It obviously meant that something was going on. Something was happening and I should stay with the kids in hiding like a good boy.
But I was sick of that house, so I went the only other place I thought of.
My parents house. In fact, I just got there about a few hours earlier with the girls and with Justin in hand. I just made the girls lunch and sat them down at the kitchen table when I heard a small knock on the door. I made my way through the house and opened the door.
For a guy that was supposed to be hiding, I'd have to say it was pretty idiotic to be opening doors before checking to see who it was.
But when I saw who it was, I realised that I didn't really have to be worried about it. Mainly becuase it was Arden.
I hadn't seen her in quite a while.. and I honestly didn't know what to do.
"Arden.." I said with a slight surprised tone to my voice. ".. Hi."

[Arden Patricks]

Fuck, is my first thought, eyes closing briefly in annoyance as I swear at myself. When did I knock? I swear I didn't knock.
But, then again, I swear that I swore I wouldn't come back here 'til I felt like it. And I do not yet feel like it.

Stifling the urge to say, 'nope, not her' and keep on walking, I turn back around with an expression appropriate to someone who expects to be fired on top of an already horrible day. Sort of a pre-emptive cringe. "Yes? I... I mean... hi. Um...." I'm sorry... just a little slip. I meant to disappear again before you knew I was ever here.

[Riley Pearson]

[[ did she knock? lol... sorry if she didn't.. i read the raising her hand thing and assumed that she did without realising i assumed.. ]]

She turned back around and seeing her expression and slightly wondering why she was even here. She didn't look like she wanted to be here and if she didn't want to see me, why would be come out of her way to just think about seeing me? Does that even make sense?
As sad as it seemed, I made such a huge deal about her leaving and honestly, I barely realised she was gone. Which leaves me feeling slightly horrible that I didn't now that I'm realising it.
"... Hi.." I said again, still holding onto the door knob. It was all quiet expect some birds chirping and the quiet chatter of the girls who were in the kitchen. "Um.. Good to see you again." I added a moment later with a small smile.

[Arden Patricks]

((Nah, she didn't, but that's all right. It's as good a way for them to meet as any. And it means she's conflicted! ))

"Ah... yeah... you too," I stammer out, trying to get a hold of myself and act a bit more sane. "Um..." I still don't know why I'm here.... "Ah... so. I sort of, ah, didn't... you're - excuse me, I just lost control of my brain. But I didn't expect to see you here. Are you still... how've you been?"
There. That's a perfectly sane and reasonable question, despite the preamble.

[Riley Pearson]

[[ ah, sorry!! lol .. but yay! conflicted's fun hehe ]]

I listen to her talk, trying to understand what she was trying to say. I don't think I ever remember her speaking like this before. I let out a faint chuckle when she said she had just lost control of her brain and nodded a little, mumbling that it was fine a second before she continued.
"Um.. been okay.. can always always be better though.." I said with a small nod, as I took in and then let out a small breath. I wasn't sure what she was going to ask before asking how I'd been, so I didn't answer it and waited for her to maybe ask the whole question later.
"How've you been?" I asked before walking a bit closer to her, leaving the door open so I could hear the girls in the kitchen.

[Arden Patricks]

((Aye! Always. ))

I shrug a little bit, looking down at the ground and putting my hands halfway in my pockets. "Honestly? I'm not really sure I should have come back yet." Pause. "I think what I was trying to ask is why are you still here, by the way?" I nod up at his parents' house.

[Riley Pearson]

[[ yay! hehe ]]

I nodded faintly, shaking a bit of hair from my face pausing for a moment. "Mind me asking why you're back then?" I asked her curiously, biting my lip faintly for a second before letting it go and looking to her.
"Oh." I started, glancing to the house for a second. "I'm actually not.. Just visiting.. Happend to catch me here.." I told her with a small shrug and small smile.

[Arden Patricks]

"Go ahead," I shrug. "Maybe I'll be able to answer you a little better than I can answer myself."
I'm not really sure if I'm different... if I'm acting slightly different than I normally would. I feel like maybe I am... but, then again, it's been months without any regular human contact.
I smile very faintly in return. "Quirk of fate, I guess."

[Riley Pearson]

"Um.. so why're you back then?" I asked a moment later. I was sort of expecting her to just answer right then if she thought it was okay that I asked. But same difference I guess. I was curious about it.. if she wasn't ready to come back.. then I just don't get it.
I smiled a bit and nodded, "Yeah.. guess so.." I said about a moment before realising that the baby monitor was in the kitchen. Hopefully I could hear it from out here.

[Arden Patricks]

"I don't know...." I shrug again, shaking my head. "I guess I just thought I'd been gone long enough, even if I didn't feel like it." And... though I can't seem to admit... I may have been just a teensy bit lonely....
"So are the girls here?" I ask, nodding back to the house, even though I can hear them so that's a stupid question.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded slightly as I listened to her answer, glad that she actually had one. I didn't know why, but it seemed to be rare when someone could actually answer me straight forward and not just say that they didn't know.
"That makes sense.. So.. what do you think you're gonna do now then?" I asked her a moment later. "If you don't think you want to be back, I mean." I added, clarifying what I meant a second before.

She asked if the girls were here and I nodded, "Yeah.. The girl's and Justin." I said with a small smile, it not even occuring to me whether or not she knew about the new baby yet.

[Arden Patricks]

"Hang around a bit and see if I can manage to change my mind?" I shrug slightly... then pause. "Justin?"

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded a little again, just now noticing how much nodding I seemed to actually be doing. "Well, we'd love to have you back if you do change it." I said with a small smile to her.
She paused for a moment before asking about Justin and I just nodded again. "Yeah." I said before realising that she didn't know I had a son. I guess that was something big that happend while she was gone. ".. Oh, you didn't know.. sorry." I said a moment later, shaking my head faintly, "Justin's my son.. few months old now." I added smiling a bit.

[Arden Patricks]

"Oh... wow." I blink a few times, trying to remember if I even knew that Riyann was pregnant. I'm pretty sure I did... but still. This really rubs it in how long I've been gone, making me wonder even more why I came back. My nieces probably won't recognize me... I'm sure I wasn't missed that much....
"I guess I've missed a lot, haven't I?" I ask, looking at the ground again and crossing my arms. Is Logan even alive? Has Fitzy left his house at all? How many times has Shell been married?

[Riley Pearson]

"Yeah.. sort of.. out of nowhere, right?" I asked with a faint smile and chuckle. She was obviously surprised about it. "In fact, he's probably gonna start crying soon.." I added a moment later.
"Um.. You've missed a bit." I admited with a small nod. "Other than Justin though.. probably not as much with me as you think.. but I don't know about everyone else.."

[[ lmao... the shell part made me laugh ][

[Arden Patricks]

"Guess I'll just have to see them as well...." I shrug slightly. At least he hasn't said that anyone's died... at least no one he knows of, I suppose. I hesitate a moment, glancing back at the house and weighing the pros and cons. "Could I... you wouldn't mind if I came in, would you? Say hi to the girls and all?"

(( It was sort of cruel though....))

[Riley Pearson]

[ lol... just a bit xD .. ]

I nodded a bit again, "Yeah, I guess so." I said with a small smile, trying to think if there was something really important I was just forgetting about. Hopefully there wasn't..
"Course not." I said, shaking my head faintly with the same small smile. "Come on in.. I bet the girls'd really like to see you.. Plus, this way you can see Justin too." I smiled.

[Arden Patricks]

"That too," I agree, smiling faintly but still a little hesitant as I head towards the door. It's certainly been a long time since I've seen the twins... or any small children, really. "So... everything's okay with you... more or less?"

[Riley Pearson]

"More or less." I repeated with, yet again another nod, not even really noticing that she was slightly hesitant. I was starting to think I needed another non-verbal to replace a nod. "Could be better, could be worse." I said glancing back to her as I walked into the house, standing by the door and waiting for her to come inside.

[Arden Patricks]

"Because that's not the sort of thing that people say when they really just mean 'could be better,'" I point out, raising my eyebrows and trying not to be a total nutcase about it as I follow him into the house.

[Riley Pearson]

"Well.. I don't think I know anyone who would specifically want their life to be worse.." I said as I shut the door behind her. Like, it could definately be worse if one day, Riyann just never came home. Which was a possibility with what she was doing. I wish she would just stop and forget she ever got that stupid mark.
"But yeah.. could definately be better." I said with another faint nod.

[Arden Patricks]

I briefly consider something sarcastic in reply to the first statement because he seems to have misinterpreted what I said... but then I decide it isn't worth it, and just nod. "Any specifics? What's been going on?"

[Riley Pearson]

I glanced back toward the kitchen for a second before, putting on my hand on Arden's arm for a second so she'd know to follow me in the other direction. I didn't want the girls hearing this. Even though, honestly, I had no idea what they thought was actually going on. If I had to guess they probably assumed we weren't together anymore, or that Riyann was just working.. a lot.
When we were a bit further away, I paused for a second, trying to decide what exactly I should be telling her. Maybe I shouldn't even tell her what's going on.. but then what was the point of moving her over here?
"Riyann's dark mark's been acting up.." I started out after a moment. "So, despite what I kept telling her, she left anyway and answered it.. she comes back every few days or so. But other than that, I don't know what's going on." I said shaking my head faintly.

[Arden Patricks]

I glance at the kitchen as well, a little bit confused but eventually catching on to the fact that he's trying to talk so that he can't be overheard. And I can certainly understand why, once I've heard what he has to say. I honestly feel like the room has just dropped a few degrees in temperature, and stare at him blankly while my mind tries to process this.
Dark mark... acting up... not good.
I know enough about the whole Death Eater business to know that their marks have all been... dormant, you might say, ever since He disappeared and the war supposedly ended. But of course the word dormant is a whole lot closer to sleeping than it is to dead.
"That's... not good," I manage after a moment.

[riley pearson]

I nodded slightly at her response. "Yeah.. that's what I was thinking too." I said back to her, letting out a small breath as I glanced in the direction of the kitchen again. Not really sure why I even did because I couldn't see it and I couldn't see the girls from where we were either.
"She disapears for days and I'm supposed to be keeping a low profile or something with the girls.." I added, shaking my head a little. "It's just worrying me becuase I know it can get worse and with my experience it usually does."

[Arden Patricks]

I nod silently, still absorbing the shock of suddenly learning that the war we thought was over could be sneaking back in on us, and most people likely don't know it unless, like Riley, they know a former death eater who's willing to tell them such things. I need to talk to Fitzy about this....

[Riley Pearson]

I saw her nod while she stayed silent, trying to think about what I should say next. "Um.. Anyway, thinking about this's just making me worry more she's not gonna make it home.. so, um.." I started, letting out another breath, not really making very good eye contact with Arden.

[Arden Patricks]

I close my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and trying to push it all to the back of my mind for what is sure to be a magnificently fun conversation with my brother.
"So... you'd like to change the subject?" I suggest.

[Riley Pearson]

I nodded again, "Yeah, change of subject would be good." I said glancing up to her again. "But um.. before that, you mind if I hug you? It feels weird finally seeing you agian and not really greeting you.." I said, wondering if that made any sense and then wondering if she'd even want a hug from me considering what was going on before she left.