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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 18:17:51 GMT -5
It was Skylar's turn to be quiet now, and he looked down at the top of his daughter's head as she bounced along. "I guess I know what you mean," he said. He'd loved the entire thing, loved the power and the magic, loved the feeling of doing what he wanted, and screw everyone else. He didn't know how to sort it all in his head, but everything came back to Ember in the end.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 18:27:01 GMT -5
"You'll like it here. I hope, anyway," Michael said, unwilling to pursue the previous topic of conversation. Maybe someday he would be comfortable enough to talk about that kind of thing, but today wasn't someday. "Starting in the summer is a good thing, too, you aren't thrown in right away."
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 18:32:26 GMT -5
"I'm supposed to take Muggle Studies classes," Skylar said, looking at the approaching castle rather than give away his feelings about that. "I said I'd do it," he added, just in case Michael thought he intended to skip out. He'd made the decision and he was sticking with it. That didn't mean he'd enjoy that part, but he'd do it. Anything was better than Azkaban and whatever would happen to his daughter.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 18:40:28 GMT -5
Michael smiled and looked to his side at Skylar. "It's a good thing," he said. "I got over it years ago, but only because I tried." He hadn't woken up one day and just gotten over sixteen years of brainwashing, it had taken time and effort. "Trust me, muggles aren't so bad."
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 18:47:21 GMT -5
Skylar shook his head, unable to really convince himself. He didn't want to think Muggles weren't so bad. It was wrong, it just was, and if he'd known about Charlotte, he wouldn't have gotten with her in the first place. She'd just been so perfect, he couldn't believe then that she could be anything less than pure.
He tapped Ember lightly on top of her head and when she looked up, he grabbed her and swung her onto his shoulders. She squealed happily and grabbed onto his head, which wasn't really comfortable, but was enough of a reminder for now. "I'm doing it for her," he said, pushing her hands off his forehead to grab hold of his cloak.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 18:55:55 GMT -5
"There aren't many better reasons," Michael said. Sure there was it's the right thing to do and being a better person, but without some kind of motivation those wouldn't do much good. "You know, she could always make friends with the ghosts at the school, they're mostly very nice." And the portraits, and the suits of armor.
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 19:09:08 GMT -5
Skylar gave Michael a sidelong look, but took the change of subject willingly. "I don't think she's ever met a ghost," he said. He reached up to tug a bit at his cloak's tie so she'd stop choking him with it. It was still better than tiny fingernails against his forehead. "No, there was one at San Juan Capistrano. She wouldn't remember, though."
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 19:16:22 GMT -5
"Each house has a ghost, so there's four, but there are a few others that hang around, too. We have a poltergeist, but he doesn't usually cause any real harm," Michael said. "The portraits like to gossip, but they're easy to ignore." It was a busy castle, something that was easy to forget when he was up in the tower. Not that the tower was typically a quiet retreat.
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 19:22:12 GMT -5
"As long as no one gets into my sh-stuff I don't care." He turned his head in an attempt to see the little monkey on his back. "It's a pain in the ear giving up swearing, but she's a parrot. Hey, say Transfiguration," he told her. She made a couple attempts, then burst into giggles again. "Like I said."
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 19:34:10 GMT -5
Michael smiled and nodded. "The twins do the same thing, I can't believe they're almost two." The need he'd had to know Skylar's backstory had lessened at the news he was to be given a place at Hogwarts. If whoever had been involved with that felt it was okay, then he could wait. "We'll have to introduce them."
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 19:37:42 GMT -5
Skylar looked aside at Michael again. "She's not old enough for that," he said. "Not until she's at least fifty." They'd met at the reading, sort of, but introducing felt like an entirely different level. His earlier sadness about not getting to do Society Dad stuff failed him at the moment, as did the probability that Michael didn't mean it like that.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 19:40:02 GMT -5
Michael laughed lightly and shook his head. "I think the furthest thing from their minds right now is dating," he said. "I'm sure they would like having someone new to play with that isn't my little sister, though." They were perfectly content to play alone together, but it felt wrong to keep them cooped up away from other toddlers.
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 19:52:10 GMT -5
"I did hear about that," Skylar said. He'd just leave the rest alone and pretend he hadn't said anything. "Sorry about your father, too." There was a badass with some power. "Glad he didn't manage to kill you though. Society needs a rebel or two to keep them on their toes." He'd never had the issue with getting bored that some people had. He'd kept himself busy.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Jun 8, 2013 19:56:09 GMT -5
Michael shook his head as they approached the castle steps. "He committed suicide. My mother wants to keep that bit secret but that's what happened. He left a letter, but it was for her." He didn't really want to read it. The unneeded and unexpected feelings of sadness that had happened when he'd found out the information were long gone. Now, he was just glad the twins would never have to meet the man.
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Post by Skylar Constantine on Jun 8, 2013 20:02:44 GMT -5
"Damn." Skylar's parrot started repeating the word immediately, and he winced at himself. "Dog, say Dog," he told her. "The dog's name is Hero. Try saying Hero." She let damn go for Herodog, and Skylar breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't always work that easily.
He tried to get back the thread of conversation, but all he really had was that his father was dead too. Probably would have committed suicide if he hadn't been helped along. Being back in the U.K. was going to kill his ability to forget all this sh~.
"You said something like... your mother still talks to you?" Skylar asked instead. "Even with... everything?" The gay stuff and the working.
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