Third Trigger Warning

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

Very amusing. I applaud whomever managed to move me all the way from Gryffindor tower to the Divination tower while I was asleep, but I am going to need to know the new password so that I can get back in and collect my belongings.

The heavyset female-identified guardian assigned to the Gryffindor portrait hole refuses to even give me a hint, as well. She is acting very strangely indeed. She looks as if she has seen a ghost.

Very amusing. I applaud wh9mever managed t9 m9ve me all the way fr9m Gryffind9r t9wer t9 the Divinati9n t9wer while I was asleep, 6ut I am g9ing t9 need t9 kn9w the new passw9rd s9 that I can get 6ack in and c9llect my 6el9ngings.

The heavyset female-identified guardian assigned t9 the Gryffind9r p9rtrait h9le refuses t9 even give me a hint, as well. She is acting very strangely indeed. She l99ks as if she has seen a gh9st.

[There is a 12-year-old Kankri standing petulantly in front of Gryffindor tower, in a bright red sweater that's a little too big for him.]

Comments

[notsoradical]

maybe you could try tickling the lady?
she might be ticklish and maybe she will then tell you what's the password!
i think you can do that, right?

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

I d9n't 6elieve that it's p9ssi6le t9 interact physically with the p9rtraits, n9, 6ut at any rate that w9uld 6e t9uching her with9ut her express c9nsent, and that w9uld leave a 6ad taste in my m9uth.

(N9 9ffense t9 th9se wh9 cann9t taste)

Have we met?

[notsoradical]

really? i never tried tickling a portrait. although shes being mean to you and she wont give you the password.
i can taste, so im not offended! i hope no one else is too. sorry if anyone reading this is. :[

i dont think so. im latula pyrope. and you?

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

I d9n't think that she's d9ing it 9ut 9f malice.

She's left her frame and run 9ff s9mewhere else, I'm n9t sure where. She just l99ked at me like she was surprised t9 see me, and then 6arely stayed l9ng en9ugh t9 tell me that the passw9rd I tried was wr9ng 6ef9re running 9ff.

It's very strange, really, I th9ught her f9rtitude greater than that.

Kankri Vantas. It's a pleasure t9 make y9ur acquaintance, Latula.

[notsoradical]

it was a little rude from her to leave you like that, though.
maybe try to get in with someone. if i could, i would let you stay in hufflepuff's dorm, but im afraid i could get a punishment for that.
if theres anything i can help, tell me...!

pleased to meet you too, kankri! :]

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

9rdinarily, I w9uld agree, 6ut she seemed in a state 9f extra9rdinary distress, s9 I can hardly h9ld it against her.
I appreciate the th9ught, 6ut as y9u said I d9u6t it w9uld 6e with9ut c9nsequence. I'm sure my 6r9ther will come 6y and let me in s99n en9ugh.

What year are y9u, if I may ask?

[mightyandtall]

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE PASSWORD IS AN ISSUE HERE.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

9f c9urse the passw9rd is the issue, The9d9re. H9w else am I supp9sed t9 get int9 the c9mm9n r99m?

[mightyandtall]

I THOUGHT WALLS WEREN'T AN OBSTACLE FOR YOU.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

I'm n9t sure what w9uld c9mpel y9u t9 6elieve that. Keep in mind, The9d9re, that I am n9t yet as advanced in my educati9n as y9u, and that if y9u have learned the a6ility t9 pass thr9ugh walls, it is s9mething that y9u must have picked up in 9ne 9f y9ur third-year classes.

Have y9u seen my 6r9ther ar9und lately?

[accioleggings]

I DON'T SEE WHY YOU'D EVEN NEED THE PASSWORD TO GET INTO THE TOWER, KAN.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

9h, Sal, there y9u are. Are y9u in the c9mm9n r99m?

[accioleggings]

NO, I'M IN THE HISTORY CLASSROOM. I DON'T HAVE ANY REASON TO BE IN THE COMMON ROOM.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

What are y9u in the hist9ry classr99m f9r? Did Pr9fess9r Skellarix give y9u the extra h9mew9rk y9u were g9ing t9 ask f9r?

[accioleggings]

WHAT? KANKRI, PROFESSOR SKILLARIX RETIRED AGES AGO AND YOU KNOW I'M THE-

[Oh no, here comes that sinking feeling in his stomach. He's already spoken to Strider and spotted the children. Don't tell him the castle is throwing yet another brotherly curve ball at him.]

KAN.
THIS IS GOING TO SOUND REALLY STRANGE BUT WHAT YEAR IS IT TO YOU?

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

...

Y9u're right, Sal, that d9es s9und quite strange. It's 1990. Are y9u alright? Have y9u hit y9ur head 9r s9mething?

[accioleggings]

[...Nope. Nope nope nope nope. Getting on the nope train to fuckthatville.]

STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. I'LL BE UP THERE AND I'LL GIVE THE PASSWORD TO LET YOU INTO THE TOWER. BUT YOU NEED TO PROMISE ME YOU WON'T REACT BADLY IF I LOOK DIFFERENT.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

[...uh.]

Salvad9r, I fully expect an explanati9n as t9 why y9u are acting s9 strangely. What d9 y9u mean, l99k different? Y9u haven't 6een da66ling in p9ti9ns t9 impress Leij9n, have y9u? Did y9u turn y9ur hair green again?

I'm in fr9nt 9f the p9rtrait.

[accioleggings]

NO, NO, NOTHING LIKE THAT. PLEASE, JUST TRUST ME.

ALRIGHT.

[Sucking up the gnawing anxiety in his gut, Sal sets off to meet his twelve-year-old twin. The anxiety only gets worse when he ascends the stairs to the doorway to Gryffindor tower, very clearly an adult and dressed in teacher's robes.

It had been different the first time. Kankri had still been fifteen and remembered everything. Now it was pretty obvious he had no idea what was going on and just that his brother likely wouldn't recognize him sent a stabbing ache straight to his heart.]

Hi, Kan.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

[Kankri turns around when he hears the sound of his nickname.

And promptly freezes, eyes going wide.

The Insufferable is rendered speechless.

It can't be. It's actually literally impossible. People don't just age 20 years like that. But this man bears such a strong resemblance to their mother's side of the family, none of whom (that he knew of) were magical.

Finally, he finds his voice again.]

...Sal? What on earth happened to you?

[accioleggings]

[Sal smiles a little sheepishly, almost embarrassed by how old he looks and feels in comparison. There's also a very small amount of guilty satisfaction that he managed to stun Kankri of all people into silence.]

I, um, I grew up.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

[Kankri crosses his arms over his chest and frowns in deep confusion.]

I'm not amused. What's going on? Why did I wake up in the Divination tower this morning? Why do you look old enough to be my parent? I'd like the real answers, please.

[accioleggings]

[Sal's smile quickly fades.]

Let's get into the tower first. We can sit in the common room like we- [Like we used to.] We can sit in the common room and talk.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

[Kankri gestures to the empty portrait.]

She ran away when I tried to give her the password.

[His voice cracks a little.]

...Am I the one who's temporally dispossessed, Sal?

[accioleggings]

[Oh no, Kankri, don't do that. Not the voice cracking.]

...Yeah, you are. It's 2012, Kan.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

...Oh.

[He goes eerily silent (for him).]

So we're supposed to be 33?

[accioleggings]

['We're'. Ha...ha...h...a...]

Turned 33 all the way back in June. There wasn't much of a party, Di and I sort of focused all our energy on giving Karkat a nice birthday instead. [Sal, stop going off on unrelated tangents and avoiding mentioning things.]

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

[Kankri's eyebrows furrow in confusion.]

Who's Karkat? Do you have a child?

[Wouldn't that be weird, to be the same age as his nephew for however long this event lasts. Ha. Haha.

You know, instead of being the same age until Karkat turns 16]

[accioleggings]

I do! But not Karkat. [Not officially anyway.] He's our nephew, Armand's son. And you have a niece too. Her name's Nepeta.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

Armand has a son? Does he...? [Is he magical?]

So then Nepeta is yours?

[THE FUTURE IS CONFUSING.]

I can't imagine that I grow up to have any of my own. I'm sure that I have my hands plenty full with my niece and nephew.

[accioleggings]

He does. He's a fourth year Gryffindor. [Is that a little pride in his voice? You bet it is.] Yeah, she is. She's...absolutely fantastic, just like her mum. She and Karkat are in the same year.

[...O...w.]

The two of them can be quite a handful, I can't deny that.

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

[Even at 12, Kankri doesn't need to ask who Nepeta's mother is. Sal and Deidre's courtship was basically set in stone. Written in the stars. Destined to transcend the quadrants.]

Fourth year?

[Sal, you're 33. That would make them 14. Why you get started so early.]

Do I end up teaching here as well? [He doesn't sound like he's too fond of the idea, but he doesn't sound like he minds it much either. He just thought he'd have better things to do. But that would explain why he ended up being temporally displaced in the castle.]