sortinghat_rp | ☠ 004

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☠ 004

[Despite the commotion of the event and half the student body being at an age entirely inaccurate to the norm, Jake is not only his proper age, but a year older today. Not that he's really told anyone. Instead, he spends most of the day sitting in the window near his bed with a small photograph, tying together a small collection of (fake, because it was far too cold for real ones) flowers together to make a wreath. When he was finished with that, and only then, did he venture out.]

Does it happen to be permitted to burn incense in the dormitories?
Its a bit of an occasion but i dont particularly want to get in trouble.

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Probably not, but I think most of the teachers are ...indisposed right now anyway.

Haha it certainly does seem that way doesnt it.
What a ruddy mess eh?
How are you fairing?

Still eleven.

At least nothing about this seems evil or dark or anything.

Lucky for you then chap.
I count myself lucky because the only change ive undergone is one that would have happened regardless.
I hope it stays that way. Though i cant really figure what sort of nefarious plot would involve turning everyone into children.

Yeah, I guess. I don't think I'd be great to have around as a toddler. My sister said I was a huge crybaby.

What change? Are you okay?

Edited 2012-12-02 05:45 (UTC)

Toddlers cry thats a fact of life.
But im personally glad im not one either.

Yessir! Just fine.
I share a birthday with my dear deceased gram. Its what the incense is for.

Oh! Happy Birthday! To both of you.

If you're still worried about it being a problem maybe you can find a place outside or maybe a tower?

Thanks chap.

I might do just that.
Or to be honest i might just give it a go and if someone tells me to stop ill put it out.

Go for it. I really don't think anyone's going to have half a mind to say anything with what's going on right now.

I certainly hope not.
Safely burning incense in the dorms is much less of a problem i think than a school full of toddlers.

Theoretically, anyway. I'm learning to not question this place.

That seems to be a good choice round these parts.

_{[Dirk is aware that it's Jake's birthday. He didn't know what to get him, though, so he made a really shitty picture. But he hasn't shown him yet; that's hidden inside his trunk. He's just walking into the room after having seen a hoard of tiny children.]}

Hey are--- _[Pause.] --am I interrupting you?

[He looks up from his flower-tying, having lit the incense anyway, and smiles a little. His... eyes might be the slightest bit red.]

Hi. You're not, what's the story, chap?

_{[Dirk is going to assume that he wouldn't want him to point out that it looks like he might've been crying, so he doesn't. He just sits down on his own bed.]}

Are you aware there's like a hoard of babies out there? I think one of them is my uncle.

[He wouldn't really mind either way, but he does appreciate the silence. ...And the subject change makes him laugh.]

Really? Golly, what a madhouse. Figure we ought to hole up in here and stay low for the week to avoid diaper duty? [He ties off the end of another flower wreath and sets it with three others in front of a small framed picture of his grandmother. He purses his lips for a second before turning back to Dirk with a smile.] I'm glad we're both still our normal ages. Being twelve doesn't feel much different than being eleven, though.

It's crazy! _{[He just shakes his head. This school, man. These shenanigans.]} That's definitely a good idea, though. Leave the babysitting to the older people who are still here.

_{[He leans forward some.]}

Are you sure? You don't feel... I dunno, a bit more robotic?

[He laughed a little, and pat the ground next to him.]

Not overmuch, no. Can I ask you a favor, Dirk?

There's time for us yet, then.

_{[He might as well be full-on smiling right now.]}

Of course. What is it?

I'd say puberty is when we really want to start to worry.

[His smile fades and he sort of gets swallowed by a sudden drop in mood. He bites his lip for a second and holds out a little box of incense sticks and a lighter.]

I don't know if we're supposed to have this up here, or light it, or anything, but. [Wow he might cry.] I-it's gram's birthday, too, and I've told her all sorts of stuff about you and she'd have loved to meet you, and. [He stops, because wow, this is pathetic. He's not gonna cry, he's not. He just stares at his knees and keeps the little box held out toward Dirk.]

_{[Oh. The change in atmosphere is immediate. He listens to Jake intently and nods as an indicator that he's listening. He can more or less understand how Jake is feeling. He must miss his grandmother a lot, because Dirk misses his dad a lot too.

He isn't sure what he's supposed to be doing, though. After a moment of hesitation, he reaches out and gingerly holds the other side of the box.]}

Happy birthday to her too.

[He's trying really hard to stay dry-eyed. He'd already cried a bit earlier, talking to the photo about how great school was and how everybody was little and it was kind of funny and he wished she could see it. But it was different, crying to a photograph and crying in front of a friend. It was different and he didn't want to look like a crybaby. So he sniffed, roughly, and held his breath, rubbing the sleeve of his robes over his eyes briefly before reaching out to pull out a stick of incense and hand it to Dirk.]

It's. I guess probably kind of a muggle tradition, to light a candle or an incense for somebody you love when they die. I know you didn't know her, but... [Dammit his lip just quivered a little.] ...Crap. [His arm goes back to his face.]

_{[There's a brief moment of internal panic, as at first, Dirk isn't sure what he should do to help. He hates seeing Jake so sad. He shouldn't be sad on his birthday, but Dirk can't just tell him not to be. That would be unfair, especially knowing he'd be just as upset.

He's not even sure if there's anything he can do that'll actually help, but he can at least try. When he's been upset in the past, a good hug has always helped, even if the idea of hugging someone had been strange to him at first. With this in mind, he gets up and gives the best hug he can muster. It's brief, but he doesn't want to make Jake feel worse by hugging him too long or something.

Give him another moment and he's try to light an incense.]}

I didn't know your grandmother, but I know you. I imagine she must've been just as great as you are. It's a shame I couldn't ever meet her, but I'm really glad you had her in your life.

[The hug surprised him a little and he hiccuped, quietly, and when Dirk pulled back and went to light the incense, combined with his words and the gesture Jake just dropped his gaze to the floor and took off his glasses, sniffing and rubbing at his eyes with his sleeve.]

Thank you, Dirk.

_{[He nods, keeping his gaze on the burning incense. He's trying to give Jake the benefit of a semblance of privacy by not looking at him right now.]}

I'm here whenever you need someone, yanno.

[He sat there and hiccuped in near-complete silence for a little while, before nodding and snuffling a little, covering his hands with his sleeves and his face with his hands for a minute.]

Thank you.

_{[Dirk nods, but doesn't say anything. After a moment, he gets up to fetch a box of tissues for Jake. That's probably better than his sleeves.]}

[He's more of just hiding because he's embarrassed by crying in front of one of his closest friends. He blinks a little at the tissues and manages a smile, laughing some at himself.]

I'm a little pathetic right now, I believe.

_{[Dirk stays serious. He's not going to laugh about this, or at Jake. That'd be mean.]}

No, not really. It's okay to be sad sometimes. That doesn't make you pathetic or anything. That just means you're human.

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☠ 004

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