westfallcorndog | Annarchy and Ageswaps (For Viatorus)

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Annarchy and Ageswaps (For Viatorus)

"Are there any mages around?" a young girl shouts. Her voice already sounds hoarse; presumably she's been at this for a while now as she walks along the sidewalks of the Nexus. She's found herself at the edge of the crowded Downtown district where highrises and quirky restaurants are soon to give way to The Underbelly. At a loss for where she is or where she ought to be going, she simply goes. If she walks in a straight line long enough she's sure to find someone who'll help her. Right?

"I need a mage's help! Anybody?" she tries again. She looks to be about twelve with dusty blonde hair, tanned skin, large front teeth, and a look of utter confusion on her face. She wears a red plaid shirt rolled up to the elbows and a pair of canvas shorts stained and smudged long ago by dirt and grass. Her arms are wrapped around her tightly and she looks in all directions like a person expecting to be ambushed.

"I– I can tip?" she tries, though not too loudly. Who knows what'll happen if she announces that she has money in the city?

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Harrow winces sympathetically at what Viatorus has to say. Suddenly his cake has become very interesting. He pokes at it with his fork, but it doesn't feel right to take a bite at a time like this.

Anna, though, she watches closely. What Isidor does and the way she reacts is of special interest to her. She watches the way Isidor tries to deflect, then falls quiet. Then she listens to what Viatorus has to say. His words are well-spoken and wise. They soften Anna's tenseness, a stiffness of the shoulders that she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Viatorus is right." It's Harrow, whispering just for Anna but still loud enough to be heard across the table. "We do love you. We want good things for you. We want..."

Anna focuses hard on her drink now. Harrow continues to wince. He glances to Isidor and Viatorus, apologetic and anxious, and then it's back to his sister. He puts a hand on her shoulder and tries to swallow, but his mouth is so dry.

"Anna... We want you to get better. I want you to have what I have now. I want you to have this place, and my friends. That's why I brought you here. That's why I introduced you to them."

Now that catches Anna's attention. She looks up from her drink and into her brother's familiar and yet foreign eyes. "You want... You want me to be here with you?..."

Harrow smiles sadly at her. "I do. I want you to be a part of my life. I wanna be a part of your life again."

Anna's face trembles. She holds her mug in both hands. "I thought... I thought you wanted to show this place off and then leave me again! I thought you wanted to rub it all in! Your secret life that you lived without me! I... I!..."

Now she turns to look at Isidor and Viatorus, her face twisted up in shame and bordering on tears. Suddenly she wails, "I've been a bitch all day for no reason!"

Harrow immediately leans over and wraps his arms around her shoulders to calm her down. She doesn't hug him back but watches the other two at the table as she fights back her tears.

"I am Crazy Anna," she croaks sadly.

Harrow shakes his head fervently. "You're not," he insists.

"I am," she repeats. But something has changed in her voice this time. Less self-pity, less sadness. She's quiet, resigned, and yet determined. "I am Crazy Anna... And I need to get better. And now all your friends hate me..."

Harrow laughs, then quickly sits back and covers his mouth. Anna watches him with a look of betrayal until he explains, "I made Viatorus and Isidor hate me when they first met me. Now they're some of my best friends." Laughing again he nods toward Isidor and adds, "Actually, I think Isidor still hates me. But that's not the point. The point is that people can change, right? And other people can accept that?"

Both of them look to Isidor and Viatorus, Harrow with wide eyes that urge them to agree, Anna with wary curiosity.

Edited (Changed last paragraphs) 2016-08-27 22:05 (UTC)

Viatorus can't help but feel guilty about his own words, but he gives his sister time, keeping his eyes on his friends while Isidor wrestles her feelings down. They'll probably be having a talk later, when they're on their own. For now, though, they are silently agreed on putting poise and composure first.

All it takes is to shift one thought to release a torrent. The dreamwalker certainly didn't expect the escalating outpouring that follows his words. Isidor flinches slightly to hear a child curse. The two exchange a brief glance, confirming the other's discomfort. Not only at the exceedingly private matter before them, but at their inability to help at all. So when Harrowheart presents them with an opportunity to do just that, they seize it.

Isidor shifts in her seat, lifting a shoulder and turning her head, jokingly nonchalant. "You've become bearable."

"I was terrified of Harrowheart when we met," Viatorus agrees, nodding enthusiastically. "But now he's my best friend. People change. It's the way of things. And it can be so wonderful."

It's a very small consolation to Anna that the two of them agreed with her brother's point, but at the same time it was well-needed. She forces a gracious smile, but it's easier to focus on her cake after the fact.

Harrow puffs up proudly at Isidor's gracious compliments. "Bearable! Heheh, hey, I'll take that!" Oh, Isidor, you've gone and encouraged him. He enthusiastically takes his first bite of cake.

"AH, oh!" He puts his hand to his mouth like he's been burned, but then he starts to laugh. Anna stares worriedly at him as he dramatically throws his head back. Her eyes shift toward the Durants, then back to her strange and embarrassing sibling. Neither of these two should be in public... But as long as Harrow is the one embarrassing himself, at least the attention is off of her?

Harrow goes for another bite but before he takes it there's time for one more laugh. "I already forgot how good things taste when I can taste them all the way! I mean it's not as good as that dinner you guys gave me when I came for that visit, but..." But he's definitely taking another bite.

Anna wince-smiles in confusion. She whispers to the Durants, "I guess you're right about people changing. He... He was never like this back home. Even when he was alive. He never had friends like you. He never laughed with people. He's so loud?" And thank the Light for it, because while he dramatically enjoys his cake he's ignorant to this little conversation. "He tells jokes? And plays pranks? He... He was never like this. Is he always this way here?..."

Smiles and laughter relax Viatorus and he beams, sitting back to appreciate Harrowheart's enjoyment. "I'm very glad you got to have some. It really is lovely."

The loud, distracting display keeps Viatorus' attention divided, even as Anna speaks. The more she does, however, the more sober he becomes, looking over at his friend and trying not to look sympathetic. To think the boy that sits there eating cake worried about wars and demons through his youth.

Anna's confusion is mirrored by Isidor. She crooks an eyebrow and tips her head to one side. She barely notices the hint of suspicion that lines her querying, "Never?"

"Never," she whispers very matter-of-factly. She tries not to look at him and draw his attention while he focuses on his food, picking it apart and happily trying each component on its own.

"Sometimes he couldn't work out in the fields with us. He couldn't get out of bed. He spent a lot of time in the house with Mom. So did I. Any time anyone else said I was being 'Crazy Anna'," here she rolls her eyes, "I had to stay inside so I didn't do anything they didn't like."

She watches him eat his cake, then looks down and considers her own. He makes it look so much better than it is. She picks up her fork but decides against taking a bite.

She whispers so quietly now that only the closest of the two Durants is likely to hear her. "He was such a hermit. Everyone else was so surprised when he joined the army. They thought he was so brave. I guess nobody else knew him well enough."

And then there's a hand with a mug of hot chocolate sliding toward Isidor. It's Harrow offering up his own untouched drink.

"Sorry we ordered before you showed up. You want it? It's still kinda hot?"

Edited 2016-08-29 19:55 (UTC)

As Anna's description portrays a more and more foreign character, Viatorus finds himself drawn back into their conversation. She definitely seems to be honest, but it's a startlingly different person she describes. The mage leans in a little closer. "Why? Why was he such a hermit? Why did people call you that? Why...?" He stops suddenly when Harrowheart speaks up again.

The offered hot chocolate snaps Isidor's attention away from Anna. She does a double take at first, as if uncertain he's being genuine, but then shakes her head. "No thank you. You have it. You'll enjoy it more."

Harrow takes his drink back incredibly slowly, as if by hesitating he might convince Isidor to change her mind. She's given it to him, though, and it's his officially. Who's ever looked so disheartened at getting hot chocolate as young Harrowheart. Ahh, but then he takes his first sip and his eyes light up and he fights the urge to smile broadly. It's got to be good by the way he goes in for a second taste immediately after.

Meanwhile, Anna is only relieved that her brother hasn't commented on anything she's said.

"So, Old V," Harrow says, wiping the drink off his upper lip with his hand (because he is a beast and a criminal) "You never did tell us if you know the future now. Can you tell any of us what happens? You gotta know, right? Otherwise what would your therapy be about?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "No." Sobering, he smiles apologetically at Harrowheart. "I'm glad, though. I don't think it would be wise for me to know too much about the future before it happens. That leads to bad things."

The question had perked Isidor's interest, and she'd looked worried up until the point he laughed. His answer seemed to let her relax though.

"What would you have liked to know?" Viatorus asked then, head tilted in the characteristic show of curiousness. "If I had known the future, what would you have asked about?"

Harrow grasps his cup with both hands and looks down at his incredibly fascinating drink. He rotates it not unlike the way Anna had done earlier and mumbles something under his breath. It's utterly inaudible, and yet Anna starts to laugh.

A light twinkles in her eyes and she turns a smug grin to the Durants. She elbows the nearest one and points at her brother. "He was gonna ask about romance," she gloats.

"I–I was not!" Harrow insists, entirely too pent-up and red-faced to be telling the truth. Anna's grin takes a turn for the shit-eating now. She loves it. She lives for it!

"You were!" she insists. "You've always been a stupid romantic! You wanted to know if anyone would still loooove yooooou."

Harrow's eyebrows draw down and suddenly he's frowning. "Anna, stop! Don't rub it in! I wasn't gonna ask that 'cause I know nobody will!"

Anna rolls her eyes and waves away his dramatic comment. "Oh, please. Someone probably will. Someone with low standards! I mean, you managed to get a boyfriend even as a zombie!"

Harrow chokes as he tries to scream. He scrambles up out of his seat and Anna does the same, but while he's flustered and desperate she's still tauntingly playful. Harrow gasps, "Don't mention that! Earth people don't like when guys have boyfriends!"

Anna edges to the side so that she's between the two Durants. She puts her hands on their shoulders and laughs while Harrow mirrors her steps and keeps an equal distance between them. As much as he approaches she continues around the table, and the two walk circles avoiding and chasing each other, Anna side-stepping and Harrow powerwalking.

"How about girlfriends then?" she asks with a laugh. "You've had dumb girlfriends, too! What about Tracy?"

Harrow gasps again, offended at first... But then a memory takes him by surprise and brings an unexpected smile to his face. He tries so hard to fight it, but Anna tilts her head down and watches him from under raised eyebrows. Her expectant grin makes his budding smile impossible to fight.

"Tracy Anne Stoutmantle of Moonbrook," he says.

And then the two of them, in unison, put their fists on their cocked hips. They tilt their heads to and fro and mockingly tease as one, "I have a full name you know!"

Anna crosses her arms over her chest and Harrow puts his hand on Viatorus' shoulder and together the two siblings start to laugh. Harrow stops her with a shake of his head and a wave.

"Wait, wait, haha, wait, no. What ever happened to her?"

"Tracy? Oh," Anna laughs. "She did fifty push-ups in one day and thought she was an adventurer and headed out for Duskwood and got eaten by gnolls."

Harrow considers this solemnly... For about ten seconds. Then he pulls a straight-mouthed face and begins to nod knowingly. "Classic Tracy."

"Anne Stoutmantle," Anna adds.

"Of Moonbrook."

The two of them share one last smile, nostalgic and warm... But the longer they consider each other's faces, the more their memories of the present return to them and the less they smile. Their expressions slide away to neutrality, their nostalgia becomes homesickness. The energy of their playful chase is gone. The game is over. Each of them returns to their seat stoically, both ignoring the other. Harrow grips his drink again. Anna takes a silent bite of her cake.

"I wasn't gonna ask about romance," Harrow mutters tiredly.

Anna half-heartedly insists, "He was."

Edited 2016-08-31 01:51 (UTC)

Anna's explanation gets raised eyebrows from both Durant siblings, with Viatorus quickly suppressing a sympathetic smile as Anna jabs her brother. Isidor looks on the verge of intervening, if she can figure out what to say to the two of them. They can only watch as the two children become excitable, bounding to their feet and circling around the table. A laugh slips from Viatorus and he twists in his seat to watch and listen. The smile on his face becomes large and fixed in place as the children share a joke. It's like a dream, watching people interact in their own little world... But all dreams come to an end. His smile sobers when they calm.

"You'll both have love in your futures," he assures them warmly. His smile returns in full force. "You're both too kind and friendly not to. I don't need to be a seer to know that."

The conversation's journey through revisiting Harrowheart's living and unliving life to his inevitable redeath has Isidor extremely quiet. Only a lifted eyebrow from Viatorus has her rejoining the conversation. She tilts her head at Anna. "Have you got a husband?"

Harrow immediately stares aghast at Isidor's question. He widens his eyes and his head trembles in the tiniest of shakes. Abort, abort!

"No." Anna bitterly snorts. "My family thinks it's better that I don't date, and they can't find someone to wed me to."

Harrow reaches over and puts an arm around his sister's shoulder. She tenses, but she doesn't fight it. Instead, she tries to explain her situation.

"They're afraid I wouldn't be a very good mother. Like I'd... Forget about my baby or something. When I'm Crazy Anna, I mean. They think I'm going to make bad decisions when I'm excited, or not be able to do important things when I'm sad. And besides, Heather and her husband, Jacob? They'll inherit the land and the house and everything. We don't have anything to make it worth it for someone to marry me."

She turns to Harrow, who's trying his best to smile comfortingly. Something in her wants to return to their joking, their playing, and she tries her hardest to keep upbeat rather than spiral into negativity. "I can't believe my dead brother gets more dates than me."

Harrow's mouth pinches up with the effort of hiding a smile. He shouldn't encourage her train of thought, but he can't help finding his sister's jokes perfectly terrible. But his smile calms her slightly and makes it easier for her to keep the conversation flowing.

Looking between the Durants she asks, "And the both of you? Are either of you married?"

While Anna is distracted, Harrow looks down at his hands in his lap, focused on something. It's probably no coincidence that Viatorus' phone receives a text a few seconds later.

Thanks for saying she's friendly and might find love. She doesn't here that much. She's not always mean like today I think she's over whelmed sorry. PS she doesn't know what a phone is don't worry.

Isidor expertly ignores Harrowheart's warning, noting him only in her peripheral vision and refusing to glance at him, though she knows what he's trying to signal. His reasons become clear with Anna's answer. Isidor's eyebrows tilt upwards in sympathy and her brow comes together in confusion. So many questions and so much etiquette to mind. She smiles softly with Anna's joking.

"No," she answers, remaining gentle and respectful. "Our parents will find a wife for Viatorus first, and then a husband for me." Her lips tilt, smile becoming cheeky. "They're probably worried he'll vanish into a portal and never return before they get grandchildren."

"I'll always return. You have my tea," Viatorus reminds her, a little distant as he gets distracted with pulling out his phone. This must be scary for you both. More for her. It's ok. I'm good at empathy. And what I said is true, for both of you.

Anna nods knowingly at what Isidor tells her. She nods at Viatorus then and says, "So you're inheriting your parents' property? Or... Do you not own any?"

Harrow scoff-laughs, and Anna winces. Did she say something wrong? She can't parse his strangely smug and knowing smile. He looks between the Durants to see what they're going to do, but offers no suggestions as to whether or not they ought to reveal their wealth.

He looks down at his phone again, a motion still ignored by Anna.

Don't worry about me. Only scary thing for me is what she will say. No such thing as privacy with siblings right lol.

Edited 2016-09-01 19:41 (UTC)

Both the question and Harrowheart's less than graceful reaction to it, drop Viatorus' jaw slightly as the awkwardness hits him like a train. "Uh... I'll... I'll inherit some... When my parents pass away... But I own a... home. I... I have my own property."

He looks between Harrowheart and Isidor, then, checking to see if this response is acceptable, and rubbing his phone instead of checking it, lest he draw Anna's attention to it.

"It's... part of my job to make sure he has everything he needs," Isidor elaborates. "Including his own property and income."

It's only then Viatorus glances down at his phone and tries (and fails) to hide a smile, then he returns to the conversation at hand.

Anna doesn't seem to understand at first. She squints, tries to riddle it out. So Isidor really is his babysitter? And he's already got his own property? Unsure of how she ought to react to information she's not sure she gets, she tries to laugh. "With a sister like her, who needs a wife?"

Harrow gasps, legitimately offended! He swats Anna's hand. "Don't make gross jokes!"

"I wasn't!" she protests. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant it's more like how everyone takes care of Lawrence now that he's... Lawrence."

Harrow pulls a face and nods knowingly. He explains to the others, "Lawrence got a divorce. I think I told you that once, Isidor, huh? He had a wife and thought he was gonna have a kid, but when his wife had the kid it turned out it wasn't his. She ran off on him, he decided he was done with love, and he told my family that Heather could take over the family legacy. It's only right that she takes care of him now. So she's like a sister, but she's kinda like a wife... Except where it counts."

"Right." Anna nods definitively.

Harrow stage whispers to the Durants, "If you ever meet Lawrence, don't talk about love around him. Or his robot arm."

"Or his hairline," Anna says with a laugh.

Harrow smears his hand across his mouth to hide his smile. He raises his chin at Viatorus to get his attention. "How's old age treatin' you, man? How's havin' a beard? Do you have a bald spot? Isidor, does he have a bald spot?"

Harrowheart wasn't the only one who interpreted Anna that way, with Isidor going red and Viatorus coughing to cover up his anxious jittering. Both of them are all too happy to listen to explanations, Isidor paying particular attention, nodding her understanding as the two children speak.

As per usual, Viatorus has half slipped out of the conversation by the time it turns to him. Vague musings on robot arms from Harrowheart's mystical world are interrupted as he tries to catch up. Belatedly he replies, "Hm? Oh. It's fine. The beard's a bit itchy..."

But Isidor is already grinning at Harrowheart's line of questioning, leaning back and reaching over to scratch at the back of her brother's head. "Not quite, but it looks like it could be thinning."

"It's not!" Viatorus exclaims, shocked and defensive, he bats his sister's hand away and gently covers his head with his other hand. He huffs at Harrowheart then, wagging a finger. "I bought you cake!"

"You're never growing a beard," Isidor declares now that she's properly looking at him. "It makes you look ridiculous. Like a scruffy hermit."

Viatorus' unexpectedly energetic rebuttal instantly sets both Harrowheart and Anna to laughing. With him, surely. Certainly not at him.

When Harrow is reprimanded he raises his eyebrows and puts his hand on his chest in feigned offense. "Oh? Do you want your cake back? I can do that for you!" He sticks out his tongue and slowly starts to put his finger in his mouth, but Anna squeals and quickly grabs his hands.

"Not while I'm around! You're so gross! UGH!" She's still laughing and smiling, though, and that's what matters.

Harrow complies without putting up a fight. It was enough for him to see his sister lose her mind for a second. He doesn't even mind that she keeps his hands pinned to the table with both of her own.

Anna attempts her best businesswoman tone and decides to steer the conversation into saner territory. "Miss Isidor, all mages ought to have beards."

Harrow shakes his head, causing his longer-than-usual hair to bounce with the motion. "Uh, Khadgar doesn't have a beard, and he's the greatest mage on the planet, soooooo... Like, you're super wrong?"

Anna tsks and turns up her nose. "He had a beard. The most famous beard in the world. Just because he got it cut off doesn't mean he never had one."

Harrow mimic's Viatorus' wagging finger at Anna. "You're saying a mage needs a beard once in his life? So Viatorus has his now, which means he can shave it off and never grow it again, and Isidor can be happy."

Anna opens her mouth to retort, but he's got her there. She crosses her arms over her chest and turns her head to consider Viatorus' beard. "Mister Durant, I think you look dashing and masculine. It just needs... Maybe... A trim? It would suit your personality if it were closer to your face, I think."

Suddenly Harrow pounds a fist on the table, rattling the plates and shaking the drinks. "No!" he shouts, then points a finger right at Viatorus' face. "He needs SIDEBURNS!"

He bites his lower lip eagerly and, wide-eyed and grinning, starts to nod. Do it, Viatorus...

Anna's protest is echoed by both Durants, Viatorus' hand coming down to wave at Harrowheart to get him to stop, but Anna already has it covered. That leaves them both free to give the exceptionally important topic of Viatorus' beard their full attention.

Naturally, Viatorus is far more interested in mention of another mage, but the two children are far too fast and excitable for him to get a word in edgeways until they leave him one. By that point they've given him proposals to consider.

Isidor's quicker to share her opinions. She wrinkles up her nose and shakes her head. "Not sideburns. He'd look like an Amish pastor wearing tweed."

"Shaving all the time is a lot of hassle, though," Viatorus pipes up. "Maybe if I keep it trimmed..."

Judging by Isidor's scrunched up face, she'd undecided on that one.

The pause is enough to allow Viatorus a chance to steer the conversation himself. "Do only mages have beards in your world, Anna? Or do you think your brother would look good with one too? It might make him more dashing and masculine too."

Isidor naysays the sideburns and Harrow instinctively reaches to touch his surprisingly smooth cheek. He's going to have to remember her opinion for when he's back to his normal self...

Anna explains, "Beards are for anyone who can grow them. My dad had a beard, shorter than yours. He keeps it nice and tidy. Lawrence has..."

"Scruff?" Harrow offers. Anna nods. He continues, "Dwarves grow beards, too. It's important for them. I've never seen one clean-shaven. Night elf druids normally have beards? It makes them look natural. Lotta worgen grow beards for the same reason."

Anna, suddenly very sober over a realization, quickly interrupts. "But my brother can't grow a beard. Because he's dead. He's going to look the same forever."

Harrow rubs at his forehead. He's not going to let the conversation end like that. He's plowing forward, utterly ignoring Anna's comments. "Isidor! If you could grow a beard, would you? N...Not that you... Look like you need... Uh. Not that you're not perfect like you are or, uh..."

Light, he's so sweaty. So, so sweaty. Maybe Anna's morbid comments were a better topic after all...

It's with all the respect and seriousness of socio-political topics that Viatorus leans forward and nods while they work through the status of beards in Azeroth. That he manages to lead the conversation into such a sombre topic, however, makes him blanch. Harrowheart is already on it, though! Quickly turning the conversation onto... Isidor's theoretical beard. Viatorus looks over to his sister, who, at this rate, is going to have one raised eyebrow and a mildly perturbed expression fixed onto her face.

"I've never thought about it before..." She hesitates, distracted by Harrowheart's clear nervousness. With a bit of concentration, she looks away and remains composed, persisting with the topic presented to her. "If I was a man, maybe... Maybe something Italian, or Spanish. A beard, but expertly groomed. Thin, sharp lines." Her gaze roams over to her brother again and she smirks. "Nothing as lazy or scruffy as Viatorus'." She turns her smile to Anna. "What about you? Would you grow a beard?"

Anna whispers to her brother, "What's Spanish? Italian?" She frowns when her brother only shrugs. Those are aspects of Earth culture he hasn't yet been presented. The best he can offer is, "Something from their world."

Isidor's return of the question distracts Anna from her confusion. She laughs delicately, surprised at having been asked it. "Me?" What a novel idea. Growing a beard...

"I like being a woman," she's sure to say. "I haven't thought about being a man or growing a beard, really." She leans across the table and whispers loudly for Isidor (and certainly the brothers) "It's a silly question, isn't it? The kind of question a boy would ask."

But still, she's not above considering it. She rests a hand on her chin, index finger over her lips, and she thinks.

"Everyone in my family is tall," she says. "So if I were a man, I'd be tall too. And we work outdoors, which means I'd probably look strong. My hair is light... I don't think any of those things would make a thin beard look good on me. I don't think I'd want to grow one at all. But if I did? Mine would have to be full, like my father's... Though a goatee might be fun!"

She puts her first two fingers on her chin to show what she means. Her broad smile shows her large front teeth. Despite her tendency to dip into a negative mentality, the casualness and pointlessness of this conversation has done her good.

Harrow smiles softly at Isidor for the effect she has on his sister. He waits a moment, lets a small amount of silence sit between them. With much less anxiety he says to Isidor, "You're the only one at the table who's the right age. How about that? If you could change that, would you be older or younger?"

The cheeky jab at the choice of topic gets a large smile from Isidor. It's not often that she gets someone to bounce of off like this, indulging in childish playfulness. To a limit, of course.

"A goatee might be nice. And you could braid it, or braid things into it," she suggests, adding a little fuel to the harmless daydream. As for Harrowheart's question, she shakes her head. "I like the age I am now. I can keep up with my brother and nobody is dismissive of me. If I could change, I would choose not to."

"She's always been a middle aged woman," Viatorus tells them, failing to hide a smile. "She started bossing people around as soon as she could talk."

"Don't say things like that!" Isidor snaps, embarrassed, before Viatorus' large smile and tilt of his head makes her realise the irony of her response. Flushing red, she holds her breath a moment, then laughs. "You'd be lost without me bossing you around."

Viatorus nods. "I would."

"I'm glad Viatorus isn't young, either," Isidor continues. "I'd never find him."

It's a whole table of smiles now! Anna and Harrow glance at each other, sharing grins, when Viatorus silently gives his sister the amused look that proves his point. Harrow reaches out and hook an arm around Anna's neck, then pulls her and her chair in closer to him. She yelps in surprise but is right back to quietly laughing again after. Both of them look incredibly content to be so close again.

Anna asks Isidor, "Did he run away when he was a boy? Were you always chasing him? We used to find Harrow up trees all the time."

Harrow barks a laugh at the memory. He rubs his neck and looks down at the table. "Shoot... It's been forever since I climbed a tree..." Then, looking to Isidor he guesses, "I bet Viatorus spent all his time in dreams when he was a kid, huh?"

Anna's eyebrow's twitch with her curiosity, and out of the corner of her eye Harrow catches it. He smiles smugly, as if he's about to share something about himself he's very proud of. "Viatorus is a dream mage."

Her eyebrows rise and she actually gasps. For a second she even looks afraid, but after looking at Viatorus' friendly face she's quickly soothed. She smiles in awe and without realizing it adjusts her posture so that she looks very proper. One must be well-presented when meeting such a specialized sort of caster, after all!

Harrowheart's proud beaming is mirrored by Isidor, but Viatorus smiles sheepishly, awkwardly trying to appear humble and harmless.

"You have something in common then. Viatorus used to go up trees all the time too. He was always looking for somewhere quiet to read or sleep," Isidor tells them.

"Different places mean different feelings when you drift off, which means different dreams," Viatorus jumps into explaining. "It was interesting, and important to testing out my skills."

Isidor is all too happy to share the ordeals of being the dreamwalker's sister and patron. It's with light hearted exasperation that she continues. "As soon as I would turn away for two seconds he would tuck himself away somewhere strange and hidden and fall asleep. So he wouldn't hear me calling him." She leans closer. "One of his favourite spots was on top of bookcases. We had high ceilings and bookcases that would stretch up to them. Sometimes there was a bit of a gap between the bookcase and the ceiling. He'd use a little air magic to get up there, out of the way and hard to spot."

Anna rests her chin in her hands and listens to the Durants as if they're telling the most adorable story she's ever heard. Harrow has to go and blow it, though.

"Shoulda put a bell on him."

Anna tisks and elbows him, but he only keeps grinning.

"Not like a cow! Like a cat!" He says, as if that makes it somehow better.

Anna squares her shoulders and steps up to bat for Viatorus. "I think I'd like to sleep on top of a bookcase too, if I could. It sounds lovely and pleasant. And quiet!"

"Not a lotta quiet around our house," Harrow says with a laugh. "You know, V and Isidor don't have to share a room? They each get their own rooms."

Anna "ooh"s quietly. "And they have their own library? Wow... I wish we were mages! I'd love to spend all day reading and never the same book twice. I don't think I'd ever sleep, even if I was a dream mage."

Harrow pats her back and she chooses to change the subject. "Ms. Durant, what sort of mage are you? I want to say... Fire. Or are you something special? Like a chronomancer?" Oh, so exotic!

Annarchy and Ageswaps (For Viatorus)

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