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 Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 2:48 pm
The problem with being friends with a kid like Touda was that it was always pretty impossible to get ahold of him. The only choice was to go to the park where he had met the boy the last few times and wait there, freezing in the brisk fall air.
Antony looked up, watching the street light over his head for a long moment. It liked to flicker. If he watched it long enough his head started feeling a little strange, but he couldn't seem to help himself. It was the most interesting thing happening in the park.
Perhaps, he thought, because the place was completely empty. That didn't seem natural. Usually at this time of the day, before the sun started setting but after work and schools were out, was the perfect time to come to the park. He stopped, hearing an eerie laugh from somewhere behind him. Or maybe it was the ghosts that kept the others from coming.
He turned, watching a transparent bum peek into the trash cans, mumbling something to himself. He wondered if no one had bothered to tell the old man he was dead.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:23 am
It was lucky for Antony that Touda was - at least a little bit - a creature of habit. At least in the fact that his morose and moody wanderings usually led him through the park. As it was, he was on his way home. Kind of. He didn't really feel like going back to Test's, but he didn't feel like staying out in the cold for much longer anyways. He'd been walking past the Harte Pharmaceuticals building. Nobody there would recognize him in his new human shape, it had been fairly safe. It had also brought up several disturbing memories of the creatures he and Anise had seen. They'd been trying to turn her into one, of that he was sure. The mere thought made him seethe quietly to himself.
As he rounded the corner he spotted a familiar figure on a familiar park bench. Antony. Touda's grumpy face transformed into a smile and he increased his pace as he approached the older boy. There was something comforting about Antony. It probably had to do with the fact that could see Touda in either form and it didn't seem to phase him at all.
"Hey." The flame-haired boy said, parking himself next to Antony on the bench. "You look cold."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:15 pm
"Because it is cold," Antony said, smiling slightly at the sight of the boy. "I was looking for you, and realized that I had no way to get ahold of you. This was the most likely place." His gloved hand dug into his pocket, pulling out two small paper packages.
"Have you had any trouble with the spirits since I last saw you?" he asked, not giving the gifts to the boy yet.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:21 pm
Touda grinned, absurdly pleased by the fact that Antony had been looking for him. "I'm living in a brownstone down that way." He recited off the address. "But I'm not there often." Eyeing the packages, Touda thought about his answer.
"I don't think so. Not exactly." He gazed down at his hands. "But theres weird things going on at the house. Everyone seems to think that whats going on here is happening in other worlds, too. Church told Anise that something big is coming, and there are people going in and out of the house all secretive." He made a face. "Anise wont tell me everything Church told her, though. I think she's mad at me."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:29 pm
"I see," Antony said, thinking aloud again, "but these were made by the twins, so it shouldn't matter whether it's spiritual or physical." He nodded, as if coming to a conclusion. "I realize," he said with a bit of wry humor, "that being a boy and not a toddler the shape might be a bit offensive, but I figure it shouldn't be enough to keep you from wearing it."
He handed him the two paper bags. "These are made by a luck witch, the more powerful of the two, in some ways. They're protective charms, meant to cause bad luck for whoever touches you with bad intentions. I was thinking of the spirits when I took them, but they might come in handy in other ways."
Inside the bags were two beaded necklaces with a small clay flower hanging from them.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:40 pm
Touda held the two necklaces gingerly, as if afraid he might break them. "Wow, thanks Antony." He flushed slightly. "Nobody's ever given me a present before, you know? Especially not something like this." He didn't even mind the flower charms. "Anise will really like it, too." He fastened one of the necklaces around his neck, fingering the pendant. He didn't quite have words to express his gratitude. Luckily, he didn't end up needing them.
"I'll like what?" A perky voice asked as a small brunette emerged from around a corner. She took in the sight of Touda and Antony sitting on the bench, Touda looking emotional. "Huh. You must be Antony." She said to the blue boy, choosing for the moment to ignore Touda and let him regain his composure from whatever had just happened. "Touda told me about you." Everything about her screamed of careless self-confidence.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:44 pm
"And you must be Anise," Antony said, standing finally and offering her his hand as any prince should. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said. "I was just giving Touda a present for the two of you. I didn't make them, but a... friend of mine did. They should come in handy. I might even have you tell the twins thank you, actually. I'm sure they'd appreciate it more from you than from me."
He noticed that Touda didn't seem to mind the flower pattern. That was good, he thought as he turned his attention back to Anise. "So I hear you've moved to a new place?" he asked.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:56 pm
What a gentleman! Anise, despite her youth, turned on the charm. Her brown eyes seemed to get just a little bigger, her lashes somehow seemed a little longer. Not like she would fool anyone as seasoned as Antony, but it was good for a girl to practice flirting. "Oh, I would be happy to thank them! Twins, you say?" Her eyes gleamed hopefully.
"Here." Touda stood up and fastened Anise's necklace around her throat. He smiled faintly with a little shrug. Her flirting didn't fool him, either.
"Oh, how pretty!" Anise beamed at Antony and batted her eyes. "We moved, yes. Test has been very good to us." She gave a pretentious, flirty little giggle. "And she doesn't insist on using me as a science experiment."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:02 pm
He didn't laugh. It was good of him, honestly, but she was cute in a way. She'd no doubt figure out how to do the flirting very well as she got older. As it was he gave her a slightly flirty smile in return and a bow. "I'm glad," he said honestly. The idea of a child being experimented on made him sick to his stomach.
"The twins are luck dragon girls," he said. "They go to my school as well as work for a fairy godfather in a magical shop. Kashmira is the one that made your necklaces."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:10 pm
"Kashmira." Anise grinned. "I'll look forward to meeting them." She turned to Touda. "I was wondering if you're coming back to the house tonight." Her tone held just a hint of venom. She didn't like how often he stayed out.
"I'll be home tonight." Touda assured her, then turned back to Antony. "Where is their shop? I'd like to stop by and thank them as well." He fingered the necklace, smiling again. "It was really nice of them. And you. I just hope neither of us actually need to use them."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:13 pm
"Unfortunately I couldn't give you directions even if I tried. The shop tends to show up where it wants. Usually, though, if you go searching shopping districts downtown you'll run into it if there's a reason for you to be there. I'm sure you'll find it quite easily, since you're wearing one of Kash's charms."
He looked at Anise. "So he's been not coming home a lot?" he asked her.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:15 pm
Anise shook her head, crossing her arms and glaring with sisterly ire at Touda. "No, and Test locks the doors when it gets dark out. He goes away for days and doesn't tell anyone where he's off to. Ever since he turned into a human..."
"Enough, Anise." Touda replied softly, flushed with irritation and embarrassment. "It's nothing." He explained to Antony. "I just like to walk around and explore and stuff. Theres no harm in it."
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:20 pm
Antony sat down, his expression turning dark as he looked at the boy. He felt somewhat responsible for the kid because of their similarities. "What did I tell you about this month especially?" he asked Touda quietly. "I think you should start making sure you're home at night. Things more powerful than I am are wandering the streets now, and I'm not talking just humans. Or Chris," he added a bit dryly.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:25 pm
Touda's face flushed darker and he shot a poisonous glance at his sister. The last thing he wanted was to make Antony mad, or to dissapoint the older boy whom he looked up to. Stupid Anise with her stupid big mouth. He glowered until she seemed to wilt under his gaze, but finally capitulated. "All right." The boy muttered. "I'll be more careful this month."
Anise dropped her pretenses enough to shoot Antony a genuinely appreciative look. She'd been worried about Touda's nightly ramblings, especially when he didn't come home.
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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:28 pm
For some reason the bum's ghost caught Antony attention again. He was digging through a different trash barrel, cursing as his hand went through whatever he was trying to grab. For a long moment Antony wondered why he had an uneasy feeling--
Then the ghost was gone. It was as if he'd never been there at all. A slurping noise echoed through the air followed by a prominent "gulp." "I think," Antony said, trying to remain calm as he stood, "it's time I escorted the two of you home."
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