| House Points | |||
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| Vacation!! . . .or is it work?? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 6 2008, 11:49 PM (489 Views) | |
| Cade Browen | Jul 6 2008, 11:49 PM Post #1 |
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Most people who go to Australia would be excited to stay in such an exotic land, but not Cade. Initially, Cade could not wait for the summer to finally take a much needed break from the world of magic, but no, life refused to be fair. Two weeks before leaving, Cade was ordered to take on a mission to follow Royce Manchester, the only person directly associated with the leader of a vigilante group who wants to expose the magical realm in order to take over the entire world . . .Even though it sounds pretty far-fetched, Cade has no choice but to follow orders--even during his vacation. Checking in with his handler before leaving headquarters, Cade looked once more at Royce's file which contained his history to the man's favorite types of dessert. Reading over the material, Cade arched his brow as the information included the fact that Royce had most recently been seen at Hogwarts on a frequent basis. Even though he was on the job, Cade decided that it couldn't hurt to have a few pleasures including a beach house right by the ocean. Not only was the location a great surveillance spot, but a great spot to catch some waves on his surfboard. As usual on a surveillance mission, the first week or two included Royce going about doing menial things such as visiting his friends or hanging out on the beach trying to flirt with girls. Key word there is TRYING. Cade on the other hand, developed a dark tan which showed off his well-defined body and sun-streaked hair. Cade even let a little stubble replace his usually clean-shaven face. Cade became on-alert when Royce secretly met with an unknown man at a public bungalow, but Cade couldn't use any magic to overhear them or get a closer look. The odd couple was smart enough to put up a shield against any spells relating to their conversation. Cade smiled sardonically knowing that he wasn't one of the best agents in the magical realm for no reason. Closing his eyes to concentrate, Cade visualized every part of his body dissipating into microscopic particles. Traveling through the air, Cade could feel people shudder as he made contact with them, but for all they knew, they had felt a chill. Getting as close as he could without alerting Royce or his companion, Cade listened on with horror as Royce explained how he had been videotaping students using magic at Hogwarts in order to reveal the magical realm to the ignorant world. Anger coursed through Cade as he realized that this maniac had vidoetaped the students while he was a part-time teacher at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Cade could feel himself losing control over his body. He could already see the outline of his hand within seconds. Ever since his accident, Cade didn't have complete control over his powers as he once did. Cade turned to run from the impending danger, but before he could run ten feet away, it was too late. He had already turned back to normal. |
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| Kate Smythe | Aug 24 2008, 06:58 AM Post #2 |
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Kate wanted to be as far from her parents and siblings as humanly possible. If she thought that they were mean to her at home, it was ten times worse on vacation with them. Adalyn and Adain were the worst, of course. Being only a year older than she, they had the most interest in competing with her. She didn't get why it was such a big deal. They would always have more popularity in the family, since they were legitimate children and she was not, and they were better liked at school as well. Lately Don had taken to tossing her several galleons in the morning and kicking her out of the cabin to "go shopping". She was more than happy to get out of his hair, though she rarely hit the stores. She had enough meaningless possessions at home. Instead, she wandered around Australia, slipping into areas most people wouldn't see; private homes and beaches, other peoples boats, the desert... Anywhere she wasn't allowed she went, seeing how far she could push her luck. Today, though, she'd officially pushed it too far. The ironic part was that she hadn't even meant to do anything that bad. She'd slipped into a strappy little pink bikini, grabbed her towel, and went down to the beach to catch some waves. It was the most normal thing she'd done all summer, something the rest of the world would actually approve of... She'd slipped into some spindly little shrubs to relieve herself, and was just about to reemerge and head back down to the beach when she heard a man speaking about spying on Hogwarts... Videotaping... Exposing them... Her eyes got wide and she stood up, hoping to make a quick getaway and then locate someone who could do something with the information, although who that would be she didn't know... and then she saw one of her teachers from school. Professor Browen. Not exactly, though. Even as she watched, he seemed to change before her eyes, though into what she couldn't say. He turned towards her, as though to escape, and then in a moment he was back to normal. Her eyes were locked upon his, and she was frozen in fear. He was going to kill her... She'd be found dead in nothing but a trashy little bathing suit. Perfect. |
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| Cade Browen | Sep 11 2008, 11:24 AM Post #3 |
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Looking back at the two cohorts, Cade had to breath a sigh of relief when they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Turning back around, Cade froze in mid stride when he saw a familiar face. Cursing under his breath, Cade realized that the girl was one of the students from Hogwarts. Filled with suspicion, Cade realized that this girl could very well be Royce's pawn . . .a pawn that could mean the end of Hogwarts and the safety of the magical realm. No! There was no way that Cade would allow anything to happen on his watch. With a determined stride, Cade grabbed the girl's arm and strode off behind the bungalow. Twisting her around, Cade pierced her with a cold stare. "Who are you, and what did you hear?" Cade took in the fact that the girl was visibly shaken by the encounter, but he also knew full well that she could be feigning her shock. Peering through the corner of his eyes, Cade noticed that there were more people coming their way. Not wanting to take the chance that the girl might actually create a disturbance, Cade more or less dragged her away from the public and entered a secluded hut. All the while, Cade made sure that he didn't get too far that he couldn't keep a visual of his enemies who were still talking away under the bungalow. Looking down at the girl, Cade tried to recall if she was one of his students. He didn't know all of the students he taught, but he did make the habit of remembering a face once he had seen it. Yes, this girl was indeed one of his students. Clenching his jaw, Cade realized that even if the girl was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, . . .she still knew too much for her own good. And it was Cade's job to eradicate any possible threats. |
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| Kate Smythe | Sep 11 2008, 03:21 PM Post #4 |
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Now she really was in trouble, Kate thought. Her professor had turned almost violent. Was he on video guys side? She didn't think so. Dusty had always liked Professor Browen. Then again, he was giving Dusty a place to stay over the summer so perhaps that was natural. "Professor!" she hissed as he pulled her away from the beach. She didn't want to shout lest she draw undue attention to herself. It was bad enough that she'd caught his attention without video camera guy getting hint of her. As they got further away from the crowds, she reached a hand up to wrap protectively around her midriff, suddenly feeling very exposed. This was what she got for actually trying to behave like a normal teenager for once. Seriously, going to the beach was supposed to be a typical thing to do! She felt herself flinch back when he snarled at her about what she'd heard.[What were you thinking, Dusty?] she whispered internally. [You said Professor Browen was nice to you!] "Something about videotapes," she whispered fearfully, "It sounded bad." Was she supposed to have said that? She tried to think of what Donnan would have done. He always knew what he should say to which people. He could talk himself out of jail if he had to, she knew, and he was always so believable. She figured he got that from the years he spent living on the street. She wished she could be half as resourceful. Dusty wouldn't be cringing like she was right now. He was strong. She wasn't strong. Or brave. Or anything really. This whole week she'd told herself she was trying to prove to her parents that they couldn't just ignore her, but that wasn't the truth. The truth was that she was trying to prove to herself that she was brave enough, strong enough, smart enough.... Only she wasn't. All the trouble in the world was kid stuff compared to this. This was what really mattered.. And she didn't have what it took. "Please," she whispered, wincing at the pressure he was putting on her arm. "I won't tell anyone, I swear. I'll do whatever you want. I don't care, it doesn't matter... Just don't..." She couldn't even say her fears out loud. She couldn't voice things like "kill" or "rape", the kinds of things she feared he would do now. They were too vile. She shivered in the air that had turned cold... What was going to happen to her? |
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| Cade Browen | Sep 20 2008, 12:06 AM Post #5 |
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Different scenarios kept playing through Cade's mind. In nearly every one, Cade ended up killing certain people or end up getting killed himself. . .None of these ideas set well with him. Cade could get pretty morbid depending on the situation, and this situation definitely called for some needed morbidity. He was either facing his potential enemy or his potential downfall. Raking a trembling hand through his tossled hair, Cade moved his penetrating gaze to the frightened girl. Even though they were on an Australian beach on a beautifully sunny day, the poor girl was shaking as hard as a leaf. As her arms involuntarily wrapped around her midriff protectively, Cade cursed under his breath. The girl looked at him with pure fear. Her whispered words spoke volumes to Cade as he groaned inwardly at her implied meaning. The girl honestly thought that he was going to kill or rape her. That was the last thing he would ever do, but the thought of her untimely death did come to mind . . .just not by his hands at least. "Don't move anywhere." Before she could respond, Cade twisted around and grabbed the nearest beach towel off of the back of a beach chair. Marching right in front of the petrified girl, he shoved the towel toward the girl. Confusion ran across her pale features as she quickly wrapped the cotton towel around her body as if it could protect her somehow. Giving a derisive snort, Cade turned his back to the girl. Kicking at the sand, he watched the small grains of sand rise up into the air and settle down once again. He could feel the tension build between his furrowed brows. The last thing he needed was a migraine to accompany the mess he was in right now. Well, he might as well get things out in the open if he was going to try to salvage this mission. Grabbing a nearby crate, Cade settled himself on top of the wood. As he wiped a hand over his tired face, Cade still his movement to direct a cool gaze on the student. "Tell me your name, . . . and don't even try to lie your way out of this." |
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| Kate Smythe | Oct 2 2008, 12:41 PM Post #6 |
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Shite, Kate thought to herself. Shite, Shite, shite, shite, shite... She huddled in on herself as though that would protect her from everything that was happening... When the professor left her alone for a moment, she had a mad desire to flee, but somehow didn't think that it would go over well. Besides, she knew that he would be able to out run her. She couldn't run worth anything... In any case, he was back before she had a chance to think of anything intelligent to do with herself. To her surprise, he held a cotton beach towel... What did he care about her modesty at this point? Still, she thought, as she wrapped the thing protectively around her, it answered one question. He didn't intend to rape her. "I, um..." she swallowed, unable to come up with a response to his question. She worried her lower lip for a moment. Her name... What was her name? Shivering, she could barely remember... And then she did. "Kate. My name is Kate Morian Smythe." She shivered. Would her hesitation make him think that she was lying? She wasn't. For probably the first time in her life, she was telling the truth. She should get a cookie, she thought insanely. It was something Dusty would have said. |
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| Cade Browen | Oct 27 2008, 10:38 PM Post #7 |
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It was amazing how patient one could be . . .especially during stressful situations. Honestly, Cade deserved a reward by how well he was keeping himself together. Okay, so he wasn't perfectly patient, but under the circumstances you couldn't really blame the guy. There was nothing more irksome than someone who wouldn't answer a question quickly. Usually when someone hesitated with answering, the person was either about to lie or make a fool of himself by not even knowing the answer. In this case, it was neither. The girl hesitated, but she eventually gave away her name. "Kate." Cade said the name matter-of-factly. He knew the child wasn't lying to him, but he didn't act surprised either. For someone who could have easily made things much worse for him or at the least give him more hell, Cade was glad to know that Kate was reasonable enough to listen to his requests. . . or else her existance will be short-lived. Yes, that statement sounds callous, but it is a part of the laws of espionage. In order to stay out of trouble, ignorance was the best weapon one could use. No matter. Even if the girl did prove to be bothersome, Cade could always erase her memory, but that would be the last recourse. The downsided of taking away memories is that one could easily take too much away from the fragile mind. "Well, Kate Smythe, please elaborate how you came to be in the same area as myself and uh . . . these gentlemen." Cade more or less choked on that last word. Gentlemen was the last thing he would ever call people who would be willing to use innocent children among other things in order to gain a profit. Stupid muggles . . .Trying not to get side-tracked, Cade fixed his attention on Kate and waited for answers. |
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| Kate Smythe | Oct 31 2008, 09:21 PM Post #8 |
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"I, uh..." Kate hedged. She couldn't get her mind to work. She, known for her educated speech and eloquence when speaking, couldn't get words out. She shivered a little, pulling the towel tighter around her shoulders, and took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. "I'm here on vacation with my family," she managed to respond at last. "Well, not here exactly, but nearby. My family and I don't get on that well... During the day they mostly leave me to my own devices. This morning... I just wanted to go for a swim... I mean, it's not exactly the best beach around, but it's mostly private... I like to keep to myself.. I wasn't sure if maybe I might get in some trouble; I didn't really have permission... But I wasn't, like, way out of bounds. I've done worse this week... And then I overheard something, and I saw you..." She shook her head, unable to comprehend what she was saying... She was babbling. She hated babbling, didn't think anything could sound as inane as that. |
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| Cade Browen | Nov 1 2008, 01:22 PM Post #9 |
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Honestly, the poor girl was babbling. Knowing himself very well, Cade knew that the babbling was stemming from his own persistent interrogation skills. Seagulls flew overhead squawking wherever they went. The birds reminded him of "Finding Nemo." Just like the seagulls in the movie, the live birds were cute but bloodthirsty. They didn't care about anything other than catching their small treats. The girl clutched the cotton towel tighter around herself, and Cade wondered how someone so pretty could get herself into such a big mess. The men in the bungalow were simply the seagulls in this situation while Kate was the treat just waiting to be caught. Listening to her quick words, Cade thought it curious that Kate would actually leave her family to get her own space. Was her family treating her badly, or was Kate simply one of those girls who didn't get a pony when she asked? A spoiled daddy's girl was the last thing he needed. Well, at least the girl had an alibi of sorts. She wasn't alone so she wouldn't be in too much danger . . . as long as she listened to him. Cade came to her side and faced her square on. The smell of flowers and a hint of sea salt assailed his nostrils. Shaking himself, Cade encircled her wrist with his hand, "Okay, Kate, I want you to go find your family and stay with them for the rest of your stay here. Heed my words, or you'll only get yourself into more danger." |
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| Kate Smythe | Nov 1 2008, 01:53 PM Post #10 |
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Kate winced at those words. "I think I'd rather the danger," she snorted, trying to make a joke of it... It wasn't entirely untrue, either, but at the thought that he might not exactly appreciate her dark humor, she straightened herself up and looked him in the eyes. Directly, for the first time since she'd gotten herself into this mess. "I'll stay with Mother, Tom, and their children," she said, her voice flat. "I won't make trouble." She closed her eyes as she said it. Another week in Australia before her family went back home. A week dealing with their hard eyes and barely concealed disgust at her presence. Still, it was better than whatever this man thought might happen to her if she didn't. She pulled away from him, forcing his hand to drop from hers, her jaw tense. She wasn't some little kid. Just before she turned away from him to head home, she thought of something. She had been trying to solve the problem for ages, and now she had a means to do so... Maybe. Or not. She didn't really know this man, or how he was connected with Dusty, exactly. He had been rather vague on that point. Still, she was at her wits end with the boy. "You have some sort of relation with Dusty, right?" she asked, frowning at him. "I don't know. He'd mentioned you, nothing specific. But if you do have some connection with him, do me a favor. Next time you see him, tell him..." she frowned. It was actually important information, but Dusty might consider it personal. He led a sort of double life, and she didn't know who was allowed to know what. She didn't want to deal with his anger if she said the wrong thing to the wrong person. "Never mind," she said, shaking her head. "Well, I mean, if you have an opportunity, you might remind him to... Take his medicine... If you think of it." She turned away from him, dropping the towel that was not hers from her shoulders. The owners would think it had blown astray. |
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| Cade Browen | Nov 8 2008, 09:13 PM Post #11 |
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He almost rolled his eyes. The once shivering girl was now actually standing up to him. To top it off, she was attempting sarcasm. He had to admire that, but it was too little too late. The girl's show of bravado did absolutely nothing to change Cade's mind. Kate was only going to get herself killed, and Cade did not want to carry that burden for the rest of his life. Deep down he knew that there was a scared girl waiting to be rescued. Rescuing damsels in distress was not on the agenda for the day. As quick as she mustered up her courage, Kate also resigned herself to his advice. Well, at least there wouldn't be a fight . . . Although, a fight is very fun now and then. Just as well, things were better this way. Pulling away from him, Cade released his grip on the girl. The defeated look on her face was almost unbearable. Honestly, he had a hard enough time saying no to people. Especially his own "protogee" Donnan. That kid could probably get away with murder if Cade had his way. Hearing the name Dusty, Cade's mind drew a complete blank. Who the heck was Dusty? Spinning away from him, Kate walked off leaving her towel lying on the ground. Well, that's not nice especially after all the effort he put into actually finding a decent towel that wasn't damp from previous use. Picking up the towel, he wadded up the cotton material and threw it at an empty beach chair. Suddenly, something Kate said triggered his memory. He did know Dusty! In fact, Dusy was just Donnan, but for some reason, the boy wanted people to call him this new name . . . almost as if he was trying to hide something or from someone. No matter. Anything concerning Donnan's well-being was very important. Glancing about, Cade followed Kate's visible footprints in the white sand. As he approached her retreating back, Cade caught her attention. Giving her a steely glance, Cade approached her side with lethal grace,"What did you mean when you said that I should ask Donnan about his medicine?" |
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| Kate Smythe | Nov 8 2008, 09:56 PM Post #12 |
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Kate hadn't expected that he would pursue her after she left him. She frowned as he caught up with her. Talk about opening up a can of worms... Dusty was going to kill her! She was almost certain now that the professor wasn't supposed to know about it; if he didn't even make the connection with the medicine, then Dusty was actively hiding this from him. She didn't bother to take the time to wonder why that might be. She couldn't. With the professor staring at her with that penetrating gaze, she had to come up with something. Did she dare tell him the truth? She'd be betraying her brother's trust if she did so. It was a lose lose situation for her, and she had to decide whether or not the ends justified the means. Dusty was a closed off person. Betray his trust once, and he might never forgive her. Then again, from what she'd heard the medicine was pretty imperative to his health. She sighed, shaking her head to clear it of selfish thoughts. She didn't know why Dusty was hiding this, but he shouldn't be. From what she understood, the man in front of her was the only one Dusty was even remotely close to. He was the only one who could help her brother, and she had to seek that help... Even if it cost her a relationship. "Like I said, I don't know your connection with Dusty, really," Kate hedged, running a hand through her hair nervously. She refrained- barely- from adding that if he was supposed to be a guardian, he was pretty remiss at the job. That would hardly help her. "He likes you, though." For whatever reason. Kate hadn't yet figured that one out. She bit her lip and continued her diatribe. "Respects you, even, and that's a rare one with him... Despite that, Dusty keeps to himself, you know? If he has a problem, he's not going to approach anyone about it. He'd rather suffer silently then feel like some sort of charity case; it's too close to being weak and vulnerable for him... At the same time, he's a kid; he doesn't have the resources to take care of every situation that arises." Kate stopped herself. She was babbling, incessantly. She always did so when she was nervous. She took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts into one coherant thing, with limited success. At last, she decided to just blurt it out- to hell with beating around the bush in order to make it sound less pathetic. "He's supposed to be taking potions... He's malnourished and underweight, for one thing, and he has... seizures, fits, whatever you want to call them... post traumatic stress, or whatever, from his time with his old guardians. And then all the new stuff, with his original heritage... It's getting to be too much. So he's supposed to have dreamless sleep some nights, too, and potions for his nerves... But potions are expensive, and Dusty refuses to spend money on them. He's always saving up for basic necessities, like food... From what I heard he has food right now, but after what he's been through, he's not about to take that for granted. I don't know where he's at, but from the way he talks it's like he expects to be dumped out again at any moment. He saves for food, and considers the potions to be a luxury, of sorts... But I worry that if he doesn't take them, he's only gonna get worse." So much for organizing everything into a coherent sentence or two... Still, she had it all out now, and she realized that it felt good. The prospect of what Dusty would do to her when he found out that she had spilled the beans was sickening, but at least it was off her chest. Dealing with him, fixing the situation... It wasn't her problem anymore. As selfish as it may sound, she was happy that, having done her good deed, she could forget about everything her brother was going through and worry about herself. |
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| Cade Browen | Dec 11 2008, 06:49 PM Post #13 |
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The girl was rambling again, but from the few words that weren't jumbled together, Cade pieced together the jist of what she was saying: Donnan was going to die. Maybe not yet, but that was what was headed for the kid. Quick breaths were the only thing that kept Kate going on as she stood there before him. Judging from her continuous blinking, she was barely keeping things together. What Cade couldn't understand was why. Why did this complete stranger care so much for Donnan's well-being. Not once did Donnan ever mention this Kate character, yet she spoke of Donnan as if she knew him intimately . . .almost as if they were related. None of this was the least bit surprising. Cade had only befriended the boy a few months ago, but from the short period of knowing him, Cade knew that Donnan had some scars that would never heal along with some health problems stemming from his violent childhood. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Cade wondered how long this had been going on. For crying out loud! Cade had told Donnan on countless of occasions that he didn't have to worry about adult things anymore . . .which was why Cade had invited Donnan to stay with him at the cottage. The now silent girl fidgeted under his scrutiny even while he tried not to clench jaw with anger. But as usual, he was only angry with himself . . .he just didn't know how else to show that anger without appearing like a jerk half the time. Closing his eyes, Cade bowed his head and tried to clear his wayward thoughts. He should have known. The agency had told him that the summer assignment would only last a week tops, so Cade told Donnan that he had to leave for business for a week. Of course, plans went awry. One week suddenly into a month. Since he was undercover at the moment, Cade couldn't make contact with the mainland without blowing his cover . . .or worse, endangering Donnan. "I should have known . . ." His voice trailed off with as much disgust as he felt in his heart. He could have found loopholes. Heck, he could have let someone else take the job! There were plenty of agents who could have taken this assignment, but this case was too close to him that he couldn't pass it up. Looking up to meet Kate's gaze, Cade finally did what he should have done a month ago. "Kate, tell me everything you know . . .We need to find Donnan." |
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| Kate Smythe | Dec 13 2008, 12:20 PM Post #14 |
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Kate tried not to groan... This was not the best place for an in depth chat, was it?? She wasn't even wearing proper clothing, for Merlin's sakes! Still, this was what she had been hoping for- a concerned adult, wary of her brother's wellbeing. And it was clear that this man was concerned. "He's my brother," she said at last, figuring that at this point, she might as well tell the full story. "Well, half-brother, technically, and we only met this year. That's a long, in depth story... Anyway, he grew up with his- er, I mean, my father- until he was five or six, and then he moved in with his grandfather... From what I gather, he was abusive or some such... I dunno, you can never get a full story out of Dusty, can you? "After his sister ran off, Dusty wouldn't put up with it anymore. Figured he'd be better off on the streets or whatever... Except.... He's orthostatic intolerant- that's, like, he gets funny when he stands or something... I don't really get it, except he has seizures sometimes, and it's worse when he's dehydrated or hasn't eaten or whatever. And on the streets, he was always dehydrated and he never ate. "I guess there's some sort of medicine for it, but... It's expensive. It's hard to say how expensive- it's not like he's rolling in cash- but it's expensive enough that he put it off of his list entirely. Hasn't taken it since he left home. Hasn't taken his painkillers for his leg, either, or his nutrition potions... Nothing, really. It's like he doesn't care about his health at all. "I told him to ask Tom- his real dad- for money, but he won't. He doesn't want anything to do with Tom or our mother- calls it dirty money. That's when I started calling him Dusty, you know; how could someone who used to steal tips from outdoor diners in order to buy food be concerned about where the money for his medicine is coming from? It freaks me out, though. He doesn't eat, barely sleeps, faints and seizes up at inconvenient times... He only attends half his classes... I don't know if he's depressed or if he just doesn't care, but..." "I don't know where he is right now. He told me he was covered- that he had somewhere to stay- but he didn't really give specifics. We're really not that close, and I don't like to pry- seems like if you push to hard with him he'll just disappear on you, if you know what I mean..." |
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