playing chicken

[Dahlia Black]

I am just sitting on the edge of the forest, looking at the castle as the lights come on.
Just sitting and listening, seeing how long it takes for fear to crawl up my spine and hit me in the head.
I inhale deeply, enjoying the evening air.
And then mid-breath I hear a rustle in the trees...
And fear starts to climb up my spine...

[Arden Patricks]

((Apparently nobody loves you, Laura... nobody but me. And I know you asked for Andra but screw you... I don't lik her as much and she doesn't hang out in the forest.))

I sigh to myself as I make my way out of the forest, still a little troubled by my conversation with Fitzy, and kicking softly at the leaves on the ground, liking the sound that they make.
It's only when I'm roughly a foot behind her that I notice the girl who's sitting at the edge of the forest, and I stop abruptly.
I'm in no mood to talk to people.
Maybe she can help.
And maybe she has her own problems that I don't reallyu want to hear right now, I snap grumpily, leaning heavily on a tree.

[Dahlia Black]

I inhale deeply, preparing myself to run or laugh, depending on what's behind me.
I turn my head slightly, seeing nothing at first.
Then my eyes adjust to the darkness of the forest, I see a girl next to a tree.
I neither run nor laugh, I just turn around and face her.

[Arden Patricks]

I frown slightly when the girl turns around, wondering why she seems familiar... and not in the way that passing faces sometimes seem familiar, but like I'm pretty sure I ought to know her name. Meaning I've met her since the... incident.
"Hey," I say quietly, nodding at her in acknowledgment and still frowning slightly. "Do I know you?"

[Dahlia Black]

I study her for awhile, searching for her face in the numerous files of my head.
"Wait are you the- Yeah, you're the chick from breakfast that one time... You're the deatheater chick." I pause noticing the darkness and loneliness of the night, "You're not actually a deatheater, are you?" I ask with a mix of humor and caution.

[Arden Patricks]

"No, I am certainly not," I say, frowning at her slightly for a different reason this time, rather offended. "Why would you think that?"

[Dahlia Black]

way to go Dahlia, now she's pissed.
"Er.. I don't really. It's just- Oh don't you remember that time that you sat with me, Laken and... and Volkaric... " I drift off...
I haven't thought about you in along time.
I sign and continue half-thinking,
"You... uh... you asked us if we were deatheaters... and then- and you just ran off." I shrug looking down at the grass.

[Arden Patricks]

My eyes widen slightly as she speaks, with the names Laken and Volkaric falling into place until the memory finally clicks. “Oh! Right! You’re… the interhouse convention at the Slytherin table….” I nod, faltering slightly at the thought of Volkaric and the reason I hadn’t thought about that memory in quite a while.
“Sorry… I forgot. But you’re some kind of flower, aren’t you? You were the Ravenclaw.”

[Dahlia Black]

I laugh briefly at being called a flower, and shrug, tilting my head thoughtfully upwards. "Yeah... I guess I'm a flower. Dahlia. Kind of an ugly flower." I shake myself out of the thoughtfulness. "Are you okay? You weren't okay then. Are you okay now? You don't have to answer, I'm sorry. I'm being kind of.... You can completely ignore me if you want."

[Arden Patricks]

I laugh slightly myself at her mild rambling, then shake my head with half an amused grin, deciding that maybe I like her after all. "No, that's all right... you're right, I wasn't fine then...." The very vivid memory of holding a wand to my head and inwardly shouting the words 'avada kedavra' through my tears is proof enough of that. "But I am now, thank you. And yourself?"

[Dahlia Black]

I smile and nod a "you're welcome". Glad that she's better, even if she's just some random forest wandering stranger that I thought could've been a deatheater.
I tilt my head, looking up at the trees, "Uuummm," I hum, "I'm pretty good, I suppose. Not much going on." I shrug.
"I really should get more of a life.... Maybe I'll go to Zonko's and get some goodies soon. Oh... and I need to order some treats for Blanche... spoiled little bugger." I grin and shake my head, "Do you have any pets?"

[Arden Patricks]

I laugh somemore as she rambles yet again, feeling that she reminds me of someone, though I can't imagine who. "I have pets, yes," I nod in response. "A puffskein named Agnes... a spider named Fluffy on an engorgement charm... and a friend of mine has been a little down lately so I'm taking care of his mouse, Frederick.... Not to mention the imaginary dragon and penguins and flying invisible monkeys...." I stop and give a little cough. "I take it Blanche is a pet?"

[Dahlia Black]

"Well, she's no imaginary dragon but I love her all the same." I grin, "She's a cat... and I think she's expecting kittens." I look into the trees thoughtfully and then laugh, "I really should have taught her better.... Goes after any cat with four legs." I bow my head in shame.

[Arden Patricks]

I laugh yet again, surprised at how much I seem to be taking a liking to someone who called me a deatheater. "Tsk." I cluck my tongue disapprovingly and shake my head, though the effect is ruined a bit by the fact I'm still smiling. "That tramp of a kitty.... Don't feel too bad, though. I'm sure you taught her as well as you could."

[Dahlia Black]

"Yeah... I tried.... But I get the feeling that she was more interested in the tassels from my blanket then what i had to say." I sigh shaking my head again.
"Wait... you have a giant spider?"

[Arden Patricks]

"That is very possible...." I start to say, then get cut off by her question and raise my eyebrows slightly. "That was a little belated, wasn't it?"

[Dahlia Black]

"Er yeah... I tend to do that once and awhile."I nod and shake my head simultaneously, making myself look even more crazy, I'm sure.
I laugh at myself, letting the head shake dominate.
"But don't let my slowness stop you... Where did you obtain such a spider?"

[Arden Patricks]

I laugh at her again, shaking my head as well. "From the wall of the Entrance Hall actually... then I put him on the engorgement charm so he's harder to lose. He's actually pretty well trained as well."