(no subject)

[alt_charlie]

Thank you to everyone who's sent birthday greetings, and to everyone here at the reserve who's gone out of their way to make today such a lovely day!

(And special thanks to Copacati, our Peruvian Vipertooth, who could've bit me today and restrained herself. Don't think she knew it was my birthday, but I appreciate it anyway.)

Now I'm going to go back to pretending I don't know about the birthday cake Emmett's been cooking up for me for dinner, and defending my Mum's shortbread against all comers. If any of you lot of ravenous beasts want some of it, you'll have to ask really nicely.

Comments

Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_bill]

Maybe Copacati is getting more discriminating with maturity.

Hope Dree and Em treat you right tonight! Sounds like it, if there's a birthday cake in the oven.

Here's my next move: Ra6.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Well, the birthday cake was very nice (almost a rival to Mum's), but we three wound up having a flaming row after, over absolutely nothing. You know the kind of fight where everybody involved knows they're being unreasonable, but can't stop themselves from doing it anyway? One of those.

So Dree stomped out of their cabin in a huff and is sulking in a spare bunk in the womens' barracks, Em tried to talk me into spending the night with just him anyway even though that's against our rules we agreed on right up front, and I'm just trying to stay very small and quiet because Em tried to head her off with "if you don't stop picking at this you'll ruin Charlie's birthday dinner", which, no, leave me out of the whole thing, ta very much.

Happy birthday to me, right? We'll be all right in a day or two as soon as everyone calms down, I'm sure, but it was an ugly ending to an otherwise lovely day. And of course the whole thing makes me even more worried, since the real cabin-fever snits don't usually roll around until the depths of February and March, and if we're starting early this year, things are going to be just beautiful when that rolls around.

And did you see Percy's reply to me on Mum's post? He didn't send anything for my birthday, not even a card. And I don't care about whether or not he sends anything, but it makes me wonder why he didn't, and that's not all that comforting either.

Ugh. Sorry -- I don't mean to dump on you. Just frustrated as all get-out.

Trouncing you never fails to lift my spirits, though. Qe3.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_bill]

Bloody hell, I'm sorry about the row, Charlie. That's no fun. Hope everything smooths over quickly again.

As for Percy: it's not you, it's him. Sorry to add to the romantic gloom, but I had lunch with Dad today, and from what he said, it sounds like things between Percy and Penny are very rocky. Dad talked with Percy last night, and he sounded a bit frustrated, almost disgusted by Percy's part in the whole thing. It seems that Lucius Malfoy is meddling. Among other things, he's planted the idea that Percy can 'do better' than someone who is 'merely' three-quarters pure.

You can imagine how little Dad liked that.

So I think that Percy didn't send you proper birthday acknowledgment because he's distracted by his own domestic drama. It's a pity. I do hope they work it out.

Lucius Malfoy needs to go...snuggle up close to Copacati. Maybe get used as a dragon teething ring.

I'd love to see that berk get singed a bit.

Clearly, it's my duty to lose in order to lift your spirits. That may not be difficult: I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this game. Note the date for posterity: for once Bill Weasley admits that something about screaming and leaping seems to be working for you.

Uh, b6.

Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Yeah, the whole thing started with Deirdre needling Em over a bundle of stupid little things, and Em sniping back like he couldn't help himself, and then it turned into You Never and You Always and just, ugh, I'm hoping it's just frustrations boiling over and it will all clear up once the holidays pass.

And I took this behind the lock so I can say flat out that one day we're going to be able to get rid of that stinking tinpot dictator and his stinking flock of cronies and when that happens I am going to find Lucius sodding Malfoy's grave and piss on it. Because, ugh. I think about Malfoy sliming all over a perfectly lovely girl like Penny because she's 'only' three-quarters pure, and I think about a witch like Hermione being able to come up with those coins out of nothing but the bits of classes and reading she's been able to do when Marvolo feels like letting her like he's doing her a fucking favour when she's ten times the intellect he'll ever be, and it just infuriates me even more.

Because in a just world, Hermione would already be collecting dozens of offers to go into private research or write her own ticket at the Ministry, and Tonks would be making waves in the Auror Department, and Terry would be curled up in the library devouring whatever book he could get his hands on and worried about upcoming exams, and Lucius sodding Malfoy would be rotting in a cell in Azkaban as the Dementors' midnight snack.

Anyway.

Yeah, I'm going to pin that admission of yours up to admire when I wind up in a mood like this, because I never thought I'd hear it. And it is cheering me up, ta muchly.

Protecting that pawn isn't going to do much, though. Rad1.

(Also, I just had a horrible realisation: if anybody's really on the ball and reading our messages, both the ones in Mum's journal and then our private messages after, they could realise we were playing a chess game that hadn't been started in the journals where they could see, since we started this one under the lock and have been playing it out in a combination of places. We'd better get our stories straight -- worst case scenario, if anybody says anything, we started this one when I stopped by a few weeks ago, and it's just been taking us a while to get back to it.)

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_bill]

We're working toward that happy day, you and I. That's something to hang onto, anyway. There's good in the world we have now, yeah, but I prefer the idea of Malfoy as the Dementors' plaything. Bloody bastard.

I really hope Percy comes to his senses before it's too late.

Good thinking on that last; it hadn't occurred to me. Merlin, and I'm supposed to be in charge of journal security, too. We could also say, if anyone asks, that we've also been trading moves by owl. I think it's highly unlikely that we'll be questioned, but that's also a possible fallback.

Qc8.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Yeah, I don't think it's likely that anyone would notice, but it was one of those horrible realisations that dawns on you suddenly and makes you want to bang your head against the wall.

But yeah. I'll definitely be cornering him over Christmas hols and trying to get him talking to me. If I can do it without getting his back up. Maybe I'll message him now, actually, and get started on it.

(The thought of Malfoy as a Dementor chewtoy is entirely more uplifting than it should be, though. Pretty sure I could power a Patronus off that mental image. Which makes me feel bad, but, ugh.)

Meanwhile, are you sure you haven't given up? Come on, I might be trouncing you, but give me some fight, or else the pawns will get depressed that nobody appreciates that trebuchet they've been working on for so long. Be4.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_bill]

I don't think that Percy would take it well if he gets the idea that Dad's been talking about their conversation with others. (Although he HAS, at least to me). You know how prickly Perce can get. Judging from what Dad says, he's very prickly in general right now. So if you approach him, try to do it without letting on about that little tidbit.

Maybe your pawns should go into war manufacture. Fu could probably use their talents.

Nf8.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Yeah, good thought. I just want to do something, ugh.

Let me see if I can come up with an approach that isn't "I heard from the family gossip that your boss is a bigoted arse, how does that make you feel?" 'Cause yeah, once he gets sand in his knickers over something, there's no getting it out. And either way, tonight's probably not the best time to start the conversation, not when I'm sulky enough myself. (And it's not like I can start off with, hey, heard you're having relationship problems, so am I! Let's bond over that!)

The pawns are thinking of setting up a fortified encampment and armouring themselves in dragon-hide. Rd3.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_bill]

Another tip: the topic of Lucius Malfoy can be a touchy one, too, by the way. Apparently Lucius Malfoy does not look kindly on his clerk chattering about his affairs to anyone else, so Percy is scrupulously careful about what he says about the man.

I had one other thought, and you may tell me I'm crazy, but what do you think?

You mentioned that the dragons were getting tetchier than usual, and you think it might have something to do with the wards?

Do you think...could whatever it is be affecting people, too?

a4.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Yeah, if he's idolising Malfoy as much as you say, anything that even hints that the sun doesn't shine out Malfoy's arse would probably make Perce stop listening. I'll be careful not to even hint that Malfoy's anything other than Merlin returned.

...I wonder if I could convince him that I admire Malfoy (and Percy for working for Malfoy) if I try hard enough, or if I'd gag on the words as they came out of my mouth.

And. You know. I've been keeping an eye out for it, and thinking it's just the usual sort of thing where whenever the dragons are in a mood, we all seem to pick it up, too. But you're suggesting that whatever magic they're working with the dragons to keep the wards working isn't just making the dragons cranky, it's spilling over onto us directly? Not just us picking up on the dragon moods?

Merlin. Now my skin's crawling at the thought.

I'll watch and see if it gets better after the Solstice. ...And maybe I'll spend a few nights over at Laszlo's after I get off duty, instead of sticking around here. Just to make myself feel better.

Qg3.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_bill]

Don't try praising Malfoy if you don't think you can make it convincing.

Although. He admires the man so much he'd probably swallow it. Ugh.

About the dragons, and the wards: I dunno, like I said, it's a crazy idea. I wonder if you might write to Dumbledore and run it past him. I remember, there was some report at an Order meeting that he'd come to see you--and then obliviated you afterwards--so apparently, he's been researching this. Maybe he'd have some ideas, or tests to suggest? It might be another clue that might help something fall into place for him?

Rd8.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Bill Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Yeah, that's a good idea. Though -- ugh, I'm still a bit creeped out by all that. I was saying to Tonks a little while back, I can definitely think of circumstances where I'd flat out ask him to obliviate me, if only so I couldn't give away secrets by accident, but it's more than a bit disturbing to know that there's someone walking around out there who remembers conversations with you that you don't remember. And not just once, but multiple times.

If you can't trust your own brain...

And I don't know. I think I could be convincing. If I was careful. And if Perce thought that at least one of us wasn't sneering at Malfoy behind his back, it might help a bit -- because he's not an idiot, and no matter how careful you lot are, he knows you too well, and it's harder for you to act like Malfoy isn't against everything we stand for. But he doesn't know me as well as he knows you, so that might work out a little better for us?

I don't know. I'm grasping at straws, here.

At least that message from Ginny left me a bit hopeful, yeah?

Here, have some more trebuchet-building. f5.

Private Message to Deirdre ní Mháille

[alt_charlie]

Look, love, you know that I hate it when you two fight, but I hate it even more when it feels like the fight has something to do with me. And I don't mean in the "you'll ruin Charlie's birthday" sort of way, and you'd better believe I gave him a right telling off for that as soon as you'd left.

If you're upset with him over something, tell him. Don't use me as an excuse. I know everyone's on edge right now, but I said right up front when we started all this: I won't get between you two. And I won't let either of you shove me there, either, no matter how hard you try. I love you both, but you two are the ones who need to sort this out, and not use me as a reason to pick at each other.

And if this isn't working for you, you just have to tell me. I know this was your idea in the first place, but I won't be at all offended if you decide it's time to move on. Honest. I'd rather keep you both as friends than have this whole thing go down in flames, yeah?

Private Message to Emmett Aillín

[alt_charlie]

Love, I told Dree, and I'll tell you the same: you need to stop putting me in between the two of you. I don't care what the two of you are really fighting over, but I don't appreciate being used as an excuse, and I don't need you defending me to her when it's not really that you're defending me, it's that you're angry with her and are looking for any reason to get up her nose and I just happen to be convenient.

And for the record? I really don't appreciate you trying to talk me into breaking the rules just because you're upset. A birthday cuddle isn't enough of a reason to screw up years of negotiation, and I really hope you've realised that already, or will soon enough once you calm down. That part's most important to Dree, but everything we agreed to was important to someone, and what's important to me is that we don't break our agreement just because something didn't go the way one of us had planned. I can put up with sleeping alone, even when I'd been looking forward to snuggling up with you both, way more than I could put up with knowing I was doing something Dree would be hurt by.

I know you'll both need some time to cool off, so please take it, yeah? I'll be here whenever you fix up whatever's wrong. And if the thing that's wrong is "this isn't working anymore", just tell me. I told her, I'll tell you: I'd rather keep you both as friends than have this whole thing turn into disaster.