Open Weaving Shadows

[Arachne Westwick]

Open after Rowan posts with Nessie

Arachne Westwick didn't really see the point of the daycare she and her sister sometimes went to. It seemed like adults thought it was 'good' for them to socialize with other children, but neither her nor Nessie wanted to do that, so they mostly didn't. They didn't go every day, thankfully, as their mother was usually home, but when they were at the daycare, they tended to stick together. It was after lunch and all the children were out on the playground. Instead of running around and playing, the twins were sitting cross-legged across from each other in the shade of the building. They were playing a sort of clapping game, but one only they understood. Arachne met her sister's gaze when their fingers tapped against each other. "Do you think you will like Hogwarts?" She asked. It was out of the blue, but she knew Nessie wouldn't mind. She had been thinking about Hogwarts more and more lately. It was only two more years until they could go.

 

[Ainsley Lynch]

Somewhere entirely different Ainsley was minding her business, enjoying a quiet day with no children at all.

 

[Nessie Westwick]

Daycare. It was a silly word and a silly concept, especially for kids Nessie & Arachne's age. Like they were still toddlers. Nessie had hated the idea when their parents had announced they had been enrolled, and she hated every second she had to spend here. Surely she and Arachne were old enough to just... sit home and read when both of their parents were busy, there was no need to ship them off to this place, where everyone was loud and sticky and all up in your business. It was a nightmare, and Nessie felt a little bit like her eyebrows were getting stuck in place from how much time she spent frowning and glaring at the little kids who dared to come near them. Lunch was a relief; plenty of time for her and Arachne to find a spot where they wouldn't be bothered and it could be just the two of them, like at home. Hands dancing easily with her sister's, Nessie frowned at the question. "I mean, not if it's like this place." She grumbled, hands never missing a beat. "I want to learn all the magic stuff, but if it's noisy like this..." Her eyes flickered away from her sister to glare at a ball that had rolled a little too close to their private spot.

 

[Arachne Westwick]

Arachne smiled a little at Nessie's answer, it was about what she expected her sister to say. She tapped her pinky finger against Nessie's pointer finger and then broke the game to tap her lightly on the nose. "It's probably not like this place." She said gently, trying to reassure her a bit. "For one, the children won't be as young, so no screaming toddlers." She said lightly. "And we'll learn things, actual things like magic." She said softly. Then she reached over to push the ball back in the direction it had come from, not looking away from her sister as she settled back in front of her. "Do you think we'll make friends there?" She asked lightly, though she could guess what Nessie's answer would be to this question as well. She would say they didn't need friends, they had each other.

 

[Nessie Westwick]

Nessie squinched up her nose at the tap, leaning away in frustration. "I win." She said quickly, making sure her victory in the game was asserted before she continued. "I know it's not such little kids, but it's way more people. We won't even get to have our own room." They might not be sharing a room at all, but that was a worst case situation Nessie refused to entertain. Their dad and Uncle Edmund had shared a room, and they were going to share one too. "I want to learn magic, I just wish we could do it somewhere quieter." She snorted at the idea of friends, gesturing pointedly at the chaos of the daycare. "Do you want friends like this? They're all going to Hogwarts too. It's going to be terrible. Besides, we don't need friends." Nessie had never really seen the point in a friend - she had never really seen the point in anyone but her twin,

 

[Arachne Westwick]

Arachne smiled, completely unconcerned as Nessie said she had won. Her sister usually won their games, and Arachne didn't mind. She reached out and took Nessie's hand in her own, entwining their fingers as her sister spoke. "More people who are older and quieter than these kids." She said reassuringly. "At least... some of them." She smiled reassuringly. "And we will share a room, even if we'll also share it with other kids." There was no doubt in Arachne's mind that she and Nessie would be roommates. She hesitated when Nessie asked if she wanted friends like this. Admitting she wanted friends at all felt like a betrayal, and she wasn't quite ready to say that. She shook her head. "I wouldn't want anyone too loud." She said with a small shrug, hoping Nessie wouldn't ask any other questions.

 

[Nessie Westwick]

Nessie scowled slightly as she looked down at their joined hands, lacing her fingers with her twin's. "Older people aren't automatically quieter." She said pointedly. "Auntie Harley is older and she's so loud." Her auntie could get away with it, in Nessie's opinion - she was fun to be around, even if Nessie needed breaks from her sometimes. But other loud people weren't Auntie Harley, and they didn't get the special exemption she got. "Imagine being stuck in a room with ten Auntie Harleys. Or a classroom with thirty." Nessie shook her head. "We don't need friends."

 

[Arachne Westwick]

Arachne studied their entwined fingers for a moment. They were so similar that if she squinted, it was easy to forget which fingers belonged to her and which to her twin. The thought made her uneasy, and after a beat, she slowly unlaced their fingers. She made up for it by cupping Nessie's hand in both of hers and holding it. She shrugged. "Statistically, I think mostly older people are less loud than younger ones. Aunt Harley is an exception, and we won't be in a classroom with thirty of them." She said gently. "There will probably be a few other quiet kids, maybe some that are nice too. Or at least interesting." She said softly, a little embarrassed by how much she wanted to meet new people. She knew Nessie wouldn't understand. "I know we don't need friends, but maybe... acquaintances wouldn't be all that terrible?" She said hesitantly.

 

[Nessie Westwick]

An uneasy pang hit Nessie in her stomach as she felt Arachne's fingers unlacing from hers. She ignored her sister's efforts to cup her hands, twisting around and firmly lacing their hands again. Two halves of a whole, always. Nessie rollled her eyes slightly at Arachne's optimism, shaking her head. "The older people we'll be there with are these people, but there'll be more of them. Do you really think we won't wind up surrounded by loud idiots? It's going to be awful." She frowned deeply when Arachne continued pushing the issue. "We don't need other people." She repeated.