Chapter Thirty-Two: Aged

Nathalie decides that the best place to celebrate her birthday is in the middle of the road. Perhaps she thinks that the cars are like ghosts and will just drive through her?

Being an uber snobby celebrity, Diana Tears doesn't acknowledge that Nathalie is standing right next to her on the road. Perhaps she just doesn't want to indulge such insanity, or she just can't see much through her green-tinted windows?

Nathalie is accepting of being an elder, just because she's older doesn't mean she can't be the sassy ghost-hunter everybody knows and loves.

Yep, arthritic bones won't stop her from sucking up little ghostly spirits!

Even though she's very much tired from fighting ghosts all night, Nathalie makes herself spend some time with the little ones.
"Hey Isa, how's my little Izzy Bizzy girl?" Isadora is too sleepy to protest the awful nickname, just enjoying having some one-on-one time with Gama.

Luckily there isn't any neighbours awake to watch the Marlin household, otherwise they would be bewildered by Roxanne's odd behaviour. Most "normal" people don't garden in their pajamas, but Roxanne doesn't really care about what's normal. She enjoys being in her lingerie, and that's that.

Ned tries to help Irish learn how to walk. He's hoping that the more activities he does with the children, the more connected he'll feel to them.
"Come on Is- sweetie, you can do it!" Inwardly he sighs, at least they're having fun with him, even if he'll probably forget about them completely in the near future.

"Success!" Ned thinks excitedly as he smiles down at the clinging toddler, he's happy that he has contributed to the girls' futures. "One down, one more to go."
"I wall-kin' gurrl!" Irish squeals happily as she snuggles with Gapa.

"I luff you Gapa!" Isadora says happily. She smiles up at Gapa Ned, excited to learn how to walk just like her sister Irish.

As Ned teaches the girls, Nathalie decides to relax with the telescope. She's already mastered the logic skill, but she does get a great view of the beach.

Isadora is bored. While she loves having Gapa Ned giving her attention, she doesn't like hearing all the boring stories about fish.
"I got my first fishing rod as a young boy, in order to help the tribe..." Isadora sighs, itching to play the Xylophone now that Irish isn't using it.
"No more fish Gapa." She mutters, but Ned is too wrapped up in his story to notice that the toddler is wiggling in boredom
"I caught the biggest Goldfish the tribe had ever seen, and I..." Isadora wonders if she can do something fun even while being stuck with a rambling Gapa Ned.
"Thiss litte piggie go twoo mar-et, thiss litte piggie stay 'ome!" Isadora giggles as she plays with her toes, and Ned smiles back, thinking she loves his story.

After what seems like forever for the little one, Gapa Ned finally stops talking.
"You done?" Isadora asks excitedly, happy to be able to escape from the boring stories. Ned misintruptates this for excitement over the story.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you anymore stories right now sweetheart, I got to do some cleaning." Isadora tries to hide her glee by laughing into her shirt. "Don't cry dearie, I'll come back and tell you more soon!" Now she really starts to cry. "Oh, I love you I-Isa, shh, it's okay."
"I luff you twoo!" Isadora yells out as she toddles over to the Xylophone. Maybe he'll forget about telling her stories if she stays far away from him for a while?

Ned doesn't forget, he just mixes up the two toddlers. "I told you I would be back honey!" Irish is confused as to why Gapa Ned is talking about tribal flowers, but she assumes it's just a badly told bedtime story.
"I tie-er Gapa. Lubb you!" She exclaims with a soft smile before running off to find Mommy or Daddy to put her to bed.

The next morning, the twins feel a strangle tingling feeling in the air.
"I fweel..." Isadora starts to say, unsure of how to describe this weird sparkily sensation.
"Yess, it fweel tin-kee." Irish nods. They play pattie-cake for a few minutes, then Isadora suddenly stops.
"Wat go on Isa? Awe you o-ka...SPAWKLES!" Irish stares in awe as Isadora erupts in birthday sparkles.

"Wow, this feels different..." Isadora shivers as she tries to process her new complicated thoughts, wondering if Irish is going to age up with her.
"You big no-ow! I want be big!" Irish pouts as she sucks on her fingers.

As Isadora gets bored of staring at Irish and wanders off towards the dollhouse, Irish erupts in her own set of birthday sparkles.

"I'm gonna get you Izzy!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh loser!"
"Nuh-uh attention hog!"
"Uh-huh uglyface!"
"Nuh-uh nerd!"
"Uh-huh psycho!"
"Nuh-uh freakzoid!"
Ironically the siblings aren't fighting, but are just having a rather violent pillow fight.