[canada] syrup on a stick [konrad]

He had known she was coming, but the surprise of when she arrived was worth it. Valda had come to visit her dear friend back at home one again. This was only the second time she'd been there, but that didn't bother her. Anders had been so helpful in guiding her to the finish line of the race. She was disappointed to have missed the beginning, but at least she was here to celebrate his ending. Unfortunately, he didn't make first place but she was able to congratulate him on finishing in third. It meant he qulified for the next race! Valda had celebrated his winning and was pleased to see that she had shocked him. She'd gotten all of his dogs a treat and gifted him with a yin-yang bracelet. If anyone in the world need some balance in their lives, Konrad was at the top of the list. It had been a souvenir she'd gotten in China. For Anders, she'd gifted him with a small jade dragon that spun in circles and would sit quietly by his bedside. Valda didn't explain why she'd gotten it for him except she thought of him when she saw it. Dragons were a symbol of emperors. Anders was strong, wise, and very quick to act. Despite all he'd been through, he was going to make a great leader one day.

They'd gone back to his home where he'd done his routine with his dogs. They had some tea and took the time to catch up with each other. During that time, it was decided Konrad would come and travel with her. Anders was old enough to take care of himself. Should he really need something, Konrad was a howler away and he would apparate home as fast as he could.

They were off! They made their first destination to be in Canada. Valda had always wanted to visit the Americas so she was excited to be here. Since the weather was warm and skies were clear and sunny, the concluded the best way to start their trip would be to go to Niagara Falls. Along the way, and even when they were in Sweden, Valda noticed something seemed off about him. He was fidgety and seemingly nervous. Very different from his calm and resound way he carried himself. They were only walking on the grass of the place making their way towards the waterfalls when she decided the cat needed to come out of the bag before they continued on any more.

"Konrad," a gentle hand was placed on his arm as she sought his attention. Naturally, she led him towards one of the waterways that fed the waterfalls. There was railing along the walking path they were on to keep them from going over. The water's rapids roaring at a volume loud enough for them to hear each other, but not for eavesdroppers unless they were to stand directly in front of them. "What's going on with you? You're really tense and have been on-edge since I got to Sweden. If you're worried about Anders, he's going to be just fine. Right now, I'm worried about you. Don't lie to me, please."



@Konrad Lidström

Konrad had been under the impression that things would get less complicated after they had graduated. Sure they would have to deal with bills and getting jobs and all of that but at least there would be no crazy Headmistresses attacking them or an endless swapping of school locations. They could return to Norbotten, and regain some control over their routines.

Konrad had been very wrong.

A few months into what he quickly realized was not a summer break the older of the Lidstrom brothers was approached by a shady figured who took very little time explaining that Konrad and Anders were now on the hook for the debt their father had racked up. He'd been so fixed on finding a way to turn back the time and save their mother from dying in the accident that he had accepted help from all the wrong people. They helped him smuggle out a time turner, but at a price. Konrad learned that their father was supposed to fix bets and help them take care of enemies before they were even a problem. Or at least that he had agreed to doing that, even though it would ruin the timeline. While their dad hadn't actually succeeded in doing any of these promised jobs that didn't mean the mafia he'd become too entangled with just forgave the debt. Instead of telling Anders, Konrad did what he always did, and shouldered the burden alone. He wanted nothing to do with the criminals but more than that he had to keep his younger brother out of it. And it hadn't been easy. He had been coming and going at all hours of the night, being shifty, not answering questions, and he'd be surprised if the smarter of the two Lidstrom wizards hadn't figured out something by now.

Thankfully the race had distracted things and given Konrad something else to think about. He was stuck between the two worlds, and the distraction soon became evident when he performed less than his best during the dog sled race. Placing high enough to continue in the tournament but not winning Konrad tried not to be discouraged by it. He needed a change of pace, needed to get out and away from all of the new "responsibilities" that were smothering him. And like a red haired Angel Valda swooped in and gave him the chance to do just that. A bit of travelling, getting away, it was perfect, and he couldn't say no. The Swedish wizard had rarely been outside of his home country and wherever the schools had been located so the idea of jumping continents was certainly enticing. He worried about Anders, but those were easily calmed.

The two began the trip by heading to Canada, a place he'd heard was a lot like Sweden, which was a comfort. It was chilly, it was clean, and most of all they loved Hockey. Konrad felt like he could fit right in. They headed down the Clifton Hill, a long steep road lined with souvenir shops and hotels that led to the Niagra Falls on the Canadien side. He walked next to her, keeping the same pace easily, but he was quiet. Konrad was always the type to be chatting, joking, smiling at every little thing, but it was clear something was weighing on him now. He'd been considering confiding in Valda for nearly the entire walk but it wasn't until she called him on it that he really planned to. As much as he trusted her and wanted to get her opinion on things, Konrad wasn't big on asking for help or burdening others with his problems. He carried his own weight, it was just his way.

Shrugging he gritted his teeth tightly when she asked at first. But eventually, within moments, his face softened a little and he ran his hand through blond hair. "Well," he really wasn't even sure where to start. There was so much going on and how could he sum up all of it before they reached the end of the hill and the fog and roaring thunder of the falls drowned his problems out? "So I found out something about my dad, about what he was doing before he went to St. Mungo's I mean,"  Valda was acutely aware of the Lidstom's situation, just as Konrad was of hers. Whether he'd told her or Sasha had filled in details over the years Konrad assumed she knew the story about how his mother had died in a car accident on the way to Anders' birthday celebration and their father had driven himself mad playing with time magic trying to undo it. So he skipped over all of that and continued, "I guess he didn't get the timeturner through work, but by making a deal with some... well, some bad guys." It felt so comical to call them mafia because was that even really a thing anymore? Clearly it was, but Konrad's life had been so pleasant and lawful he'd never really thought it was until now.

"Turns out they still want his payment, and well it's not like he can make good on the deals he made... so now they want us to." Us being Konrad and Anders, but the wizard was quick to add one final detail before giving her a moment to process. "But I haven't told Anders, or anyone really, he doesn't need to know about this."

Immediately she sensed she had approached a touchy subject. Valda had never poked and proded too much at his situation- not directly to him. She had questioned Sasha about the particulars of his mother's passing and the status of his father, but Aleksandr was already a very private person. He never shared much about his personally life, which meant he would barely speak details of others'. After bombarding her father with an endless stream of questions, she'd managed to learn enough. The "bad guys" as he had put it, was an entire new subject on its own. Were they actual mafia members?

A hand covered her mouth as her eyes grew wide at the news. Such news had never been heard of! Only in stories and movies did she ever come across this kind of plot. Her heart ached for the young man. How much worse could it get for him? From her own experiences, Valda was too familiar with things getting worse when she thought they couldn't. Slowly, she'd been able to rebound and grow. How was Konrad going to get out of this one?

Quietly she listened. When he was done, her hand rested on the railing beside them while the other sat on her hip. She stared into the roaring rapids as her eyebrows furrowed together and she bit her bottom lip lightly in thought. Aiding him would mean she'd be getting involved with this group somehow. That could backfire on her in the future. Konrad was her friend though and she was not the kind of person to let someone suffer alone. "Anders doesn't know," she confirmed with a slow nod. "Hmm.." Her mind raced to figure out a plan. "Let's keep Anders out of it. We don't need more people involved than necessary."

She straightened up to look back at him, but not before glancing around to see if anyone was watching them. If the mafia wanted a debt paid, they were sure to keep a close eye on him. For him to leave the country could raise some red flags. "Perhaps after Canada, we'll go back to Sweden so they don't think you ran away. That'll be a sure way for it to fall onto Anders. You gotta let them see you're going to do the work. What exactly is the debt? Is it money? Just doing jobs for them? What do you need? How can I help?"

The distant roar of the falls provided a strange sense of comfort to Konrad. It was like seclusion, despite the amount of visitors moving around them. Konrad leaned against the railing after he'd finished telling her his story and felt a sigh of relief building up. He'd been drifting with this weight on his shoulder, treading water, but now he had a lifejacket. Valda was a trusted friend, one of his dearest, and sharing his burden with her (though he didn't want her to get involved) was comforting. It was nice just to say it out loud, even if he didn't really want her to try to help him. Scared she might get caught up in it Konrad shrugged at her next words.

"Well, they know I'm here," he told her softly even as the thunder of the water surrounded them. Chewing on his lip a little he felt ashamed to say it out loud now. Guilty that he hadn't told her sooner. There was a big difference between hiding it and waiting for the right moment to tell her though, and the wizard tried to hide behind that idea. "They've got a job for me in Buffalo," Saying it out loud made him grimace but Konrad was quick to follow-up.

"Nothing dangerous, nothing that will lead back to you, I've just got to pop over there tomorrow afternoon, grab a package, bring it home," It sounded simple enough and Konrad was foolish enough to think it would be. He was gullible, trusted easily, and despite the hardships he'd been through he had very little street smarts when it came to this sort of thing. The small village he'd grown up in had been nearly crime free, he had no idea how these sorts of things worked, how dark organizations operated, or that he was well on his way to becoming cannonfodder.

He paused for a moment, still chewing on his lip, and then spoke, "Are you mad at me?"

Valda felt her shoulders tense at his news. Did he come with her for the adventure or the package? This would have been some news she'd like to have learned before they crossed the ocean. The longer she looked at the Swede and listened to his words, the more real this situation became. Whether he had intended to or not, she was going to be rubbing shoulders with these bad men. When she questioned why he had kept this from her for so long, she could only come to the conclusion that she, too, would have preferred to keep it all secret from those she cared for most so she could protect them. Valda wanted to be mad, but she couldn't bring herself to express that emotion.

"No, I'm not mad. You were only trying to protect me. I would have done the same." She patted him on the arm in a beckoning way to get him to follow her towards the falls. "I know you wanted to keep me out of it, but if these guys are as serious as you say they are, I can't avoid them. When they find out I know they exist and that you're in kahoots with them, I'm almost certain they'll contact me as well. It's how it always goes in the movies and books." It was a lot to process at once. Mentally, she was still analyzing his situation and working to recover from the initial shock of the news.

"Don't worry about me. I'm Valda! I've talked with the dead, traversed the great wilds of Russia, visited Transylvania, and I've gotten into a fist fight and almost one. I'll be okay. Let them come to me. I don't really have anyone else to protect except for you, Sasha, and Anders. Of course I have my friends in Transylvania, but they're fighting their own battles at home. No need to drag them into all of this." Even though the water was loud beside them, it wasn't strong enough to muffle her words. Slowly as they followed the path, they would eventually lead away from the water's edge and would arrive to platforms that jutted out over the cliffs.

"I am worried about you. How long have you been....involved? You said you now have to pay off your father's debt? Do you need money in order to break ties with them?"

"I don't know if it is really gonna' be how it is in the movies," Konrad said with a frown, his face scrunching together a bit. "Like they haven't asked me to do anything super illegal, just pick something up and bring it to them," Of course, Konrad didn't know what exactly he was picking it up, but the fact that it couldn't be sent by Owl Mail or charmed to Europe should have been a red flag.

He knew she was trying to make light of everything, and he knew she was as brave as they come, but Konrad couldn't help but feel like this conversation was only the tip of an iceberg. Konrad wished he hadn't told her because of how good of a friend she was being. He didn't want her to have any part in the drama he had found himself weaved up into. It could be dangerous, and he didn't want to be responsible for her too. It was hard enough worrying about Anders every day. Now he'd have to worry about her also. It didn't matter that she could hold her own in a fight, or that she was a lot smarter than he was, Konrad would still worry.

"It's not really about the money with these guys," He jerked his head from her eyes and toward the roaring falls below them. Sighing once more, Konrad avoided half of her questions on purpose and hoped she wouldn't notice. "My dad was supposed to help them acquire something, but he didn't, and that is the debt I'm paying off." Konrad wasn't the brightest wizard, but he wasn't stupid either. He had realized that the people he was now working for hadn't mentioned an end date, or how the debt was paid in full, and he knew that wasn't a good sign.

"Lets just, can we walk?" He knew she wouldn't let the topic go so quickly, but Konrad felt like he was being crushed under the waterfall. Like all of the air was moving from his lungs, and he had to clear his mind.

His comments, well rather, lack of comments, were enough to show Valda just how much of a burden this was to him. She caught on to his cues and silent signals quickly. She knew when to when to back off so she agreed to the walk. "As much as you don't want me to get involved," her chocolate brown eyes rested on him as she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. "You don't have to carry this burden alone. I've got your back when you need me. If you need anything at all at any time, you can call on me and I'll be there."

A soft sigh escaped her as her hands moved to rest on the straps of her bag. "Just up ahead. That rests just over the waterfalls! You aren't afraid of heights, are you?" She certainly was but she pushed her way through the crowd towards the railing. Her hands extended in front of her grasping the bar tightly. She didn't dare lean forward to look down at the great drop. Instead, her eyes looked over the scenic view before them. She could see the American side of the Falls and all of the tourists lining the edge. There were a couple of boats out on the water with more people there wearing rain ponchos. She spoke calmly though she felt her heart racing. "Ma used to say that mountaintops and the peaks of waterfalls were the best place to throw all of your troubles away. They always disappeared by the time they got to the bottom. I've never been able to try it for myself but we could now while we're here! You're to take a leaf," her head nodded towards a group of vines that climbed the metal barrier near them.  "Whisper your secrets to it, then you toss it over the edge and watch it fall or get carried away by the wind.

Her eyes closed as she felt the warm glowing sun on her cheeks. All of the traveling she'd done during the summer made her freckles darker against her fair complexion. She deeply inhaled the fresh air around them smelling the water and healthy vegetation all about. As she exhaled, she puckered her plump lips and blew out slowly before her eyes fluttered open to look at the water below again. Is she could control her fear of heights, she'd be able to keep a level head for the remainder of the time while they were here.

While she had expected Niagara Falls to be high, ahe was still shocked that they were this far up. It was almost as stressful as playing quidditch. Valda was thankful for the railing and walls they had about them to keep them on the platform. The Russian would prefer this any day over flying a broom with only your hands and legs to keep you on. "It's nice to get away and take a moment to just... breathe." Inhale slowly. Exhale slower.

"You don't have to carry this burden alone. I've got your back when you need me." the words felt heavy, but Konrad appreciated them. The wizard hated asking for help, and he probably would never ask Valda for it, but knowing she was there made him smile. It made him feel a little lighter because he wasn't really alone. Valda had become family in the last few years; they were an unorthodox family, a bunch of orphans staying with Stasya, but still, he loved her and hearing that she would do this for him warmed his heart. Konrad would protect Valda like he protected his brother, he wasn't going to involve her if he could avoid it, but the wizard felt like many things weren't really up to him anymore.

As they stepped to the edge, Konrad was nearly knocked back by the roar of the falls. It was a magical place, astounding really, and it made him feel justifiably small in compression. Konrad watched her pick up a leaf, whisper to it, and then let the water and the wind carry it away, and it felt like a lot more than just an old wives' tale. "Hmm.." He said softly as he looked for a good leaf to tell his worries to. Picking up a deep red one that was bigger than his hand, Konrad wondered if it was big enough. The sides of the leaf draped over his palm as he leaned in to whisper to it and finally blew it out into the mist.

There was some sense of relief as it was washed down over the falls and out of sight. Like he let go of some of the things that had been burdening him. Konrad was stuck, he couldn't escape or get out from under the thumb of Viggo, but at least he wasn't alone. "Thanks, Val," The wizard said softly, wrapping a muscular arm around her shoulders and taking a deep breath. The pair stood like that for a while, quiet and calm, staring into the misty abyss that was the Niagra Falls, and when they finally began to speak again, Konrad felt worlds better.

"We should eat," He announced because, of course, that was the next step in the adventure.

Out of the corner of her eyes she had watched him share his secrets and let them loose. Valda wanted to hear what he said said, but turned a blind ear to it. That was his business. If he wanted to share eventually, he would. He needed the opportunity to do that in his own time.

Her knuckles had begun to turn white from how tight she was holding onto the railing. Konrad put his arm around her and she jumped a little. Immediately she was pulled out of her gloomy thoughts of falling to her death and smiled up at Konrad. His voice was soft in tone. He seemed to hold himself just a little taller. The leaf had worked. It helped relieve him of some of the weight. She just wish she knew how to relieve him of all of it. "You're welcome, Konrad."

She didn't mind this at all. His arm over her shoulders helped her feel safe and secure. Her hands held loosely to the railing now with him beside her. She couldn't help jt when she leaned into him a little and rested her bead on his shoulder as she looked out over the scenery before her.

Time had become irrelevant in this moment. They could stand her for days and she wouldn't know. Here at the edge of the falls, they could just be without the worries of the world swallowing them up. Her head lifted and she combed her fingers through it.

When he mentioned dinner, she turned to face him with a nod. "All of this traveling, dinner would be worth it! Have you heard of any places to go? I've got a list if you don't." She adjusted the strap of her bag over shoulder.

"Oh," Konrad chuckled and shook his head, "No, I hadn't thought that far ahead," He told her with a smile. Konrad wasn't very good at planning things out. He was responsible, sure, but he didn't really go into the details on things like where to eat when traveling abroad. thankfully, Valda had thought ahead. "What places do you know of? Are they close by?" He wondered if they could walk there since it was so nice out, or if they might have to apparate there. Either way, he was glad that she had done the research. If it were up to him, he would have just gone into the first place that smelled good and called it a night.

"I could go for anything though, you know I'm not picky," He wondered how much of the food here would be like back home, but something told him it wouldn't be the same. They were on the other side of the world, after all. "Are you ready now?" He asked, his arm still around her as he motioned toward the walk back up the hill and into town.

"I know!" She chimed merrily as she backed away from the edge. Valda had seen enough from up here. Next time she came, she made a note to go onto the lower decks, possibly the ferry boats that went right up to the falls. "There are a couple of cute cafes, some pubs, some food trucks... They all sound good!" Truth be told, Valda hadn't eaten much since they left that morning. Her stomach roared loudly as she thought about the different options. She laughed as her hands held her stomach.

"Ooo! I've got an idea!"  A full meal, a crisp drink, and then a dessert to top it off was just what she needed! "Let's eat, and then head to the hostel and rest. I'm sure we could both use it after all of the traveling we've done today."

She turned to lead him down the path. "Maybe I can find an ice rink around here and we could go skating tomorrow. Or watch a hockey game! Then we can get a little piece of home while we're here. What do you think?"

As they walked down the hill and to the little cafes she was talking about, Konrad felt more home. They were far from anything they knew, but just having Valda by his side was enough to afford him some small sense of comfort. They had become close over the years, but it would have been hard not to, given their situations. She was his family now, and the idea that she felt the same warmed his heart. Almost as much as the idea of going skating or watching a hockey game did. It was one thing that had excited him about coming to Canada; they cared about ice sports as much as Konrad did.

The hour spent trying out the local cuisine was well spent, and by the time the pair left to find the hostel, Konrad was yawning. "I think I might have eaten too much," He said, patting his stomach as it stuck out a little further than normal. He hadn't realized how hungry he was and how much he had devoured until it was much too late to take it back. "I think it's... this way?" He had no idea, but he had the feeling that Valda would. He chuckled, running his hand through soft blond hair, and waited for her to tell them which way was actually the right way.

The food had been wonderful! Konrad was right though. Eating too much made them tired. She had stretched with her arms high over her and a soft grunt. Valda had happily indulged herself with this meal. Konrad's yawn coaxed a yawn from her. She shyly placed her hand over her mouth as she yawned. "I definitely ate too much. Let's head to the boarding hosue and call it a night early. Then we'll be rested for tomorrow's endeavors. Canada being in a different time zone doesn't help either."

Valda pulled out her map and held it in her hands clasped behind her back as she followed him.  After they wandered a couple of blocks in the direction Konrad was leading them, she couldn't stifle her laugh. "You have no idea where we're going?" She revealed her map and inspected the city grid. We're right here," she pointed to an intersection of a map. "Our hostel is here," she moved her finger across the page to a star she had drawn on the paper. "Come on," she encouraged with a hand on his arm as she began in the right direction.

Once they made it to the boarding house, Valda led them to the check-in desk. She'd used a translating charm to help with the communication. It wasn't until here that they were informed of a mixup with their reservation. Instead of having  2 beds available for two of them, they only had one in their room. They were offered a discount, but they couldn't get the full refund on the deposit. "Well...." With a shrug she agreed to the conditions. "We'll take the room." There was a slight glimmer of light placed on their situation. The only bed that was left was a full-size bed. It was the biggest they offered, which worked great for Konrad and Valda both of them being tall and Konrad being bigger in stature.

"Remember, we're on an adventure! What's an adventure if we don't come across a complication or two? We can share the bed. We'll make it work." Valda took the key from the receptionist to their room and followed a designated house elf.

"Your room," a croaky low voice came from the elf. He snapped his fingers and the door immediately opened. Valda entered the room and when she turned back to thank him, he was gone.  She shrugged and moved to claim one side of the dresser and unpack for the night. "Are...you okay with the arrangements? You can get one half and I'll get the other." The bed was a little on the small side but she wasn't about to complain. "If you're uncomfortable, we can stuff a blanket between us and make a barrier."

Konrad's eyes crinkled as his dimpled smile brightened his face, "Not a bit," He had no idea where they were going, but he was fairly sure Valda had a map somewhere among everything she had packed. She seemed like a far more prepared traveler than he was, and he was thankful she had made plans. He would have been sleeping on a cot somewhere or not at all if it was left up to him. He just wasn't the sort to think about the details ahead of time. It was part of why he was in this mess, to begin with, he supposed, but it was too late to change things, so the wizard did what he always did and just kept moving forward.

Following her into the boarding house and to the front desk, Konrad took a moment to look around at the moving pictures that lined the walls. Laughing, smiling, adventurous looking folks clung to each other and looked back at him. Silently he wondered what they had been doing and where they were going and had nearly missed the mix-up when it was announced. Only one bed in the room? Well, that was unexpected, but Konrad was easy going, so he just shrugged. At least they had gotten a discount.

When they reached the room, Konrad flipped the house-elf an extra few sickles and closed the door behind him. "It's nice here," He managed before Valda began to discuss the sleeping arrangements. "Why do you kick in your sleep or something?" He asked with a laugh, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he dumped his duffle on the floor by the side of the bed he was claiming. Konrad kicked off his hiking boots and plopped onto the bed, laying on his back with his hands under his head, and his feet crossed at the ankle. "I think it will be fine, but if your uncomfortable, I could always sleep on the floor? I don't mind?"

She was crouched on the wooden floor straightening out the couple outfits she had packed. Pulling them out of her bag and folding them neatly once again to be tucked into the drawers. She laughed at his question, shook her head, then looked over her shoulder with a coy smile. "Nooooo...." Her voice took on a higher pitch. "At least not too much. Giorgio never said anything when we dated."

She took out an oversized shirt she had and a pair of shorts. Her nightclothes. They rested tucked underneath her arm as she stood and took out her hairbrush, toothbrush and toothpaste in one hand. Then she laid out a small perfume bottle, a purple vile, and a travel-size makeup kit on the dresser.

When she turned back to look at him, she couldn't help but smile more. "Somebody's comfy," she hung her bag off of the post of the bed. "You're not sleeping on the floor. Don't be silly. I'll be right back." Valda made her way for the door. "I think I saw the restroom at the top of the stairs." With that, she slipped out of the room to ready herself for the evening.