Daybreak | IC Inbox.

[awooligan]

CLIFFORD NORMAN
UN: REDRIDINGHOODIE

STATUS: grade 11

ACCOLADES: n/a.

BIO: name's cliff. let me know if you'll buy cigarettes and shit for me, we can work something out.

© TESSISAMESS

Comments

[awooligan]

[Shrug!! He's...sort of maxed out on critical thinking. As much as he'd gotten used to trying to figure things out for himself, extended problem-solving still wasn't his forte, and honestly usually led to him making bad decisions.]

It looked to me like things had calmed down a lot around when he switched over to his full name, but I didn't dig into that stuff much yet. [The crimes had seemed more relevant...]

[kept_his_letters]

[She turns her gaze up to the ceiling.]

We'll just have to keep looking I guess. We can't... really rule out the hunter thing. Or angry mages.

[As much as she wants to convince herself that she isn't searching for a grave.]

...I wonder why he didn't use his name the first time...

[awooligan]

[He'd really, really like for them to not be looking for a grave, either. He doesn't like the thought of all this effort and care she's putting into this being reduced to getting the consolation prize of knowing what happened.

And, hm. He feels stupid bringing it up because it's the first thing that he thinks of, but...it's also the first thing that he thinks of. So.]

Um. My mom gave me her maiden name, instead of my dad's name. He's not my family, she is, so... [He shrugs a little bit, shoulders staying a little more hunched afterwards.] Maybe he thought he didn't deserve it after he left?

[kept_his_letters]

[He's not family. The words settle in her. They're familiar. In Cliff's case, she can believe it. But she remember how many times Mamá tried to suggest as much about Papá through the years. If he'd had a lastname to give, she would've probably had hers changed to Rivera after anyway.]

That would make sense. He was... really sorry. For a lot of things. I don't know if he was always like that or if that's just how he is now, but...

[But it's how he was. She smiles wanely.]

This is terrible, but I'm kind of glad he didn't have a last name now. It would've been a lot harder to find his files otherwise.

[awooligan]

[He leans over a little to bump her with his elbow, pushing a smile back into his tone. If he doesn't focus on being easy-breezy, does-what-he-wants boy now, his introverted tendencies are going to get the better of him. Talking about something so heavy with a friend is unfamiliar and difficult, and talking about it with a girl is pretty unfathomable. Girls don't talk to him, let alone confide.]

Would you relax? Quit being so hard on yourself when it's something good for us. He's a Rivera, anyway -- you know that, I know that, and when you find him again he's going to know that.

[kept_his_letters]

[Well, for an unfathomable difficulty, he's doing really well. He bumps her and she lets herself sway on purpose, laughing, her smile gaining strength.]

Yeah. I guess you're right. A Rivera is a Rivera.

[That pride works back into her voice.]

[awooligan]

[She's kinder to him than the girls at his old school...! Mostly because he avoided them and would get very nervous when talking to some in particular, which didn't look Great. Having someone continue to rely on him, considering him reliable feels nice.]

Right. And I've already figured out that Rivera's are stubborn and don't give up. [Her mom enforcing the ban for years, her dad fighting to come home. They're gonna solve this!! Still...] If people don't remember him, it's going to be hard to find out if he did something major in the time between your birthday and spring.

[kept_his_letters]

[She laughs. Stubborn and not giving up. She's certainly trying.

She sighs then.]

I'm not in touch with the magical world either. I don't know half of what's actually going on. Like, I know the stuff I've told you, but the big things that happen, I don't have a clue. Maybe I should start looking for School papers.

[awooligan]

Are those really a thing? I know they're in movies and stuff, but who'd want to work on something no one's going to read?

[Never mind that she's suggesting they do just that... Podunk High might have a school paper, but if it does, he doesn't know. The less attention he has to give school, the better.]

[kept_his_letters]

Iiii... I don't know. Maybe? This is a fancy school. Fancy schools do stuff like that... right?

[Maybe?]

Surely, somebody reads it. Even a teacher giving extra credit.

[awooligan]

[Hmmm.]

Um. Yeah. Probably.

[Fancy schools -- especially this fancy school -- do a lot of bullshit things! So. Yeah.]

For writing in the paper, or for reading the paper?

[kept_his_letters]

[She makes a pbbt noise and goes to shove at him, remembering only last minute that he doesn't like to be touch and aborting the motion part way.]

For writing in, obviously.

[awooligan]

[He laughs a little, but his joking smile is a touch more genuine as his eyes linger on her arms. She noticed, she remembers, and she cares enough change her instincts for him. It's a really nice feeling.]

...You're okay. I don't mind that sort of thing from my friends.

[kept_his_letters]

[It takes her a second to realize what he's referring to. She hadn't meant to draw attention to it. But then, she realizes he's called her his friend.

her head ducks a little to hide the growth of her smile. Her arm goes out and he knuckles tap lightly against his shoulder.]

[awooligan]

[Seeing her smile makes him look down, too, as if to hide his own, though if that's his intention he's not doing a particularly good job of it. His flushed, happy face is just out there in the world now, like her acceptance of the idea of them as friends. Good. Maybe they weren't much closer to solving this mystery, but...other things were closer. Him and Coco. It's hard to not feel hopeful about it, as embarrassing as that is, and he playfully follows the "push" of the punch ever so slightly, same as when Jacob elbowed or shoved him except less rowdy. He doesn't mind it being like this.]