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]

Heck. What a cute girl. Is his brain frying? His single remaining braincell getting cooked? It's honestly a good thing that Teto stills soon enough, because Cliff is completely stalled out and too much more flailing around, he might have been too distracted to keep him in place. Mili's victory grito does a good job of jolting him out of the train wreck of a thought process, making him look up in surprise before he returns his attention to Coco and meekly grins. It definitely can't compare to the fairy's elated, oblivious smile.

"Looks like we win?" He doesn't really want to straighten out, even if he's still wrestling his feelings, but even greater than his worries over kissing Coco is the reluctance to kiss her with her dad-brother on his shoulders. Cliff clears his throat awkwardly, stepping back and poking at Teto's legs. "Okay. I'm tapping out. We can come back to this later, or whatever."

But he'd like to go stand close to Coco and tip his head in a silent suggestion that they get out and do...something?? He'll feel embarrassed trying to hold her hand if they're just hanging around, but...maybe once they're walking. Maybe...hm. "Do you think it'd bug Pepita if we went and found her again?"

[kept_his_letters]

He should probably be more careful with that limited edition braincell. It'll be much harder to have conversations with Coco without it.

Mili's grito startles Teto too, leaving just a second before he grins and then echoes it with his hands in the air. Kiss for Coco denied yet again, but she doesn't look too put out, her smile still warm and fond.

"Looks like it," She says.

"Oh! Okay!" Teto says, preparing to climb down just as Coco lowers Mili back onto the bed too. "Later then." He hopes.

Coco laughs and shakes her head. "She definitely wouldn't mind. If she's not with Mamá, she's probably sunbathing on the gate."

[awooligan]

Mili plops down with a laugh, waving to Coco as she and Cliff leave. Cliff spares a moment to give Teto his own short goodbye, grinning a little. Of course there would be a later, dweeb. Once they're free of the room's view and properly set on their way, he clears his throat and cautiously reaches over to bump his hand against hers and maintain the closeness this time, only moving to turn his hand out to make it easier to take up -- and more obvious that that's what he's going for. His other hand goes to his pocket. "Okay, so... Guess we're going outside again for a bit? To see if she's there, and all."

The fairy's gaze lingers on the doorway a moment, brief anxiety coming and going at watching someone leave, like the door might slam shut behind them. It doesn't happen, and they slowly let out a breath. Of course it wasn't going to happen. Things were different now. Their family loved them...

They would have returned their focus to Teto regardless, but that thought provides ample reason to. This time, their smile is a little more awkward. Legs hanging off the side of the bed, they gently kick them to start an absent swaying, more to distract themself from the fact that smiling at all feels a little like a lie. Just a little, though.

"You don't have to spend time with me. It's okay if you don't want to... I don't really know why it's weird, but I know it is."

[skeletones]

Coco offers a wave back at Mili and Teto as they go. Though she expected the impromptu exit to be more about getting a breather and time with her than finding pepita, it still surprises her a little when Cliff bumps her and takes her hand. She squeezes his lightly in turn, smiling warm. She nods.

"I'm almost certain she will be."


It's a strange thing, for Teto. He would understand an anxiety like that, but not from the perspective of being inside. That and, for the moment, his worries are mostly rooted in being too much for people, something that doesn't seem to be happening now, if Cliff's grin is any indication.

Now it's just him and the fairy who made him. The fairy who takes the sorts of things he would say and throws them back at him.

"O-oh." Could Mili read minds? Or his mind specifically? "No. I mean. It's not like that." But then, what is it like? He falters, his hands going to his arm to rub at it. "It's just, I don't know you that well. Except that you're the reason I'm here. And... I don't... not want to be here. That would be really scary. But..."

He takes a breath. It's something he learned for performances and kept up with. A slow breath in and then out. The crowds seemed smaller then.

"But I miss my friends. A lot. And everything's really different and confusing and I have to... this is supposed to be my family now. And you too. You even look like me. And you seem nice. But, um, even though I don't want to disappear and a lot of this stuff is really cool... it's... it's hard too." He sniffs, makes a face at himself, then wipes at his eyes. It doesn't help. "I don't want to make you feel bad. I just don't know if I belong here. And everything I wanted to do before, I have to do something else. I just wish there was something I knew here. That I didn't used to know and don't know now or that I have to feel weird about." His head ducks. "I'm sorry I'm not being good family. Or nice at all. It's not your fault. I was never really good at families."

[awooligan]

"Yeah."

Holding his girlfriend's hand is infinitely easier than having a friend on his shoulder wrestling with some other kid and having his face in his girlfriend's face. It's still contact, but a lot less...and a nice little reward for himself for putting up with everything else, maybe. He has it gotten to hold her hand much, and never just to hold it. Now, at least, he feels like he's allowed to.

"...Sorry I'm being, like, weird."


Mili shrugs, more trying to convey a feeling of 'it's fine!' than telling him they don't have a clue. But yeah, they don't have a clue, or at least nothing more than he does. Everything was weird for them, too, they just...didn't let it bother them so much. It wasn't something happening to them, either. Teto's apology cut their own off, and they're left blinking a moment.

"That's not true! You're really good at families! You have a whole song about it!" The world es mi familia, he knows that even at this age, doesn't he? They chew at their lip, little fangs making imprints as they try to figure things out. "I'm bad at families. And human things. Even with all of Papá's help..."

They still can't really understand why it was all such a problem, this existential stuff.

"I don't think I can bring your friends unless it's okay with a lot more people. I wasn't supposed to do it again. I'm sorry I didn't know I would make you, this time." They're quick to sit straighter, hurrying on, "Not that I think it's a mistake! I'm really happy I get to see you. I just could've had help...making things better for you. Or -- I don't know."

[skeletones]

Oh, definitely easier. Though apparently not that easy. The apology makes her smile fall.

"Weird is kind of my life," She points out. "But... I didn't think you were being weird." There's a pause, a moment she looks away, even as she keeps holding on. "You don't have to push things for me. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. And I know things aren't just easy for you. So, if that's what this is, please don't apologize."

That, she thinks, would be worse.


He laughs a little, despite himself.

"That's not the same," He says. "That's just... pretending. Hoping. It's not really how to be a part of a family." But he considers it as they chew on their lip, that he's not the only one fumbling along here.

He nods. Then smiles faintly.

"It's okay. I know it's... I mean, you did bring me here, but it's not really your fault. And--" Another slow breath. "--I don't want to take anyone else from their home either. I thought about it. With Imelda and stuff. But..." He shrugs, then he draws his knees up. "I know it's no good to do that. Avery's adult self wouldn't even want to. And I didn't even see Ricky and... well I guess he was Ricky too. It's hard, but there's not really anything to do except just get used to things." He looks to them, though he doesn't uncurl. "I guess that's why I'm kind of stuck. It's not your fault and there isn't anything to do. But I'm not used to it yet. So, um, that's why it's weird. I'm still learning to be good family. Like you. I hope you won't be too sad until I figure it out."

[awooligan]

One moment he's running his free hand through his hair and hoping he isn't blushing like an even bigger loser than he's been, and the next it freezes before falling to his side, the hand holding hers twitching a little bit tighter. It seems that somehow, that caught him offguard.

"No, it's not -- " What does he even...call all that... How does he sum up all his issues without making it a big deal or seeming stupid? "It's fine. I want to...do things."

Oh for the love of -- definitely blushing now, even if all that wasn't the only thing he meant. He wants to not feel like he's wearing two skins at once, and like he can mess around with his friends without something inside making a noise like a kettle. He should feel more welcome here, all the weirdness she knew her life to be, than if he were somewhere normal. And he does! It's just...

"It's a lot of everything, today. People. I don't want to not hang out with you because of that, though. I want to hang out with you, and this -- " Cliff lifts their joined hands, like she really needs the demonstration. " -- more than anything else."


Pretending. Hoping. Their shoulders fall a little in disappointment that their hair seems to reflect as well. Mili looks down to their feet, starting to weakly swing them again like it might help boost their mood.

"Jeez. It's embarrassing, I'm so much older, but you're the one making all these mature decisions. You shouldn't have to. You should be getting another chance at childhood, too." With a loud sigh, they spread their arms and fall back onto the bed, a few plastic stars clattering beneath them. They suck. They made him cry, and everything!

"I'm not sad about it, so much." Something inside tenses in protest. "Ow. I just! Don't like stuck things! Like being boxed up, but you don't even get to see the sides or nothing. It's not fun... So I guess I'm a little sad sad, but -- I'm a lot more sorry sad."

...Okay. That was more acceptable to their magic, it seems. It was hard to not be a little sad about it! The ache he feels for his friends and old life must feel like this ache in their heart now, loving him so much and being nobody at the same time.

[kept_his_letters]

There's a split-second moment where she's afraid she's said the wrong thing. But, he doesn't let go of her hand. She listens and tries to follow both what he says and doesn't. She nods slow, not entirely sure she has it but...

"I suppose it is a lot. Especially after a flight," She says. "You want to just... be alone? Together?" Boy, that was a tall order in this house. "I guess I'm the one who should say sorry then. I didn't do a lot to make room for that."

She should've talked to Mili and Mamá and Papá too, her Tíos... She laughs sheepishly, he free hand lifting to tug at a braid.

"I think I'm a bit bad at this. But, um, thank you. For being cool with things anyway."


Teto's head tilts at them. He notes their kicking feet, the way they wear every feeling. He laughs just a little, then releases his knees to lay back too. The stars poke at his back, but it's fine. Hardly different than gravel.

"I had a childhood," He points out. (And has one, but what teen admits to that?) "But, I'm also the one who's mostly looking after me. I guess there's Señor R and Tía, but it still feels a bit like fosters you know? Or, maybe you don't, since you're a fairy." He laughs awkwardly. He turns from them to look at the stars on the half-finished ceiling.

"Being boxed up sounds pretty bad. But, I think I'm more used to, um, being stuck out of the box. You know what I mean? I'm used to... not fitting just right, even with my friends. Or my fosters and having to go somewhere else-- or running away on my own. I'm used to sleeping outside and writing songs about things I don't really know anything about. I don't fit now because I'm the wrong time and things like that. Part of me just wants to go-- anywhere. Not just stay in the doorway, not fitting. But also... everyone's nice... and so are you... I don't want to be thrown out of the box again."

[awooligan]

Cliff sighs, frustrated with himself even as he's trying to play everything coolly so she doesn't make herself worry about him or feel even worse. That's definitely not okay. Not even around the full moon and he's fucking it all up anyway.

"No, Coco, it's fine. I knew what I was walking into, coming here." He even knew not to expect to have time for them on Valentines, not that he's going to mention that and certainly not the why of it. Girl deserves that happy surprise unspoiled. "I told Teto we'll just go off and do our own thing if it's too much. If I really need to, I can get space."

Not much they could do about it, with his speed and experience in finding places he could be alone. Well, except Pepita. She might be a problem...but then, hopefully if she insisted on tracking him down, she'd let him pet her a bunch.

"Don't worry about it. I just need to wind down, that's all."


The way they stare at the ceiling, it's almost like they're searching for the constellations Teto offered to teach them. Being stuck outside the box, huh... That doesn't make any sense at all. They let their eyes close and let it go instead of contemplating it too long. All their optimism about opportunities doesn't spring forth, somehow.

Mili opens their eyes again, trying to pinpoint why. Instead, they murmur, "My other parents weren't anything like Mamá and Papá. Even when Mamá is mad about something, or Papá is too tired. I wonder if they were like fosters."

They don't know. Unless they can bury themself in Teto's memories, they're not sure they could ever properly compare the two experiences.

Then, "We can do puzzles together. See where pieces can go?"

[skeletones]

"Okay," she says. She nods. "Then... nothing to apologize for."

At least that much is settled. She runs her thumb over the top of his hand.

"Good news, Pepita's very good for winding down."

And, with a push through that front door, a moment of squinting into the sunlight, it looks like she is indeed around, a grey tabby cat once more.



Parents like fosters huh? He knows about that. He met other foster kids-- hard not to, in the system. He met some who knew their parents but didn't want anything to do with them. Once or twice those parents tried to come around.

"Imelda loves and looked after her brothers," He says. "And... and I wouldn't want anyone to feel bad like that. Even if I was tired. So, I think... I hope they're better to you. I'm sorry your old Mamá and Papá weren't that good."

The change in topic is sudden, but, after thinking about it, he's not sure it really is a topic change. He turns a smile their way.

"That sounds good. I'd like that."

See where the pieces go...

[awooligan]

The extra touch makes his breath catch before a slow inhale, not so much a shock to his system as just a weird, fuzzy electrical feeling that made its way to his chest. Turns out that avoiding contact made little things like that feel...a little less little. With an awkward smile, he moves his free hand to her other braid, mimicking her tug but even more gently and with a teasing air before leaning in and kissing her temple. He still owed her for that cheek kiss.

"Okay."

But! Anyway!! There's a cat! Half-reluctantly, he drops Coco's hand -- his nerves were probably going to make his sweaty and gross, anyway -- and moves to crouch next to Pepita. Cat, cat, cat.

"Hola, Pepita." He offers that hopefully-not-sweaty hand limply out for her to sniff, the way he's seen animals do even if he doesn't have much firsthand experience. Pretty girl. This house's girls were very pretty? In different ways, obviously. "Mind if I pet you?"


As much as they can while laying down, Mili shrugs. "I didn't know any better. Papá had to tell me. Now he's showing me, and Mamá, Coco, and my Tíos, too." They're much better, they think, even through all the confused feelings and the barely-squashed urge to assure Teto that it was probably their fault anyway. It felt strange to be too upset about it now, so long after they were gone.

Also strange, but much more welcome, is the fluttering warmth as they glance over and see his smile. They smile reflexively back. "So -- you said we don't really know each other. We should do that! Like why did you think you could drive a car? That's illegal, you know."

[skeletones]

The little tug makes her laugh. Her head moves with it. And then, just like that, just when she stopped anticipating the possibility of it, she feels his kiss. Her breath pulls. Her cheeks redden almost immediately.

He lets her go, but she stays where she is, feeling vaguely dazed. She touches the spot on her cheek.

Pepita observes this all with an air of detached amusement. She pads over to Cliff, then sits down right before him as he speaks to her. She takes a moment to clean a paw, then she moves forward the rest of the way, pressing her head against the leg of his pants and winding around.


He shrugs too. "Still. It's not fun to be told what you thought was good isn't either." Though his only frame of reference for that is a memory that only barely ghosts through his mind.

The next moment, he's sputtering a laugh. That had hurt and he felt pretty bad for what happened with his friend, Avery, but it's still kind of funny in retrospect.

"I didn't think it would be hard!" He protests. "Adults do it all the time and people do it on TV and stuff. I didn't know it would go backwards! Besides, I was trying to bring Avery home."

[awooligan]

This is...the best day. His best friend is his girlfriend, he went flying, his friend trusts him, a cat is rubbing herself on his leg... And he's still got so much vacation left ahead of him. With a grin, Cliff lets himself fall back onto his butt to really settle in and run his hand between Pepita's ears and scritch along her neck down under her chin, like Coco told him she likes. What a good girl. Content as he is, it isn't long before he's laying down, arms behind his head.

"You sure know how to pick a spot..." If ever there was proof he's an introvert, this is it. Time away from people, soaking up the sun with a cat... He's looking more rejuvenated already. Or like he might fall asleep here. Maybe both.



Mili props themself on an elbow, having to giggle at that reaction even if they couldn't see the memory itself as funny in retrospect like he can. "Even I can't drive. Adults do a lot of hard things, silly. That's why they're adults."

That's...not true at all, but anyway.

"I am glad Papá helped find you two, though! And you were okay, after... I was really worried about you guys! But I couldn't exact visit you myself, with everyone so mad at me."

[skeletones]

It isn't long before Pepita is settling in and purring up a storm. It isn't long before Coco, smiling fond, sits down to join him. If he sleeps, he sleeps, that's just as well, and fine with her. She turns her face to the sun and lets her eyes close, listening to the music on the wind.


"Yeah, probably," Teto agrees. Though his older self can't drive either. "But it was worth a shot."

He realizes now that they never would have found Avery's home. It really didn't exist anymore, just as Avery he knew doesn't really anymore. It's a sad thought, but it's just another thing to get used to.

"I'm sorry I worried you. And... that people were mad. They'd probably have been less mad if I wasn't, um, causing trouble. Heh."

[awooligan]

Hearing Coco settle beside him, even with the loud rumble of this perfect beast, Cliff cracks an eye open to watch her. He hasn't really stopped smiling since the end of their conversation there, but that doesn't stop the fact that he smiles at her. Yeah, he thinks he'd like to stay like this until someone comes to get them again.


The idea makes Mili scoff and turn up their nose in a very haughty, fairy way. They knew Héctor was a silly one, and that humans in general were silly, but this is just outright ridiculous. They much prefer the whimsical, hopeful wish that had gotten the boys to try than this apology.

"They were mad before any of my kids did anything. Besides, they were you guys once, too! I still think they were overreacting, when you were all so wonderful and cute." Like a proud parent that can find no fault with their children. Why should they!!! "Anyway... I learned a lot, so that was good. Oh -- I played a song for you, when you were hurt! Do you remember that? I guess I don't even know if you were awake..."

[skeletones]

He gives Mili a weird look. Mostly because they're being weird. Their kids. Faeries were strange. The added comment of being wonderful and cute feels like the verbal equivalent of getting his hair ruffled by someone his own age, or younger. Even if Mili did say they're old.

That expression shifts when Mili brings up a song.

"That was you?!" Of course, he remembers. How could he have forgotten that? "No way! That was beautiful!" He remembers getting up out of the hospital bed, wandering to the window. He'd asked Avery if he heard that and then rested his elbows on the sill, just listening to the song in the night. "Can, um... do you think you'd be able to play that song again sometime?"

[storywalks]

They were their kids!!! And they will not accept hearing otherwise. Even as their own people back in memories, the children had been brought back to the world using their magic. That made them partly theirs.

Teto's exclamation has them perking up even more, obviously delighted by the confirmation. Oh good! He'd heard! Even better, he'd liked it! Were they not busy supporting their weight with their arms, they'd probably be preening, smug despite the purer joy they felt.

"Sure! I think I lost that flute? But that part doesn't matter so much. I might even be able to teach it to you, since you're kinda part fairy. Humans don't really learn some of our music so good."

[skeletones]

"Really?"

He brightens further and sits up. It's not so much surprise at the concept of fairy music being difficult for people-- somehow, that makes sense. But, getting to learn it anyway, that was cool. Getting to learn any new music was cool.

"Playing fairy music..." It's hard to control his smile. "So, I'll teach you the stars and you teach me that. Then we'll definitely know each other better too."

They're going to finish that puzzle in no time.

[awooligan]

Seeing him excited by the prospect only makes them even more giddy -- it's hard to not cheer at his proposal, but they manage to tamp it down. Even if it turned out Teto couldn't get a handle on the layers of fairy music after all, showing him would be fun, and he'd still be getting a new song out of it. And they'd know each other better!! That part's the most exciting.

"Yeah."

Oh boy, oh boy... Time should move faster so that they can get started on that already!!


Lucky for me, I get to say FUCK THE WAIT and it's evening, now. Everyone is fed and happy, and Cliff is glancing at the door as he goes to sit on his bed during this moment alone with Teto.

"You're hanging out with Mili tonight, right? Or you going to do that later? How'd that go, before, anyway?"

He has motive for asking... He's got plans to go back to the secret base and all, but if Teto really needed him there, then he'd...grudgingly...postpone... Plus, being around people that are meant to be family can really suck if you're not comfortable. His interest isn't purely self-serving.

[skeletones]

Teto is settled in the hammock, swinging gently back and forth with a guitar lain on top of him and a leg hanging over the side. He plucks out gentle mindless tunes, but looks up when Cliff speaks.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, that went real good!" He thinks to ask the same about Cliff but decides he doesn't really want to know that much. Too weird. "We were gonna see about doing some music together. Though, I might be going somewhere tonight anyway."

He kicks his dangling foot to renew the slight swing of the hammock.

"Are you doing anything?"

[awooligan]

It's nice to see him so relaxed. Like this could be his home someday, just like it's meant to be. If that weird fairy helps make things that way, then maybe Cliff can stop thinking they're so weird all the time. Or at least...think they were a really good weird.

"Sounds like your kind of plan," he muses with a grin. As for the rest of it... "Uh, yeah. I think so. I mean, unless you don't want me to, but that was the plan, yeah."

[skeletones]

He grins back, wider. His kind of plan. Yeah, it kind of was, wasn't it?

"Nah," He says, stopping his careless plucking to wave a hand at him. "I can handle myself! I was heading to the plaza alone anyway."

It's not home until you're at the place that's home home, after all. And the plaza under the stars was that. He'll take it all in, play a song, and head back for bed.

"Ah, I guess, have fun?" Or something like that.

[awooligan]

Well, he can't really get on the kid's case for going out to do random shit at night, since that was his life back home. Sounded like Teto was going to be on his own, but...he knew the place. Or he did, once. Seeing all that changed and stayed the same might be nice to do on his own, so he has a chance feel whatever he needed to without worrying what someone else is going to think. Cliff nods.

"I always do." He makes his own fun, come on. Also Coco was just. really great. "Want to have a contest? Person that comes back later has to do something for the other?"

This might be to dissuade Teto from falling asleep out there... He worries, okay. Kid became a popsicle to avoid him before, and Santa Cecilia's weather might be infinitely better, but he still would rather have Teto passed out in that hammock he instantly fell in love with.

[skeletones]

He snorts and grins. Sure you do, Cliff. The competition makes his head tilt.

"You're not going to be too fast are you? I can see everything if I race..." He wanted to take his time!!! But... he doesn't want to turn down a game either. "Mmmm okay. Sure. Not too weird though."

He doesn't know what would constitute as too weird but he's going to cover the bases!

(And Cliff is probably right to worry in any case.)

[awooligan]

He raises an eyebrow. "What does that even mean?" But he's not actually fishing for an answer and waves his own question off. Nothing too weird, whatever.

"I'm not going to rush or anything, you can take your time. Just don't want our chances of being able to sneak out some more completely blown. If I really wanted it to be a race, you wouldn't stand a chance, man."

Wolves were more physically able than ghosts, or whatever one would classify Teto's powers as. Plus, he knows Teto should be pretty good at sneaking around, no stranger to misbehavior, but even with the brief nap he took earlier in the sun (mortifying) he's going to want to crash hard once he's back from hanging out with Coco. Uninterrupted sleep is better.

That settled, Cliff goes over to his luggage, grabbing something and starting to bring it out before becoming the wolf instead. Nothing in his paws or, less bizarrely, in his teeth. Magic bullshit means that whatever it was is on his human person -- and this is the main reason he shifted over in the first place.

"Have fun!"

Time to sneak around, careful of any clacking his nails his might make against the floor and eyes kept peeled for Héctor or Pepita, the two most likely obstacles, in his mind.