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

[hawkwardness]

That's not going to happen. If they kick you out, I know at least one person who would be fine getting you back here.

[Jail. It's always Jail.]

[awooligan]

sure
don't think anyone wants me loose on the full moon anyway, veil or no

[hawkwardness]

I don't think your mom is going to kick you out. She doesn't seem like the type.

[awooligan]

no offense dude but you've never met my mom so you don't know what type she is?

[hawkwardness]

[Ow. ...He may have deserved that.]

You did make her seem nice.

[awooligan]

she is
she's a good mom

[Tobias couldn't know for sure, but he wasn't...wrong. Both things were true.]

she didn't sign up for this though

[hawkwardness]

Well, let me know how it goes either way. You won't have to live as an animal. I'll make sure you don't.

[awooligan]

just as a monster either way

nevermind
thanks

[hawkwardness]

Not a monster to any of us.

[awooligan]

[It's a long time before Tobias gets a response -- hours go by. It's right around dawn at Daybreak, actually. Funny, that.]

guess who's going to be on a plane again soon

[hawkwardness]

[Luckily he wakes up around dawn, whether he likes it or not. He never has been good at sleeping in as a hawk.]

What does that mean? How did it go?

[awooligan]

it's a long story
I'm good though
Mom and Kevin are coming with
you'll get to play on the switch with him

[hawkwardness]

Okay, you don't have to tell me now. So long as you're good. See you then.

[awooligan]

[It's the following afternoon before Tobias gets another text.]

Kev's ready to meet his cool hawk friend if you want to swing by the common area outside my room
we stole a tv too

[hawkwardness]

[Just an average day. No new problems, only classes and flying, hunting and goofing off with others he knows...]

Sure. Be there in a minute. I'll bring the glove.

[He doesn't say how--and when he shows up, he's not visibly carrying anything?? He'll take a perch on whatever seems least shreddable...]

< Uh, hey. >

[awooligan]

[Cliff's curled in the corner of the couch, hoodie up and arms around himself, but he looks up when he hears Tobias's approach with a crooked grin. He looks...less than great, despite that -- split lip, half his face bruised, and in the shadow of the hood by his neck are a few more bruises. Tired.]

Hey, Tob.

[Kevin is more subdued than his usual self, quietly playing something on his phone, but he looks up as well with wide, wide eyes. Is this real? Is this a thing that's happening?]

You're really Tobias?

[hawkwardness]

[All is not okay, then. Someone out there would certainly deserve his face shredded by hawk talons... but that's not an option. He's glad he doesn't show much obvious body language.]

< Yeah, I'm really Tobias. Also, uh, 'Tiberius'. I don't know, thought that'd be a funny alias. >

[awooligan]

[As loathe as Kevin is to take his eyes off this MAJESTIC CREATURE, he has to look his brother's way to get confirmation again. This wasn't a weird, elaborate prank? Cliff shrugs, belying his smugness, which is enough to get Kevin grinning ear to ear and forgetting his phone to walk over to the hawk instead.]

That's amazing! And you really talk using your mind, just like Cliff said. I wish I could do that... Is it a spell, or like a superhero power?

[It's nice to see his brother excited... Clifford's more than content to just let him ramble, but he wants to keep the good things going.]

I thought you said you were bringing the glove?

[hawkwardness]

< Closer to a superpower, I guess. I don't have to do a spell to talk, it comes naturally... so to speak. >

[Right, the glove. He reaches forward with his beak and seems to pull it out of thin air via sheer willpower. It flops to the floor a moment later.] < I did, dude. > [Haha.]

[awooligan]

[This time, both brothers look amazed, with Cliff uncurling himself a little to lean forward as if to see better. Not much he can inspect, regrettably.]

How'd you do that?!

Seconded. Can I learn to do that?

[Cool as it is, Kevin isn't going to be distracted from picking up the glove and turning it over to feel along the seams and creases. Amazing! Then it puts it on. Even more amazing!!]

[hawkwardness]

[So excited over a glove... but then it really doesn't happen every day for Kevin, I like Tobias. He misses that thrilled feeling over magic--it's been a while since he started taking it for granted.]

< Probably? It's tricky, though, it took me a long time to get it right. I needed it more than people with actual pockets do. >

[awooligan]

I don't always have pockets.

[Also he wore such tight jeans that pockets were kind of a struggle sometimes... His hoodie pockets were the real heroes.]

You just want to use it to hide cigarettes from Mom and -- just Mom.

[Cliff had seemed caught off guard even before Kevin awkwardly catching himself and deflating along with his correction. Just gonna...move on, back to the slightly more comfortable subject -- just slightly.]

What do you mean "cigarettes"?

[At least Kevin's ready, too.] Come on, it's not a secret. We all know.

Uh... Well, I could use it for all sorts of things. Anyway, hold your arm up and keep it steady. You wanted to try holding him, right?

Oh! Yeah, can I?

[hawkwardness]

[...Right. Maybe not the best idea to teach magical cigarette hiding tricks to Cliff. He absolutely doesn't need someone else's mom pissed at him and close enough to shout at him too.]

< Oh, sure. Just keep your arm steady, like he said, so I don't lose my balance and smack you with a wing or whatever. >

[He's ready when Kevin is!]

[awooligan]

[Tobias!!!! This betrayal... Just teach him magic, come on. Be cool, man.

Kevin dutifully holds his arm out, too stiff until Cliff leans in and taps his shoulder.]

Relax, dude. You're gonna get sore otherwise, and he's not heavy.

I know that, Cliff! [Pout, pout. He's the one that gave his bro all these sweet hawk facts! Clifford grins, replying with another poke just to be a nuisance. After swatting him away, Kevin holds his arm up yet again. He's ready!!]

[hawkwardness]

< Right, try and relax, it's easier than it looks. I'm not exactly a wild bird. >

[And he flutters over, landing neatly on the glove. Cliff is right, he's lighter than he looks. All feathers and hollow bones.]