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]

[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.]

[awooligan]

[It makes his face light up even more, but he startles to a stop as Cliff claps a hand on either of his shoulders.]

Simmer down, I can tell you're about to bounce off the walls.

[Which wouldn't have been super fun for Tobias, probably. Besides, he's already getting his phone out so he can take lots of pictures for Kevin before he's asked. Kevin is asking anyway, he really wants pictures.]

Can I tell my friends you're not a real hawk? That you're that Tobias?

Just because he's Tobias doesn't mean he isn't a real hawk. He's got the talons for it, doesn't he?

[hawkwardness]

< Uh, I don't know that it matters either way. >

[The truth is already out there... and it won't be going away, though it seems to have died down a little in the media. She isn't going to let it completely vanish.]

< They're your friends, I don't even know them. But I've been a hawk while playing games with you, so... >

[awooligan]

[This time, it's both brothers that blink at him in surprise.]

Seriously?

I want to see!

I assumed you morphed for that! You really played as a hawk?

[hawkwardness]

< Uh, yeah. Haven't you seen me do the other spell I use all the time? How do you think I've been opening doors and windows? >

[That's mostly directed at Cliff. He really needs a half-decent name for it... 'magic hands' is beyond stupid. And, as proof, he's doing it now. Ethereal hands, here he goes.]

[awooligan]

[Okay, but!!!]

That's not the same at all! Lego hands could do that stuff, but they can't exactly play Super Smush. I thought you had the dexterity of one of those claw grabbers.

[hawkwardness]

< No, they're as good as real human hands. That's what the spell's for. One of the teachers taught it last year. She said she worked her way up to having like five pairs without getting confused, I think...? I can't do that. >

[Though he hasn't tried very hard.]

[awooligan]

Five pairs? What do you need ten hands for?

Are you kidding? Think how much you could do with that many! You could eat, and play games, and beat up bad guys at the same time!

[Kevin glances at his brother for the briefest of seconds before resuming his usual energetic composure. Cliff doesn't seem to notice anything amiss, with the roll of his eyes and bored, dismissive wave of his hand.]

Yeah right. Why the hell would she be eating and fighting at the same time? Are they mugging her for her sandwich?

I don't know, I'm just saying you could.

Uh-huh, okay. Since you brought it up, you want to play something, Tobias? Kevin could go and get it.

[hawkwardness]

[He'd shrug if he could, looking back and forth between the two as they talk. That familiar tail flicking seems to be his version of it. Who knows, with birds.]

< To show off? Carry more things? Juggle? I don't know. Also, whatever you want to do is fine. Not sure how we'd all share one switch. > [He doesn't say anything, but the hands disappear as soon as he stops concentrating on them. It's easy enough to bring them back.]

[awooligan]

The two of you can play. My hand kinda hurts, and I know I'd just kick your butts at whatever, anyway.

[In case anyone forgot Cliff was a smug jerk, somehow. In lieu of tackling him -- both for Tobias's and Clifford's sakes -- Kevin sticks out his tongue at him. Rude!!!]

[hawkwardness]

< Yeah. Right. My reflexes are better than yours. >

[...Poor Kevin, surrounded by smug. He glides off the glove and back to where he was, freeing up the kid's hands.]

[awooligan]

[And off he'll go, after chucking the glove at Cliff's smug face. Clifford laughs after letting it hit him, gently setting it onto the table. His gaze follows after his brother, even after the door to his room shuts behind him.]

Pff. Mine are better than the average guy's, you know. Besides, I'm just better.

[hawkwardness]

< You don't know that for sure yet. If you win, it's probably because you've had more practice at specific games, that's all. >

[Listen, he may have been human... but that doesn't mean anyone bothered to spend much money on him. No video games for poor ol' Tobias... at least, not until Vivi dragged him into the world of gaming.]

[awooligan]

Uh, yeah. That still makes me better.

[Out trots Kevin again, switch and cables in his arms until Cliff pushes himself up to help set it up with the "stolen" tv. Tired out by life as of late, he's more than content to watch Kevin be boisterous and happy, and getting to see Toby's magic tricks is icing on the cake.]

[hawkwardness]

[That's a big mood between the two of them--he's been tired of life since he was about ten years old. No end in sight. Ignoring it and playing games sounds nice...]

< No, it doesn't. Not in the long run. Anyway, what game are we playing? >

[awooligan]

Better's better, dude.

[If Tobias is better later, then that's when he's better! Simple as that. Also simple is blah blah blah boys play games, it's a good time, hurray?]