Clocktowers Beneath the Sea (Open)

[hattersgonnahat]

Who: Open
What: Time Rift Detected (Plot details here)
When: December 14th
Where: Aube(First Floor), ???
Warnings: Could vary by thread, N/A currently


With the final preparations completed, Puella was ready. Part of her wondered if she should have others come in to see it, but then again if the hourglass didn't do anything at all, it was going to be a let down right? She was only basing everything on some dreams she had, after all...

...Why not just test it out first, just to be sure?



Early that morning the base of the Aube dormitory would have felt something unusual. The sound of something whirling and a somewhat dizzy feeling after. It was very brief but noticeable enough. Kind of like a tiny blue portal that was now floating there motionlessly in the middle of the common room. Getting close enough to touch it made anyone feel like they were being pulled in. Torn and dragged through...something. The fabric of time itself?

All who enter to the other side are met with a vast world in fog, stain glass islands and clocktowers that seem to strut out endlessly; given sort of a sense that this had maybe once been a city but now feels completely abandoned. And slowly fading away.

The mist is so thick, it produces a water effect when moving around in it and refracts what little light there is. Doesn't seem to impede breathing in any way though, but might take some time getting used to. And eventually some might no longer notice the water at all, as the clocktowers and glass start to fade and reveal something more...familiar. Places that were much more recognizable, places that might've felt more nostalgic. Stepping into them sure did feel like walking into a dream...but there is certainly a sort of 'realness' to it.

There doesn't seem to be any way 'out' of this world when going 'in', so why not make the best of it for awhile? One of your own memories could have materialized, you could have wandered into someone else's, or you could look for where Puella disappeared to. She never returned back either and has been missing the longest out of everyone.

Comments

[hawkwardness]

[No change, then. They'll both walk, neither will fly. It's been a long time since he's walked these streets with human legs... he nods and starts off, choosing to lead for a change. He knows this area best, after all.

After a minute or two of walking, he speaks up again.]

That was my uncle. [Once those words are out, the rest come easier.] My aunt's bad in her own way too. They're my mom's brother and sister--I mean, they were never married to each other. My mom just left me, they said, so I'm betting she's not much better. Don't see how she'd be the one exception.

[Truly nice people are rare, in his opinion. Anyone can talk nice. No one ever meant it. Even the teachers never bothered for long. Other kids, worse off than Tobias, were the ones who got all the help, and he understands why it had to be that way.]

[unpocoloco]

[He hums, smile gone now.]

Maybe. [That comes out quiet.]

In many people's eyes, I just left my own family. And as for myself, I never knew why I was left, just that I was on my own. But, I won't tell you it's not a cruel thing. If it's hurt you, then she's hurt you, and that's all there is.

[And that's something true either way for him.]

But they're not a pattern, even if it feels like one. I know it can feel like one, after a while. You can start to blame yourself and think, maybe, there's a reason it keeps happening to you. But it's not like that. Not every child comes into this world loved. That doesn't mean they aren't worthy of it.

[hawkwardness]

That's not what I--shit.[That last word is muttered to himself, as he runs a hand through his hair. Nice going, Tobias. Shit is right.

His father is dead, that much he knows, and he wasn't going to mention that--too cruel. But couldn't he at least talk about his mother without dumping guilt on Héctor's head? Apparently not. And that's not Héctor's fault, because he ought to know better than to rub the guy's face in it. He's not good for the Riveras. He can only bring them down. He should have stayed outdoors, ignored his roommate, lived like hawks were meant to.

He doesn't sound very sincere when he finds his voice again. That's hard to fake, knowing nothing he says is going to convince Héctor to stop hating himself. (Boy, taste that hypocrisy.) Besides, he doesn't want to put out the effort to find the right words, work out how to stop stomping all over issues and feelings. Can't he... not be needed a little longer? Have a few more selfish minutes? He'll always want a few more minutes to wallow in his disgusting self-pity, though. He already had such a huge, huge thing from the man... he's lucky to get anything at all.]

Sorry. I didn't mean to imply--uh, it's not the same thing. You didn't do anything wrong. You always meant to go back, and you stayed in touch with Coco while you traveled, right? And you care about her, you'd be there if you could. Lauren's not dead or in some other dimension. Or both. That's her name, Lauren. [Loren, actually.] So don't think I'm comparing you to her in a bad way. I was just... explaining. How I ended up with my uncle.

[unpocoloco]

[He holds out his hand and shakes his head.]

Tobias. [Don't excuse me. He smiles for just a moment]. I appreciate your understanding. I really do. But I don't need to be absolved. This is something I need to take on. I can admit I made a mistake.

[And then the smile is gone.]

I brought it up because I meant to say something. And that's to tell you that you don't have to feel any specific way than what you do. You don't have to believe your aunt and uncle. But, you don't have to forgive her either.

If you'll forgive my actually projecting a little, I went back and forth a lot at your age, trying to decide whether the family I never knew was worthwhile or not. So I wanted let you know, there's not a wrong answer.

[hawkwardness]

[He listens... and shrugs one shoulder. Easy decision. Because it's no decision at all, really.] I can't forgive someone I'm probably never going to meet. She must have known where I was the whole time. With her brother or with her sister, not with fosters.

[So that's that. A firm answer. He stuffs his hands back into his pockets and keeps on walking. She'd have to have one hell of an excuse, or be another incredibly nice person. And that's not likely. No way he'd be that lucky.]

[unpocoloco]

Then that's that.

[He walks on after Tobias and reaches an arm around. He's careful, gentle as he can be with all the bad memory now under the boy's belt. But he bring's a hand to Toby's should and he hugs him close. So they walk together.

A bad childhood was just that. They had other places they could be. Better ones.]

[hawkwardness]

[It's not so bad when he's human. Much less of a size difference, no feeling like he's going to be crushed by a giant. It's... nice, being held this close. Doesn't matter that Héctor is skeleton-thin, he's a hungry sort of thin himself. Growing too fast, never quite enough meals. The growth spurt might have stopped with him being a hawk most of the time. He's not quite sure.]

So, uh. [The biggest secret's out. Why not give out a few more? It's... freeing, in a way. He can't say he ever enjoyed lying.] I think I'm fourteen now, not like... eight months old. [Which sounds stupid now. No wonder some people were suspicious.] If you were curious. My real birthday would have been sometime back in November too. I... uh, can't remember the exact day.

[unpocoloco]

[He laughs a little at the comment of eight months. Yeah, that was pretty silly.

He gives a squeeze.]

Well, happy belated birthday then. You pick a day and we can celebrate it next year.

[A pause.]

And we could still celebrate your fourteenth if you wanted.

[hawkwardness]

[Needless to say, he's never had a party. Not even a cake or a card. He's squeezed and he shrugs.]

Up to you. It's just a day, it's okay either way. Maybe the first. [Because why be creative?]

[unpocoloco]

Hmm, you might end up lumped with Maverick that way.

[He points that out.]

But if that's what you want-- because it's actually up to you-- we can do that.

[hawkwardness]

Oh. Forgot about him.

[After promising he wouldn't. Shame on him.]

Third week of the month, maybe? I know it was towards the end, but... I don't know. It slipped away, I can't remember.

[unpocoloco]

[He hums and taps his chin.]

How about the twenty-third. It's a week apart from mine exactly. It's also how old I am! Or maybe the twentieth, that way we're ten days apart. I guess it depends on if you like to do that star stuff people do. Either way, it gives some space after Día de Muertos.

[hawkwardness]

Star stuff?

[He shakes his head, because that's irrelevant. Obviously he doesn't do it or he'd know what it is.]

Uh, any day is good. Twenty-third sounds closest. I think the real day is the twenty-fifth or sixth, but I'm... you know, not sure. [Pathetic. Who forgets their own birthday?]

[unpocoloco]

[Tobias, you're talking to the guy who doesn't know his own pre-marriage last name.]

Twenty-five then. Twenty-five sounds good. Next November, we'll have a party.

[hawkwardness]

[Fifty fifty chance he doesn't know how own last name either. He'd smile, but he's not sure it'd look real enough.]

Sure. November can be the month of just parties. That'd be okay.

[Which probably means nice and fun, in Tobias-speak.]

[unpocoloco]

[A shame. He'd like to see Tobias try at a smile.]

That's what we'll do then.

[A pause.]

Happy belated birthday, mijo.

[hawkwardness]

[Maybe on a better day, when it doesn't feel like the little scrap of a real life and stability has been shattered... even if something better might take its place.

Maybe on his birthday.]

Thanks. ...Thanks for everything.