awooligan: (w (11))
Clifford Norman ([personal profile] awooligan) wrote in [community profile] hugtopia_logs2021-11-01 07:44 pm

'no' is the saddest experience you'll ever know.

Who: Cliff Norman and whoever wants to put up with him.
Where: various.
When: Early November.
What: A sad wolf is a bad wolf.
Warnings: Cursing, Hell content in Héctor thread naturally.


[ one - the loneliest number. teen house. ]

[He doesn't know why he hasn't taken Kaito up on his offer before, especially since he's made a point to walk by his house a couple times to check on it or make sure it existed in the first place. The damage done by the worms isn’t enough to take out the place or make it unsafe, thankfully -- and it even leaves the task of quietly getting inside through a window even easier! Not that he couldn't use some difficulty as a good distraction from feelings he's trying very hard to ignore. Before he goes to climb inside, he makes a quick pass to see if the garden is likewise a survivor from October’s big wormy mess.

And then he's in a home that isn't his. It's weirdly soothing for someone that never relished the idea of spending time in his own home growing up, even if it's far from the window he'd really like to be climbing through. Nothing to do about that...and at least here he could feel vaguely welcome. Both Kaito and Shinji had invited him in the past! It's fine. Cliff is several steps across the room and listening for signs of anyone else being around before he calls,]


Hellooo? Anyone home?

[...decidedly not from the front door.]

[ two - just as bad as one. héctor. ]

[hahahahahahaaa fuck everything about this. He honestly hadn't meant to avoid Héctor all month, but with the worm drama on top of his dumb tender feelings, there hasn't been a good time. That's what he's choosing to tell himself so that he doesn't get frustrated all over again thinking about all the thinking he's had to do.

In the end, Héctor is still Héctor, whether he's the one Cliff knew or not. He knew he wasn't the same and had plenty of reason for that. What mattered most right now was that they were both, more or less, doing okay -- something Clifford had been able to be sure of without getting too close, thankfully, because of his nose.

Now he's getting close. So close, in fact, that he's right at the door and scratching at it with his claws, full wolf. He's...fairly confident that Héctor would be the one to answer any call to the door in this household, from what little experience he's had with Nekane, but if not? He's leaning into the anxious hope that one of the things shared in this -- bleh -- marriage is not the fact that Cliff is a big dumb werewolf.]


[ three - dog night. open. ]

[The scariest part of the worm attack, surprisingly, was not the worms. It was that moment he went to become the wolf and felt like there were hooks on the inside holding him together, refusing to let him change without a fight. He'd fallen to the ground in agony that only lightened when he finally stopped trying to shift and let that part of himself go. Cliff didn't flaunt the fact that he was a werewolf -- basically, anyway -- but not being allowed it, even on his own? Terrifying. He'd barely managed to get his head back on straight enough to shuffle citizens and helpers back towards the safety of the town center, and had been grasping at any chance to help defend.

It's still screwing him up a little, but Cliff’s making the most of getting himself back, going around the city as a red, juvenile wolf watching life get back to normal and honing in on interesting sights and smells.

Of course, the boy in the red hoodie with eyes like an animal can be found wandering as well. Usually out running at any odd hour or stuck behind a counter doing his best to act like someone who knew how to be polite.]
astralera: (Default)

[personal profile] astralera 2021-11-02 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Naran perks up slightly at the query, curious. Era s i g h s the long-suffering sigh of someone who has been harangued by her 'weasel' too many times. ]

Narangerel the physical representation of a part of my soul. In Deerington they were called 'dream guides'.
unpocoloco: (Wondering)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2021-11-02 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[He sighs heavily.]

You can't ask me not to care, Cliff. I can't just shut that off. But I'll stay out of your business if you really want.

[He's not happy about it, but it seems the best way to repair... whatever this ever was.]

You realize, by now, I've fought monsters too. Maybe even more than you. [Which was all the more reason to worry. He knew what it was like. But moving on.] And I did jump on the worms. It's the best way to kill them. There are weak points all along the top. It was the same in Hell.
astralera: (Default)

[personal profile] astralera 2021-11-03 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
No, it helped lead me out of the Great Sleep and offered me protection from the monsters there. Regular weapons and abilities were ineffective against those beasts.
astralera: (Default)

[personal profile] astralera 2021-11-03 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
I don't remember Deerington quite so clearly anymore, but I believe the Great Sleep was a parallel dimension of sorts. You didn't have a choice in going there when you slept...

[ It was a bit shite— ]

It was a bit shite. Medical training and Naran are the only good things that came of that place.

[ Though the Naran part is sometimes debatable. ]
unpocoloco: (Wondering)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2021-11-03 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
[He lifts a brow, because it sure sounds like that. But... he'll let it go. He'll figure out what this middle ground is supposed to be. Somehow.]

When I asked my friend, the assassin, to teach me how to fight and defend myself, besides just swinging a knife at dummies, he took me out into the further reaches and had me fight this thing or that. I wasn't very good at fighting. Stabbed the man twice completely on accident. [He still feels bad about that. But Squalo has hurt him a fair share too, so not too bad.] But it helped, eventually. One of the first things he had me do was try and kill a sandworm.

[He smiles at Cliff, a small tired thing, but warm.]

You were noble. You made a good choice. Probably saved a lot of people.
unpocoloco: (Tuning)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2021-11-03 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[He makes a face, looking up.]

Ah, well, it's kind of... see, there was this hill. He dragged me out to hunt with him and we're in the woods or whatever it is, and then there was this complete drop, you know? Just, one second he's there, the next, woosh! I go to grab him but I just end up falling too, so he finally lands and then there's me, and I've still got the knife in my hand, and I just, ah... well, I stabbed him in the leg. He thought it was the funniest thing in the world. He kept laughing while I panicked.

[The jerk.]

The second time we were in a madhouse, monsters crawling all over the place every night, and he comes out from out of nowhere and I just, sort of, reacted. It was less funny for him the second time but I'd been helping him out the day before so he let it slide and after a bit of struggle we both managed to survive the night.

[Ah, memories? He shakes his head.]

Anyway, hate to burst the bubble, but you totally acted the hero. I just fought because I didn't want to wait to die, which I assumed we were all going to do. I kind of gave myself away a bit...
astralera: (Default)

[personal profile] astralera 2021-11-03 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She doesn't know if she's offended or impressed that she can be identified by her favourite swear word. ]

There's a whole handful of us. [ Even if Ardbert would be the only other one inclined to actually use it out loud. ]
whenyouneedme: (016)

[personal profile] whenyouneedme 2021-11-03 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[Whoops. Uh oh. That vocal kerfuffle happening spurred on some quick movement from behind Kyoko.

Here was Kaito, popping up from around her and reaching over to calm one of those very dangerous, oven mitted hands. If he hadn't recognized that hello, this would have been less nonchalant, but here we were.]

Whoa, hey. 'Bout time you showed up.
daikonrose: (285)

[personal profile] daikonrose 2021-11-04 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ Feeling someone behind her, Kyoko swiveled her head to see--oh, Kaito? Was restraining her?? ]

I was... here already, though...

[ Kaito you just saw her a minute ago, did you forget?

Or wait. Wait. Perhaps....... maybe.... something else is happening here? What? Huh? ]
whenyouneedme: (154)

[personal profile] whenyouneedme 2021-11-04 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
[Kai grinned at her.]

Well, yeah, you live here. I told Cliff to come over ages ago though.

[That Cliff over there. Hi Cliff. Remember when Kai mentioned room mates that were more used to locked doors? Kai freed Kyoko's hand to pat her on the shoulder.]

This is Kyoko.
unpocoloco: (Wondering)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2021-11-06 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
Squalo Superbi. I doubt you know even an alternate version of him. He would've killed you, myself, anyone else he felt like in other circumstances. I made some poor choices in friends, which, all things considered, is unsurprising of me.

[The bump makes him sway. It makes him smile. He has better friends now. If they were friends. He doesn't know but nevertheless, it was better.

He barely remembers having spoken Squalo's name in front of Cliff while shouting at Nekane.

He looks curious over the way Cliff says sheepdog, head tilting, but Cliff has his own question. He lets out a breath through his teeth.]


No. Not flipped out. The opposite maybe. I stopped caring. We were going to die, so, I didn't need to pretend that I'm not a hollow shell of a man. I told the truth. I didn't try to act like all was well. It was liberating. But, now I have to live with the consequences of... living. [He laughs ruefully, but entirely unhappy.]
astralera: (Default)

[personal profile] astralera 2021-11-06 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ 'Probably'? ]

Ah, you're a teenager. [ Spoken in a 'well that explains it' tone. ] I'm Era.
Edited (wrong icon pff) 2021-11-06 02:20 (UTC)
unpocoloco: (Uhh)

[personal profile] unpocoloco 2021-11-06 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
[He smiles, twisted more than any nice sort of crooked.]

I met good people in Hell. Kind people. But even the devil himself was a better friend than some of the ones I called closest to me.

[His laugh is a little bit lighter. Just a little. He bumps into the wolf's side, quick vengeance as much as he can manage. Though he suspects it throws him off balance more than Cliff.]

I'm not bemoaning getting to live. Except for the living body, that's still got to go.

... I worry. I scared you. I don't want to scare anyone else. Or disgust them, for that matter. Everyone's been kind. But I can't help feeling it's because... they don't know. They imagine my Hell, picturing it both better and worse, but none of them know. Not even you, really. I don't need to be good and I don't care to be. God can rot. But... if I'm living, I need to be able to live with myself.
hedgehogsdilemma: (You're the only song I want to hear)

[personal profile] hedgehogsdilemma 2021-11-06 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
[What's all the commotion? Even with all the worm nonsense being over, Shinji's still pretty keyed up about anything Unusual happening, but once the terse and accusatory tones die down and the more cordial chatter starts up, it's clear that there's no actual threat here. Here he comes, peekin' over Kaito's shoulder to see what exactly is up.]

Oh, Cliff...! [Hello! It's good to see you!] When did you get here?

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