fiddlestick | IC Inbox (Kaisou)

That's the impression I was getting too, and I'm absolutely sure of it after that vision. And yeah, I mean, in HIS mind it's probably a good thing? It's probably less of a you thing and more of a you're giving him something he really needs thing.

[That doesn't make a lot of sense, he knows, but he's trying here. And yep, yep Bruno's definitely not forgetting Belos' face anytime soon. He's not prone to violence, but this is a guy he would happily fucking punch. ]

Yeah I ran into her. Good kid. And I agree. They're too young to be dealing with any of this and they need at least a little breathing space beforehand. But he needs to come to this on his own, it's hard realising the person you trusted the most in the world didn't have the best intentions for you. I think the best you can do is just prepare for it. Get ready for when that dam breaks, y'know?

Yeah, you're right. And no matter if his reasons were good or bad, he's stuck with me now. So I don't mind that much.

[He can't say adopting a witch child that he's stealing from an evil emperor of another dimension was where he imagined himself being a few months ago, but hey, what's life but unexpected.]

Yeah, I know they're too young, but we can't really change that. All we can do is try to look out for them and support them when they need it.

Thank you though. For helping Hunter.

Sometimes they just kinda latch on like that. I'm finding that with Alberto.

[Bruno never actively planned on suddenly being a parent at 50, but here he is. ]

That's pretty much it, soften the blow as much as we can.

Don't mention it, I wish I could have done more.

Alberto?

[That's a name he doesn't recognize. Oh no is there another one?]

I understand that feeling, really. But I think what you do really matters. Even if it's not always obvious.

One of the other world kids here, he's 14.

[Bruno just immediately leaping into this at the worst possible age - teenagerdom.]

I guess not. Good luck, you'll both probably need it.

Oh! Another one that's around middle school age. I hadn't heard about him.

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Edited 2022-05-26 20:57 (UTC)

[Sorry buddy!]

We've got a few of them around that age. It's pretty worrying.

Yeah, I'd say so.

I mean I worry about the high schoolers too, but they'll usually listen to reason. And a lot of them can take care of themselves pretty well. Like Hunter can probably handle himself in a fight better than I can.

The middle schoolers...not so much.

Oh yeah, Hunter definitely knows how to talk care of himself, Mirabel too. To a point. Like they get hot to look after themselves in a conflict, it's more the...emotional stuff they need help with, I guess?

[Bruno, YOU need help with the emotional stuff.]

But yeah. The middle schoolers need all-round help.

[Emotional stuff, right. Elliot is pretty sure he remembers Mirabel's essay mentioning something about this guy living in walls which doesn't exactly scream someone who has it together emotionally .... but you know what? He doesn't want to judge a book by its cover. So he'll leave that one alone! ]

Haha, pretty much. They're almost ready to fly the coop, we're just here to make sure when the time comes, they'll be able to soar.

[....Ok it's probably gonna take Hunter longer to reach that point than Mirabel, but the point stands!!]

Yeah, they do. I'm trying to think up ways to keep an eye on them, but I haven't figured out anything foolproof.

[Wose move, Elliot! Don't kick that particular hornet's nest, it's not worth it!]

That's a nice way to put it. I mean, our family never really flies the coop as it were. We all just live in the same house for generations- but the concept is still there!

[He's lived in the same house for fifty years of his life, bar the month he had in a shitty Zodiac apartment before Casita inexplicably showed up again, after all. He is well and truly staying in his coop.]

Other than putting bells around their necks? Which honestly, Alberto would probably just end up doing himself a mischief with so probably not.

Right. I guess it's an analogy that fits some family situations better than others. I left home at 18, so I'm just used to that line of thinking.

[Which...ok he doesn't recommend. It was rough and only now was he just starting to get his head above water, years later.]

Ehe, well now that's an idea...but yeah. I can't see Ken or Souta taking well to having bells on them either.

Man, what was that like?

[He might have had dreams of getting the fuck out of the Encanto at 18. Just pipe-dreams, he knew he'd never really be able to leave his family.

...But when he was younger and so very tired of it all, he did think about it. Who wouldn't, in his situation? ]

HAH I know Souta, he's a good kid, has a thing with flowers. Probably wouldn't be thrilled with the bell though, no.

Tough. Pretty sure the only reason I made it work was I was too stubborn and prideful to give up.

[Plus you know, if he had failed he would've had to go home and enlist in the military. If that's not an incentive to survive on his own, nothing was]

Yeah, I know he's growing some clovers. Still getting to know him, but he seems like a nice boy.

Hey, there's a lot to be said for stubbornness and pride! It can really get you places sometimes.

[It can also make a complete mess of everything (thanks mom) but he chooses not to type that part.]

He's a pretty senstivie soul, but he's a good kid.

Oh, it can! Though lately I've been coming to the realization that I may have been relying on them a little too much.

[It's ok Bruno he's already aware. What started as a way to prove he wasn't weak had become a way to keep people from getting close. It was only when a certain kid started metaphorically scratching at the door to be let in did he start to realize how bad it'd gotten. ]

I don't know. My mom managed to use it to strongarm her way through pretty much her entire existence.

...But yeah, has its downsides. Didn't get her everywhere.

[Or rather, it did, but at the detriment of literally everyone around her.]

[.....

Yeah. Being likened to both Belos and Alma in the same conversation is a bit too much for Elliot. He knows from what he's picked up from teaching the Madrigal kids that Alma is nowhere near as bad as Belos, but Jesus]

Right, well, I think I need to go smoke some weed and see if I can schedule another therapy appointment to help me re-evaluate all my life choices.

Is there anything else I can help you with Bruno?

[Sorry, Elliot. It's a real bad time and when Bruno realises what he did he'll feel pretty bad about it.]

Oh! Good luck with that. I hear both those things help. A lot?

No. I'm good. Thanks for listening.

Oh, they do! At least for me anyway.

[Should probably not recommend drugs to his students' relatives]

Anytime. And thank you for coming to me. It's nice knowing there's other people looking out for Hunter's wellbeing.

[Bruno would genuinely not say no, anything to end the anxiety spirals, honestly. ]

No problem. I'll keep an eye on him and let you know if anything else crops up.

Sounds good. Something tells me we could use all the help we can get.

[It takes a village, blah blah]

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