The things I do for this family... on Cascade Hall

Leo Idoya, Cisco Vargas, and a little Gil

October 01, 2007 12:44 PM

The things I do for this family... by Leo Idoya, Cisco Vargas, and a little Gil

Leo didn't have a very amiable temper to begin with, so cutting into his precious and much-beloved sleeping time wasn't doing anyone any favors. Abuelo, of course, couldn't know that, and neither could Papi--which probably explained why they insisted on owling him all these extra assignments. [i]Yes[/i] it was important for him to understand politics and political maneuverings and economics and all that stuff, but Merlin's balls! He was only thirteen! He had years to learn this stuff before he had to take over from Abuelo.

That hit him with a little guilt, as he slit open the latest owl-post from his father. He'd happened upon one of his father's old journals a few years ago and had, in those pages, met a boy very like Leo's twin Gil--sunny, much-loved, not always the brightest but always well-intentioned and idealistic, who wanted nothing more than to follow in his father's footsteps as the patriarch of the Idoya family, here in the States and back in Mexico. For many years, he'd undergone the same training Leo had now, had been named the heir to Leonardo Idoya I--

And then, something had happened. Leo hadn't yet figured out what, and in a family notorious for gossips, at the very least among the womenfolk, it was one of the few subjects that none of his tias and tios would discuss. Natanael had had a few ideas, and he'd overheard Joaquin conjecturing with Tia Clemencia over the summer--as a family scandal, it likely never would die, if just because of the mystery. But the actuality of it was unknown. Still, it had to have been something big. After all, Leo I had disowned his son--Leo and Gil's father, Leo II--for nearly six years until reacknowledging him upon Leo II's marriage to Miranda, a beautiful young aristocrat from Spain. Leo II was no longer even considered for the patriarchy, though, according to the whispers; it had passed directly to his son, Leo III, who now sat in the Cascade Hall of Sonora cursing the fate his father would have loved.

Leo scanned his father's spidery handwriting, looking in it for any trace of the young man he'd been before the disowning. Even his handwriting had changed since the days recorded in those journals, from the messy scrawl of a boy to the manicured script of a man.

"What've they got you doing now?"

Leo looked up to see his cousin Cisco peering over his shoulder at the paper, munching away at an apple slice. "More memorization. How many elite families can there be?"

"Two countries' worth. Just be glad no one's married into any Canadian families, or you'd have the whole of North America."

Leo shuddered. "Don't even think it. Merlin--thanks to Mami I have to know all the Spanish aristocracy, too."

Cisco clapped a hand on his cousin's shoulder sympathetically, then went back to munching.

Leo wished he could give his future to his father. He'd much rather spend his days playing the piano and reading, talking to his sister Mercedes and Cisco, and generally being happy. He looked up as Cisco waved to someone, saw Gil heading in with an auburn-haired girl who was surprisingly unfamiliar, and felt something inside him twist. He could almost hate his twin for escaping this fate.

0 Leo Idoya, Cisco Vargas, and a little Gil The things I do for this family... 0 Leo Idoya, Cisco Vargas, and a little Gil 1 5

Nikki

October 01, 2007 4:43 PM

wouldn't you rather see your friends by Nikki

Nikki sat in the Cascade Hall sipping her orange juice. She wished she had some decent coffee here. She had started drinking it this summer, the only way she could survive living with Tara all summer. The Sonoran elves' variety though, just didn't do it for her.

Tara was horrible. She was so girly and so high maintenance it made Nikki want to puke. The older girl hated ranch life because it meant getting dirty. Furthermore, Tara spoke to Nikki as though she were a child. Okay, so technically she was a child, but she had turned thirteen just before coming home that summer, not three. Tara had such a stereotypical view of magic it wasn't even funny. In short, Nikki hated her eldest brother's new girlfriend.

Nikki looked around. Across the room she saw one of the two people she wanted to talk to the most. Leo was sitting with his back towards her, reading a sheet of parchment in his hands. His cousin Cisco was standing next to him and eating an apple.

Nikki suddenly got a whim to sneak up on Leo and startle him. With a smirk, she got up and walked quietly up behind him. She thought Cisco saw her, and put her index finger to her lips, signaling her housemate to keep quiet, just in case. He waved to someone across the room and she glanced over to see it was Gil and some redhead she didn't recognize. She went back to her mission. When she was right behind Leo she said, cheerfully and loudly enough to make a Teppenpaw proud, "Hello!"

She sat down next to her friend. "Did you miss me?"

0 Nikki wouldn't you rather see your friends 0 Nikki 0 5

Leo and Cisco

October 02, 2007 8:35 AM

Depends on what you mean by 'friend.' by Leo and Cisco

Cisco had caught sight of the Ramirez girl out of the corner of his eye as he grabbed a roll from a nearby plate; he sat back, smirking quietly, as Leo continued to peruse the letter from Tio Leonardo, forehead furrowed in thought. Then she pounced, in a manner that would have made Mercedes proud--loud and sunny as noon in the Sahara. Leo jumped, crumpling his letter a bit, and looked over to the girl with his cheeks flushing a little.

"Hola, Nikki!" Cisco chirped, keeping one amused eye on his startled and pink-cheeked cousin, who was trying to iron the new creases out of his letter.

"Of course I missed you," Leo said simply, his voice almost irritated at the question. He looked uncomfortable, awkward, unsure of what to say. "Don't be silly, Nikki."

Cisco nodded sagely. "He's just worried you didn't miss h--OW!" Cisco was silenced by an elbow to the ribs, as Leo refolded the letter, cleared his throat, and looked at Nikki, cheeks practically burning.

0 Leo and Cisco Depends on what you mean by 'friend.' 0 Leo and Cisco 0 5

Nikki

October 03, 2007 7:05 PM

Me? by Nikki

'Hola, Nikki!' Cisco greeted as she sat down. Leo had nearly jumped out of his skin at her exclamation and was now trying to iron out the paper in his hands, which had been crumpled slightly due to his reaction.

'Of course I missed you,' Leo said, 'Don't be silly Nikki.'
Nikki could see the blush forming on her friend's face. She
liked that she could him blush; it was something so unwonted of him.

Cisco nodded sagely. 'He's just worried you didn't miss h--OW!' Cisco was silenced by an elbow to the ribs, as Leo refolded the letter, cleared his throat, and looked at Nikki, cheeks practically burning.

Nikki laughed. "Of course I missed you," she said teasingly, "Don't be silly Leo." She reached over and ruffled his hair a bit.

"Besides, my summer was horrible. Julio was always working, Abuela was depressed all the time, and Benito's new girlfriend, AKA the most frustrating, vomit-inducing, annoying Muggle on the planet came to visit. I literally had to survive on casserole and coffee. Of course I missed my best friend." She gave him a brief, one-armed hug for emphasis.

She sat back in her chair. "So, was your summer better than mine, or did your grandfather just crack down harder on the whole 'take over the family patriarchy' thing?"

0 Nikki Me? 0 Nikki 0 5