"It's okay. We'll figure it out." Leonor smiled reassuringly, reaching over to squeeze Valeria's shoulder.

The younger teen huffed, blowing hair out of her face. Her cheeks were reddened and a glow of sweat had collected across her forehead as she stood from the table and out of Leonor's reach, still over-heated from scrapped together insults that had been tumbling from her lips moments ago.
She shook her head, turning and pressing herself against the kitchen counter and leaning close to the open window.

"It's too hot…" She muttered disapprovingly.

"Do you want to go outside? Sit in the shade maybe?" Leonor suggested, shrugging a little as she reached up to re-adjust her hair tie. Valeria stumbled back to her seat and flopped down, her upper body draping onto the table, forehead pressed down onto the wooden surface with a half-hearted groan.

"It'll be nice! It won't be good to stay in here like this." Leonor stood, brushing down her faded pink dress and glancing over to the seventeen year old, head still down on the table.
Leonor's smile fell a little, but widened a little with a sense of purpose as she reached over and gently shook Valeria's shoulder.

"Ah, I know! Why don't you teach me to climb trees? You always wanted me to give it a go!" She tittered a little, a nervous crease forming on her brow despite her smile "Even if it could be a little dangerous…"

Valeria mumbled something, and Leonor stood for a moment trying to take in what the other said.

"¿...Perdón...?"

Valeira tilted her head so her cheek was squished against the table instead of her face, holding a deep frown.

"I said," She began, voice flat, "I thought you said I was too old to be climbing trees? Or that it's 'improper' or something?"

Leonor huffed, glancing off to the side as she folded her arms. "I'm not allowed to change my opinion, now?"

Valeria smirked.
"You're more of a tree hugger than a tree climber, Leo."

Leonor 'humphed', tilting her head up and looking down at Valeria through her glasses. "I can be just as outlandish as you, you know."

Valeria snorted, moving to rest her head against her forearm, arm draping over her head and fingers twirling into her curls. "Sí, sí, claro."
Leonor pushed her glasses up on her nose, thumb pressing against the rim, ans Valeria unfurled her arm and dragged herself up. She smiled, but Leonor noticed how it hardly reached her cheeks as it usually did.

"Look, Leonor. I…" She trailed off, glancing about. She settled on the table, brushing her thumb against the surface briefly before locking her gaze with the taller woman. "I appreciate this... I, uh…" She trailed off, shrugging one shoulder as her gaze danced across the ceiling.

Leonor nodded, smile falling a bit more. "I know you liked him a lot, but you can be happy without him." She spoke softly, uncertain.
Valeria breathed in, deep and steady. She huffed, eyes closing as she rest her hands on her hips. She stepped toward Leonor, a smirk working it's way across her face.

"Come on," She spoke, walking toward the doorway with grin growing more mischievous by the second. "I wanna see you fall out a tree."

Leonor laughed, resting a hand across her chest. "Ah, how dare you!" She smiled, eyes narrowing and nose wrinkling as she shoved her shoulder against Valeria's, hardly nudging the smaller woman as they exited the house.

"-You were only half-way up the trunk!"

"It was scary, Valeria! It was so high up-!"

"High-up?" Valeria huffed out a laugh. "It was tiny! It was a hardly a tree, Leo."

Leonor hummed, frowning and glancing away in shame. "It felt scary to me…" She mumbled as she lifted her glass to her mouth, the material gently clicking against her skull as she took a drink.
Valeira chuckled, leaning forward in her seat and glancing out toward the vivid colours of the Land of The Dead, a content smile playing across her skull, lifting the heart marking above where her lips would be.

The two woman basked in the pause of the conversation, the chatter of other people outside the Cafetería at their own tales or passing by filled the otherwise pleasant quiet.
Leonor placed her glass down, and followed Valeria's gaze toward the city.

"I can't imagine being able to navigate this place so well…" Leonor mumbled, still in awe at the sights.

Valeria shrugs. "It gets easier after the first year, don't worry." Her voice was a little wistful, distant.

Leonor glanced over, shoulders tensing a little. Valeria continued to watch the city, chin resting in her skeletal hands.
She glanced down at her glass, watching the liquid in it for a moment. She smiled gently.

"The tree's here aren't real… It's such a shame, really."
Valeira smirked, looking toward her finally.
"I'm not bothered about that. I could climb them if I wanted, but I'm still bitter about it."
Leonor flinched. She remembered seeing her in the casket for the first time, after hearing the details from a distraught Alejandro.

She'd held him as he had shook- no- trembled, hugging her so tight she thought she'd crumble, sobbing into her shoulder.
She was distraught to think about how terrifying it had been for him. She hadn't seen anything, but watching anyone climb trees had become a lot harder after that. It had taken everyone a while to not be a little too cautious climbing anywhere when need be.
It faded out for her as the years went by. It got easier to take chances, and not wait for something bad to happen.
She let out a shaky breath, closing her eyes tight as she fought off the images.

"Lo siento."

Valeria waved a hand nonchalantly, smiling. "No te preocupes." She frowned over toward Leonor and reached forward. The shorter woman, placed her hand over Leonor's, smiling hopefully.

"Look, I know the circumstances are a little-" She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "-Depressing, I guess. I'm glad you're here though. I missed you, hermana."

Leonor smiled, a tightening blooming in her chest as she squeezed Valeria's hand.

"I missed you too." She mumbled, voice wavering slightly, blinking a small sting from her eyes.
Valeria laughed.

"Hey, don't cry on me! I'll start crying if you go." Leonor laughed, huffing as she brushed the fingertips of her free hand under her sockets, skewing her glasses. She pushed them back into place with her thumb.

"Ah," She sighed, shoulders lowering as she smiled sheepishly. "Lo siento… I suppose it's still-?" She trailed off, glancing toward the buildings and watching an majestic deer-like alebrije settle onto a rooftop, large wings folding against its body as it looked toward her, head held high.
"-Overwhelming, I suppose." She finished, voice hardly raising above a murmur.

Valeria squeezed her hand, drawing back her attention.

"Don't worry…" Valeria smirked, confident and knowing. "It's like you said... We'll figure it out.