[color=lightgray][right][sup]Timestamp: After [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5374617]The Mad Ones[/url] 
FT: [b][color=#DC143C]T[/color][color=#E12341]h[/color][color=#E73247]e[/color] [color=#F25052]L[/color][color=#F85F58]o[/color][color=#FD6F5E]s[/color][color=#F96153]t[/color] [color=#F1473F]T[/color][color=#ED3A34]r[/color][color=#E92D2A]i[/color][color=#E52020]o[/color][/b]
[color=E85546]Carrie Sinclair[/color], [color=#9DC18A]Autie Sinclair[/color], 
[color=#19C8AC]Niles Sinclair[/color], [color=#28e0af]Rye Phillips-Shomer[/color][/sup][/right]
[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220802/4ea4fe78880b87671d1e962f1be6abab.png[/img]
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/IPHmHlY.png[/img]
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[sup][@metanoia] [@Aces Away] [@LovelyComplex][/sup][/center]
[indent][indent]There they were. Penelope, Mordechai, and Jade at the entrance of Scott Street, staring into the world of the beautiful, the dirty, and the rich. A gate separated them from the nests of the most prominent families of Edenridge. The foundlings and the ones that floated above everything else in this godforsaken town. People the southsiders would never understand. 

Unamusingly, Poppy didn’t think this far ahead. She didn’t think about getting in contact with a Northie in order to get into Scott Street. Then again, they were southsiders. They didn’t need to ask permission, they just did. The Street Angel opened her mouth to make a suggestion but then they heard the purring engine of a motorcycle swiftly approaching.

Think fast! 

Quickly, Poppy hid behind the brick wall that held one side of the large door gate. Incoming was Niles Sinclair, with someone on the back of his seat, holding onto him. She couldn’t see who the other person was and by the time they reached the gate, allowing it to open, she was in hiding, waiting to roll in once the doctor’s son sped out.

[color=19C8AC]“You sure you don’t want to stop at Main Street?”[/color] Niles called out, as he rested his foot on the cement, waiting for the slow gate to open. [color=19C8AC]“Maybe the crowd chilled out a bit?”[/color] For a Monday, Main Street Music sounded busy. While that was never a bad thing, it was currently, because it gave Rye limited time with JP. 

Niles wanted to tell Rye to not worry about it but he knew his friend and all his friend did was worry. Worry about everyone else but himself. Regardless, Sinclair didn’t mind taking stops if that meant Rye could talk to JP to get whatever misunderstanding they had going on, resolved. What were friends for? 

In addition to the news of JP’s distress (or Rye overthinking his brother was distressed), the two boys only napped for a couple hours before their sleep was interrupted by a phone call. Niles had to get his dad lunch. So, he rose, which forced Rye to wake up. He showered, leaving Rye to Autumn and Carrie for entertainment, and then the sons of doctors were off. Niles was planning on having dinner at Gavriel’s so he could catch up with the family but they still had plenty of daylight left. [color=19C8AC]“Really, I don’t mind.”[/color]

[color=28e0af]“I appreciate it, really, but we should get home,”[/color] Gavriel replied regretfully over the engine, trying not to think about how much he wanted to see JP. The other man was probably fine, and Gavriel knew he had a tendency to make things worse in his head. The sound of his voice carried over to the southie crew, however, and Mordechai had to restrain himself from jumping out of his hiding position to see the curly haired man he’d once called friend. Not yet, they both seemed to be on errands. Later. [color=28e0af]“I’ll see him at dinner…he’s probably still busy, and this coming storm has my shoulder all fucked up so I need to just relax so I don’t make it worse,”[/color] He rolled his shoulder and winced as the throbbing pain grew. The gate lay completely open before them. [color=28e0af]“Besides, everyone’ll want to see you.”[/color]

[color=19C8AC]“K. Whatever you say, what’s your mom cooking anyways?”[/color] Niles revved up his engine a couple of times before they were off again, just two best friends hanging. And that moment cued Poppy to lead the charge straight into the ritzy suburbia. 

[color=fe6f5e]“It’s that easy, folks!”[/color] Pops rested her hands behind her head and began strolling into a place she [i]never[/i] visited before. [color=fe6f5e]“So uh, from what I gathered… we’re looking for the second biggest house. The biggest being the creepy Grimm manor,”[/color] when she didn’t hear footsteps she turned around to look at her friends, [color=fe6f5e]“Well come on now, we don’t got all day!”[/color] 

Mordechai stared after Niles and Rye’s retreating backs for a few more moments before turning to Jade and Poppy, shrugging off the shock of hearing Rye again after that day in the cafeteria in favor of following his best friends into the unknown of Scott Street. [color=DC143C]“All these houses are huge as shit, how fuckin’ big is second biggest?”[/color] 

[color=fe6f5e]“Uhhhhhhhhhh….”[/color] Penelope scanned the houses and shrugged. [color=fe6f5e]“Heck if I know. I have no idea where we’re going.”[/color]

[color=DC143C]“There we go again,”[/color] Mordechai replied with a dry laugh, noticing a trend they’d followed together since childhood. [color=DC143C]“As always, head first with no plan.”[/color]

Jade, for the most part, was in her own head. She had the self-awareness to keep part of her mind tuned into what was being said, but for the most part, she was being consumed with feelings that she didn’t think she’d really feel ever again, but coming to the sacred suburbia of Edenridge, she had a flashback to when she was involved with Roddy Callahan. It wasn’t that she always came to Scott Street, but in those days, she’d occasionally sneak to his house. It wasn’t anything major that kept her up at night, but during those days, Jade took risks she normally wouldn’t. So maybe part of that was remembering how different she was compared to…well, now.

[color=e62020]“Where’s your sense of adventure, Key?”[/color] She managed to say, nudging into him as lightly as she could as she didn’t want to disrupt his balance. The man rolled his eyes and smirked lightly at her in response. [color=e62020]“Besides, it’s not hard to find the second largest house, right? I mean, it’s not like these houses are uniform.”[/color] Jade looked around, blue-green eyes noting that every house had their own identity. They were far larger than anything she had ever seen in a few years (again dating back to her time spent with Roddy way back when), but she could at least notice they weren’t all the same. Sure as hell not like that Squidward community where every house had the big ass nose house. [color=e62020]“Pops, any other info? Maybe [i]what[/i] the house looks like?”[/color] She tried to ask in a genuine way but part of her felt like it came off a little bitchy. 

[color=fe6f5e]“Beats me,”[/color] Poppy admitted, not one to venture this far like her sister did. Taking a moment to rub her temples, Penelope tried to think of a plan. They could go in blindly and search for Italian memorabilia or they could see if someone they knew could advise them where to go, like maybe one of Decky’s Southie friends. [color=fe6f5e]“I mean I guess we could try to find her car? I feel like we have a better chance finding that than a house we’ve all never seen.”[/color]

[color=e62020]“And how should we acquire a car? Lot of the ones I see--”[/color] Jade casually gestured around, seeing a lot of nice cars parked in the driveways of the houses of Scott Street, [color=e62020]“--they aren’t exactly ones you can hotwire. I mean, I can hotwire, but older models are preferable.”[/color] Was it a grim thing to joke about? Probably. Was it logical? Nope, but Jade couldn’t help but laugh.

Not too far off ahead, an ice cream truck was stationed waiting for the neighboring children to get their fix before the ice guy went to his next destination. Have the fates decided to help boost their morale and that was through ice cream? No, it wasn’t just ice cream there… Not by a long shot.

To their fortune, or misfortune, they walked right into a sea of Edenridge High Clovers. A bunch of upcoming senior girls who believed they were destined for greatness, or at least, next year’s Shining Star trophy. Autumn Sinclair licked her vanilla ice cream cone (with rainbow sprinkles, of course) as she waited for the rest of her crew to catch up. It didn’t take too long for Caroline Sinclair to come skipping from the truck to her sister (they were standing in front of the Brady house) with an orange creamsicle. 

Soon after, they were surrounded by three other Northie girls. Parker Thompson, Liana Khoury, and Ophelia Iordanou. It was a Clover fest. [i][b][color=#DC143C]S[/color][color=#DE1B3E]o[/color][color=#E12341]m[/color][color=#E42A44]e[/color][color=#E73247]b[/color][color=#EA394A]o[/color][color=#ED414C]d[/color][color=#EF494F]y[/color] [color=#F55855]k[/color][color=#F85F58]i[/color][color=#FB675B]l[/color][color=#FE6E5D]l[/color] [color=#FA6153]u[/color][color=#F85B4E]s[/color][color=#F65449],[/color] [color=#F2473E]p[/color][color=#F04039]l[/color][color=#EE3A34]e[/color][color=#EC332F]a[/color][color=#EA2D2A]s[/color][color=#E82625]e[/color][color=#E61F1F].[/color][/b][/i] Had they been caught before their mission even started? What were the chances they would stroll into Scott Street right when the ice guy was in? Should they leave while they still had a chance?

Autumn was quick to notice the lost souls. Tilting her head, she licked her ice cream again. They didn’t look like Natalia’s usual friends, then again, she hadn’t talked to her idol in a good two weeks. Maybe she made more Southie friends over time. Autie could get behind that, seeing how she was making her own southie friends too. In the form of three boys, Ransom, Molotov, and TNT. [color=9dc18a]“Are you lost?”[/color] The brazen Clover curtly asked. She wasn’t intentionally trying to come off as bitchy. In all honesty, Autumn was curious and wanted to help but she had little to no control over her tone and bitchface. She licked her ice cream again. 

Mordechai looked between his friends and the Clovers for a moment as the first one approached, unsure of just how much they were supposed to be saying or giving out. The girl in front didn’t seem all too surprised to have a trio of Southies in their nice suburban neighborhood, in fact she seemed interested instead of wary. Something about her was scratching at a patch of Mordechai’s memory that had already been partially opened with the two that had left on the motorcycle minutes before, something to do with Rye [i]and[/i] his friend Niles…

Memories of Rye going through almost every picture in his phone with Mordechai when they were younger suddenly flooded his mind. It was something that the other boy had often done in their down time, swiping to picture after picture and either explaining what had happened that day, or giving random anecdotes about the people in the pictures with him. He knew Mordechai might not meet them, but he liked the other boy to know about the people that were important to him. Some of the people he had taken pictures with the most were Mordechai and Danny, JP, Danny Belmonte, Niles, and…

[color=DC143C]“You’re…Autumn,”[/color] He said slowly as he finally placed her. He looked from her to the blonde just behind her, a tired smile on his face as he thought of the stories Rye had shared with him about the two. [color=DC143C]“And Carrie, right? Niles’ sisters? I’m Mordechai, uh,”[/color] he struggled with his words, trying to explain how he knew them without them having ever met him. Realizing it might come off wrong, he added, [color=DC143C]“I used ta hang out with Rye and he had a bunch’a pictures with y’all. Uh, anyway we…well we’re lookin’ for Natalia? We didn’t really think about…needin’ an address when we headed out.”[/color]

Christ, his social skills needed some fucking work.

There was something almost gratifying about being known on the Southside, even by those she hadn’t ever met. This Mordechai knew her name, knew her brother’s only friend, and knew the woman she considered ‘the best Niles would ever have’. [color=9dc18a]“So you're new friends of hers or…? If your connection is through Gavriel and Niles then I’m not really adding up why you’d want to see her?”[/color] Protectively, Autumn breached closer to the southie with ice cream in hand. Carrie was quick to scurry to her side, to be a buffer if needed, [color=9dc18a]“If you’re here to tell her to leave your friends alone, it’s you who needs to tell your [i]friends[/i] to leave her alone! She doesn’t need you, or any of you for that matter, to toy with her emotions,”[/color] Niles’ sister growled before taking another lick of her ice cream.

[color=e85546]“What my sister means to say, in a less mean way, that was very mean of you, by the way, Autie,”[/color] Caroline gave her sister a look of disappointment before bringing her serene eyes back to Decky, [color=e85546]“Natalia and Niles, and Rye, have not been on good terms for a very long time. So, if this is because they don’t want to talk to her themselves, I don’t think we can help you.” [/color]

Damn. These girls were hardcore. Penelope looked at the standoff that was happening between her friend and the northie girls. Her eyes went past them and to the ice cream truck. How much money did she have on her? Side-stepping out of the heat of the confrontation, tapping Decky’s back which was her way of saying ‘this is all you’,  Penelope slowly, very slowly made her way to the small line. She had five dollars. She could totally get a sundae if she wanted to. 

The lone man shot his small friend an alarmed look, his hands having already flown up defensively from Autumn's approaching ire. This was not what he'd wanted, but once again his luck- and his mouth- struck again. He didn't remember too much about these girls except that they were twins, and that Autumn was extremely outspoken and protective while Carrie was soft-spoken and bubbly.  He’d obviously triggered the brunette’s protective instincts, and her reasonings were totally fair, but he’d only been trying to explain how he knew her and her sister’s names since he’d just blurted them out as a stranger. He definitely hadn’t been thinking about how those names would affect their search for Natalia.

[color=DC143C]“I don’t-what? No. No I just knew your names because of Rye, him and Niles have nothin’ ta do with this, I haven’t even talked ta him in yea- ya know what?”[/color] He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, trying to fix his fuck up. He ran his hand through his hair and gripped the back of his own neck tightly to try and release all the sudden tension. They just wanted the point, get to the point. He dropped his hand back to his side and flexed his fingers a few times before restarting. [color=DC143C]“We’ve got a trip planned and someone told us Puff might wanna be a part of it, we’re just tryin’a find her and ask if she’d wanna join or not…and I mean probably drive since we ain’t got any wheels ourselves.”[/color]

[color=e85546]“An honorable pursuit,”[/color] Carrie beamed, raising her hand in front of her sister, who was one to speak before she thought. All the time. A gesture to shut her up before she spoke. [color=e85546]“And Autumn knows better than all of us how cool you southies are, seeing how after she confronted her boyfriend about, well, him sleeping with a lot of other girls, he left her stranded at a gas station! Last night! But she was saved, and now it is our turn to return the favor.”[/color] Caroline gave her sister her ice cream, seeing how she needed both hands now. 

Autumn was quiet, with a grumpy pout on. Oddly enough, the sweet one had more dominance than she gave off. And ever the wise one too, even if she dramatically laced her words with fantastical flair. 

[color=e85546]“I, Caroline Sinclair, your fairy godsister will take you to her. And that over there,”[/color] she pointed to the yellow buggie in the driveway to her left, their right, [color=e85546]“Is your carriage!” [/color]

As the Disney princess eased the tension, Autumn tossed her and her sister’s leftover ice cream in the community trash can and sighed, [color=9dc18a]“Sorry.”[/color]

Jade watched the bitchy brunette, eyes almost squinting in a glare. She didn’t like her attitude but Jade didn’t say anything. Could she have? Of course. The Angel Princess was a lot of things but a pushover and letting someone jump down her best friend’s throat like that wasn’t one of them. But then she put her feet in their shoes. If she found some northsiders wandering around the southside, especially looking all suspicious like she, Key, and Pops were probably looking from the outside perspective, then she would be just as hostile. So that’s why she kept her mouth shut.

But when the blonde offered to help them, there was a wave of relief, yet when Jade saw their [i]’carriage’[/i], she could literally feel her eyes twitching and a heavy dose of her own patience leaving her body. [color=e62020]“That’s uh…”[/color] She struggled to find the right words. [color=e62020]“That’s certainly something, isn’t it?”[/color] She looked around, blue-green gaze on Key.

Shoulders slumped in relief at avoiding an unnecessary confrontation, Mordechai gave passing thought to what Southies the Sinclairs may have met before he turned to follow Carrie's gesture and almost cried when he saw their mode of transportation. If both sisters were escorting them, them he just knew that he and Jade would barely fit in the back themselves, meaning Poppy would likely be sitting on a half of each of their laps while the two bigger Southies did their best to smush against the back windows. Jade's lackluster commentary on the vehicle fit his own level of enthusiasm quite well, and he stepped up beside her to knock their shoulders together in commiseration. He stared blankly at the small buggy and- in an unintentional mimic of TNT from early that morning- he let out a small, judgement-free laugh and said, [color=DC143C]"...Cute."[/color] 

He could feel another laugh trying to escape at the absurdity of the situation, but outwardly he just nodded in thanks to Carrie and started following her to her car, Autumn staying back with their other friends. Well, at least all three of them wouldn't be crammed in the back like he thought. [color=DC143C]"Just go with it, Harley Head, anythin' that gets us there faster."[/color]

The blonde gave a shrug, losing her glare at the bitchy brunette. It sure as hell wasn’t her first choice of cars but she had to internally remind herself that this was a means to an end. At the very least, the blonde, who had a friendly smile, seemed to be willing to help them out. [color=e62020]“Yeah okay.”[/color] She shrugged again, giving Key a reluctant smile.

The dark haired man smiled back at his friend before stopping and turning back around to their third adventurer at the ice cream truck. [color=DC143C]"Pops! Ya comin'?"[/color]

[color=fe6f5e]“Yeah! I just got my shit,”[/color] Passing Autumn who went up to her Northie girlfriends, Pops saluted, [color=fe6f5e]“Thanks, mate,”[/color] and marched to the buggy. Wow, this was one hell of a sight. This car was god awful and it was written all over Poppy’s face. [color=fe6f5e]“I call dibs on shotgun since Autumn ain’t coming.”[/color] 

Intentionally, Poppy decided to make the selfish move due to her holding a mild grudge with her friends. More so Decky than Jade. Maybe she wanted to be petty. They could take the back and she could eat her sundae in the front. Decky had his secrets, and Jade ghosted her for a good month. She deserved the front seat.  

[color=9dc18a]“Hey!”[/color] Autumn called out as first Jade and Decky piled into the back, and Poppy trapped them inside with the passenger’s chair. [color=9dc18a]“I hope you like Disney!”[/color] After a few more exchanges, the yellow chariot was off. Meaning they were in a race with a snail because if there was a snail, it would be going faster than them. Poppy scooped some hot fudge sundae in her mouth and glanced at her friends through her sun visor mirror. 

Apologetic, Carrie gently pressed on the pedal, [color=e85546]“Sorryyyy, I don’t drive often but this shouldn’t take too long! One sec,”[/color] They were inches away from the driveway when Carrie was back in park going to her playlist. After a minute or so, the car started playing Under the Sea from the Little Mermaid Disney soundtrack. [color=e85546]“Okay, that’s better.”[/color] And they were off! Again! 

Steadily Carrie went onward, heading down Scott Street to what the southies would hope eventually led to Natalia’s. By this rate, though, they should’ve walked. As Carrie drove, Poppy swayed to the music and ate her sundae. This was ridiculous and she couldn’t help but find it all amusing. When Carrie started singing, she decided to quietly join the other girl, just so her friends could suffer. Oh how fun this all was. 

Mordechai watched Poppy's petty side come out from his folded position in the back, still practically shoulder to shoulder with Jade despite leaning towards the window. He hadn't seen this version of his friend in a while, and while he knew it was mostly his fault fucking up with this whole Natalia thing, the man couldn't help the small smile that slipped onto his face as she sang along with whatever song was playing. He didn't technically have a feeling toward Disney songs either way, given his extremely limited interaction with their movies and the like, and while what he was hearing wasn't really his schtick he could get behind them if it meant continuing to hear his smallest friend's voice without any heartbreak or feelings of betrayal undercutting her tone. Like he'd said: knew he'd fucked up, that was clear, he just didn't know how to fix it immediately, so he just had to deal with Poppy being upset with him.

The practical crawl of the car down the road and the upbeat music contrasted themselves as much as the blonde in the driver seat contrasted her passengers, and Mordechai was left wondering how he and his friends always fell into such odd situations, ever since they were kids. Was it their curious personalities, their bad luck, the people they surround themselves with? All, or maybe none, of those options? They interacted with the Northside more than most Southies just on account that they continued their schooling and the only highschool was Northside, but they were still worlds apart from most of these people. He does remember Danny being returned to him one day by Poppy and Max and his little brother going on an excited rant about a [i]Disney Marathon, Decky! They sing in like every movie! They're so fun-[/i] because apparently Max had taken over most of his watching for the day and demanded that he know some childhood wonder. Mordechai, already a Serpent at the time, had been more focused on his brother's excitement and smile than the actual content of his words. 

Looking at the back of Poppy's head, Mordechai wondered if she also struggled still with the voice of her lost sibling in her ear, or the thoughts of what would happen if they hadn't been lost, but he was pretty sure he knew the answer. Trying to keep a positive air about him, he turned his eyes to Carrie and asked, [color=DC143C]"So, is this somethin' ya [i]need [/i] ta show your kids? Just 'cause it's all happy and musical?"[/color]

[color=e85546]“I’ll show my kids, but no,”[/color] Carrie turned down Meadow Street, to their left was the large, creepy, definitely evil Grimm estate and grounds, and to their right was the Davies, then the Josephs. [color=e85546]“Parents can do whatever they see fit. And to correct you, sir, Disney isn’t all rainbows and butterflies.”[/color] She glanced at the boy through her rearview mirror, even going the extra mile to turn down the song. [color=e85546]“They have universal messages. You know Lion King is basically Hamlet by William Shakespeare, right? But that isn’t the point. It’s not just Disney. Cartoons help develop a child's cognitive skills. If you don’t like Disney, there’s always Looney Tunes or all the 90s shows on Cartoon Network like Courage the Cowardly dog. But kids don’t need that. We have good books too and we have the great outdoors.”[/color]

Penelope glanced over at the girl who was actually quite intellectual for being so childlike at times. The young girl brought her attention back to the road, as she continued to give her stance on Disney, cartoons, and parenting. Taking another spoonful of sundae, Poppy placed it in her mouth and continued to listen. Now in silence, no longer singing — just her, her sundae and Carrie’s TedTalk. She liked how energetic this girl was. How strong, firm, and sure of herself she came across. Something Poppy felt like she lacked a lot of times. It was nice to see. Through all the dark, there were still those that carried light in them. There were still those hopeful and positive. 

[color=e85546]“I will say early Disney, like Princesses waiting for their Prince to come save them, does not translate well in our day and age but they’re still good movies. The reason why I like Disney is because it reminds me that I can still be young at heart. Through all the crap this town goes through, having something that makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you sing, and just makes you… feel, isn’t such a bad thing, right? I don’t know, Disney just keeps me centered. Like the Goofy Movie, Goofy has to come to terms with his son growing up but watching your baby grow is hard, you know? And Max, his son, learns that even if he wants to do his own thing, like most teenagers do, he still has a loving father in his corner who's just doing his best. So, cartoons, no cartoons, sweets, no sweets, there is no map to parenting.”[/color]

Mordechai didn't follow any of the references Carrie gave aside from Shakespeare's Hamlet, but her point got across clearly enough, and the man felt a level of respect grow for this girl who was obviously more than the face she wore for others. He wondered if whatever movies Max had shown Danny had helped his little brother in any way, or about how books and comics was probably their biggest developers in that stage of their lives. Books he could do, those he knew pretty well but, maybe…

[color=DC143C]"I don't know much about that stuff, you got like a few good ones ta start with?"[/color] He asked sincerely, thinking of his own children singing songs just because they could and fighting the smile that the thought tried to bring to his face. The things he didn't understand- the things he never [i]had [/i]- were exactly what he wanted to give his children. [color=DC143C]"I've got a couple kids that I wanna have a better childhood than me."[/color]

[color=e85546]“Hm, I’d suggest Hercules. That soundtrack you’ll handle. It’s more gospel and soul. Easy on the ears but still catchy. Also Danny DeVito voices Phil. We love Danny DeVito.”[/color] Tapping her fingers on the wheel, her attention went from the road to a black truck parked conspicuously by the Grimms Queen-of-the-Night tulips, stone half wall (that had an iron gate door leading to the gardens), and their massive English Oak tree. Very gothic, spooky, and aesthetic, especially during Halloween. While she never saw that truck before, she wasn’t one to question the Grimms. That was one family you left alone. Yes siree. Only bad juju came from this house which meant those that lived there were cursed or doomed for life. [color=e85546]“There’s non-musical films too. You might like Brother Bear and The Emperor’s New Groove. Start with those three and we can go from there. Rye has my number if you want more suggestions. I also have like… all the Disney movies ever if you want to borrow too. On both DVD and VHS!”[/color]

The same truck that Carrie saw had Mordechai doing a double take so quickly that his neck cracked as he recognized it as Mika's. He made a mental note to text his other constant later and nose into his life a bit: a little bit of payback for the last month plus that he'd helped Allegra play Warden with him. Just because it was for his own good doesn't mean it didn't get frustrating at times being an adult getting babysat right alongside your own children.

Hey, maybe they should've been watching Disney movies that whole time.

[color=DC143C]"I don't talk ta Rye anymore,"[/color] Mordechai reiterated his comment from earlier, coming back to the conversation. He wasn't ready to get into that yet, talking to Rye was going to be a whole other trauma. [color=DC143C]"I haven't since I left. Uh, I'll figure it out though, thanks. Are we almost there?"[/color]

[color=e85546]“Oh, that’s sad,”[/color] Carrie softly muttered. 

Looking back into the visor mirror, Penelope looked at Mordechai who was gazing out the window. In thought, she stood there silent, wondering if Mordechai held it against Gavriel for not being able to protect little Danny. Did he hold a grudge against him even though Rye had no control over the situation? Or was Decky ashamed that he put Rye in that position, and blamed himself, just like he blamed himself for how Charlie became? 

[color=e85546]“Oh yeah! There she blows. Italiaaaaaa!”[/color] Caroline pointed to the [i]large[/i] house with the Italian flag hanging from a staff of the front wall. The furthest house from the gate but not too hard to get to. Instead of pulling the car up immediately, Carrie turned into the driveway, right behind Taz’s party van (it could seat like ten people) and reversed out. Turning her car to face the opposite direction, so that when they exited Poppy’s door they could go straight to the front door, the happy-go-lucky blonde put her car in park, [color=e85546]“Voilá! The Belmontes.”[/color]

Holding her sundae cup, she’d need to find a garbage bin for it later, Pops stepped out and when she did so, Carrie helped put the passenger seat forward so the other two could leave. Standing there, in front of the massive estate, Penelope James surveyed the area. The creeping doubt and lingering sadness found its way back to the surface. 

Making sure it was hidden behind a mask, Poppy grabbed onto her teardrop necklace with her freehand staring ahead, realizing maybe this lax attitude was simply her faking she was okay. It made the journey to this point easier to handle. She wore Charlie’s jacket as a reminder of the man that had her heart, a reminder of her old Charlie, but now? In front of Natalia Belmonte’s residence, waiting for her friends, she could only feel the jacket as something that belonged to a stranger. Did she really know Charlie? Like truly? Deeply? 

Who was Natalia to him? 

Jade had tuned out the entirety of the conversation that went on about Disney. It was never her scene. Their peppy chauffeur mentioned something about how there were alternatives to Disney? Yeah, she tuned into that briefly and she agreed. Did she care to voice her opinion about it? Fuck no, she didn’t. Jade didn’t care one way or another. She grew up on horror flicks, Sylvester Stallone, and lots of anime and shows that probably weren’t not suitable for a girl her age (at the time) to watch (looking at you Happy Tree Friends). So what could she bring to the conversation? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And maybe part of her silence had to do with the fact that she was lost in her own head. When they had been in the car for a while, she let her thoughts consume her. Some of them about Anya and what she might be doing right now, but most of them were about Natalia Belmonte and her connection to Charlie. Pretty sure her soul sister was thinking about that too. She wondered if, after all of this, they’d be okay? All Jade did was call her because she felt bad about how quiet she went, but here they were: in the same call, on some grand ole' adventure to find Natalia and get to Blue Hill as soon as they possibly could.

But Jade could feel it. There was an uneasiness in the air. She’s been feeling it for a while now - not just since she picked up the phone and decided to call Poppy, but for a few days. Hell, probably since the Devil became her protector.

[i][color=e62020]Don’t think like that. Think positive.[/color][/i] She told herself as she looked out the window and her eyes nearly came out of the socket and she almost dislocated her jaw as she wide-eyed, jaw-down gasped at what she could only assume was the second biggest house on Scott Street. [color=e62020]“You have to be kidding me…”[/color] Jade muttered just loud enough that at least Key next to her could hear, but then her voice got louder. [color=e62020]“We spent all that time getting lost and they had…[i]that[/i] in front of the damn house!?”[/color] Jade was referring to the ginormous Italian Flag that was outside for the entire neighborhood to see.

[color=e62020]“Jesus fucking Christ…”[/color] She again muttered, shoving her way into Key’s shoulder, rushing him out. She didn’t care about manners right now, but when they were, all Jade could do, honestly, was stare at the flag. 

How could they have missed that?
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