[color=d3d3d3][indent][indent][right][sub][b]TIMESTAMP[/b] — Afternoon, Tuesday, July 21st, 2021 || After [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5421236]Chase the Feeling[/url] & [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5421530]Charlie the Raven[/url]
FT. — [color=#DC143C]D[/color][color=#E12341]r[/color][color=#E73247]e[/color][color=#EC414D]a[/color][color=#F25052]m[/color][color=#F85F58]c[/color][color=#FD6F5E]h[/color][color=#F96153]a[/color][color=#F55449]s[/color][color=#F1473F]e[/color][color=#ED3A34]r[/color][color=#E92D2A]s[/color] (Mordechai Boaz, Poppy James, and Jade Taylor))[/sub][/right]
[center][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/aces-away][img]https://i.imgur.com/C7beBPz.png[/img][/url]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/h9XNIyW.png[/img]  [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/lovelycomplex][img]https://i.imgur.com/kNKdoR9.png[/img][/url]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/h9XNIyW.png[/img]  [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/metanoia][img]https://i.imgur.com/zY93CVC.png[/img][/url]
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[img]https://i.imgur.com/ol3Pqhi.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/cHvt6cz.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/VJKKJlX.png[/img]    [img]https://i.imgur.com/Byl5w3P.png[/img]  [img]https://i.imgur.com/GTCwY0e.png[/img]
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Jade was back at Adora’s home, sitting on the couch, taking in the mid-afternoon rays from the sun that peeked through the window. After her rather enlightening and equally productive healing journey in the fields with Key, who was sitting next to her. They both had an exhausting, yet momentous morning, so they were enjoying the relaxing moment with each other. Jade found herself in a crossroads state of mind. She was at a fork where she was trying to figure out what the best course of action might be for her. 

On one end was what her brain was telling her to do, the logical and most neutral decision of them all. To not do anything sudden. In the back of her mind, Jade didn’t want to leave Blue Hill so suddenly because that wouldn’t do anyone any good. She had dipped for so long without giving any word to her family and friends. And with her new friends, she definitely didn’t want to leave that bad impression that after being there for all of them for a majority of the past twenty-four hours, she would just dip again.

But then there was the other end where her heart was gravitating towards something that Key spoke about. How she shouldn’t let that person who meant so much to her, almost more than life itself, go. Which was funny as she thought about it more. Life to her was like a chosen angel whose wings were clipped. They could only look up at the malevolent sky, knowing Heaven was up there but without her divine wings, she couldn’t go anywhere but adjust to what her state was now.

That was Willow Jade Taylor’s life for nearly two years and it might’ve been her life had she not decided to take a step and call Poppy yesterday. But the truth of the matter was that she had more than just a moment of being tired of isolating. Anya was at the forefront of a lot of the progress she made before this journey to find Tena even began. Anya, her Pancake, helped her realize a lot about herself and how she needed to act on life itself.  This was reinforced by the wise man sitting next to her. Of course, a lot about what happened yesterday was also accelerated by Cameron Hyde. That in itself was terrifying for Jade.

Maybe now more than ever, she couldn’t let her mind do anything for her. It had worked against her for so long. It put her into a daze of overthinking, depression, and using any and all poison to numb what hurt her. Jade had closed her heart for so long, but Anya was the one person to break down the walls. And now, with the magic that was Blue Hill, it was open for the first time in nearly six years.

There was a moment where Jade had mentally decided on what to do. Right as she was about to express this new revelation to Key, she heard a sound from the front entrance of the house. Momentarily, the blonde peeked her eyes and saw Poppy. Something she immediately had noticed aside from her glistening cheeks and her eyes was a rare sight even rarer than a drama-free week in Edenrdige. For as long as she could remember, long before Charlie’s death caused a permanant rift in the town and their quartet, was a smile on the ghostly face of her soul sister that she swore lit up the room and cleared it up of any and all negative energy. 

She nudged Key in the shoulder to take notice. [color=e62020]“Hey there Pops!”[/color] Jade stood up, greeting the brunette with a smile of her own. [color=e62020]“Wanna fill us in?”[/color] Jade didn’t want to mince words. It wasn’t every day she got to see her best friend look [i]this[/i] centered. She needed the deets! Her groundbreaking decision could wait.

Mordechai looked up when Jade nudged him and found a smile reaching his face as well. Poppy’s smile didn’t hide her tears or the tracks they’d made on her face but it certainly made it seem as though it was a good thing those tears were there. He knew from his own healings that tears can be an amazing cleanser for a wounded soul. When you carry so much darkness around inside you for so long, there are only so many ways to free it from your flesh that don’t cause harm to yourself or others. He’s tried many of the ways, and in the aftermath tears have by far been the least painful and guilt inducing.

[color=dc143c]“I think she went on her own version of our field walk,”[/color] He said softly as he too stood up to make space for Poppy to sit down between them on the couch. [color=dc143c]“Didn’t’cha Pops?”[/color]

[color=FE6F5E]“Mm, I did. I’m SLEEPY now,”[/color] Poppy shuffled to her friends, noting Charlie’s jacket she had left hanging on a dining room chair. Plopping herself down, not needing much room for her small frame, she relaxed herself before her friends rejoined her on the couch. She snuggled between them, grabbing both of their hands. When they all settled, she leaned her head back on the couch and giggled, [color=FE6F5E]“So Ronnie lied to us.”[/color] She shook her head at how silly this ruse was just to set them on the path of self discovery and healing. Ronnie was a clever woman. She always knew that but this move showed exactly why Pops looked up to her. [color=FE6F5E]“She did this to unite our two worlds and to heal. Mitena needs us, just as much as we need her.”[/color] Glancing from one friend to the next, she squeezed their hands, [color=FE6F5E]“We won’t get all the answers in one day but… I think we needed this and if you guys ever come back, I’d like to come with you. I really like it here.”[/color]

It was like she was sitting next to a completely different person, or someone Jade hadn’t seen in such a long time. This wasn’t just Poppy the friend who had been by her side for the past couple of years despite things in their lives collectively being crap, but this was [i]Pops[/i], her soul sister before the worst event of their lives changed the trajectory of their lives forever. She didn’t even seem to care that Ronnie lied. Ask Jade that yesterday and she might’ve felt differently, but she felt like she made so much progress within herself and seeing that in her two best friends, it was clear that this place was more than just another destination in this whole mystery surrounding Charlie and his letters. This felt like another place they could escape to. 

[color=e62020]“Though speaking of answers, what did we learn in class today?”[/color] Jade laughed at her own bad joke. She glanced at both Key and Poppy, seeing their faces and how those faces of theirs had familiar expressions. In all honesty, Jade hadn’t felt this relaxed in all ways implied in a very long time and sure as hell hasn’t felt this weightless in years.

Penelope came in with an inside joke between her and Resi and widely smiled, [color=FE6F5E]“Bagels. I’ve only seen bagels with salmon and cream cheese. It’s time I start shifting my bagel. Maybe put some chives on it instead.” [/color]

[color=dc143c]“It’s…great you’re interested in havin’ your own bagel?”[/color] Mordechai replied with no small amount of confusion, well aware he was missing an important piece to puzzle the sentence together. 

Rolling her eyes at her best friend, she explained her own metaphor, [color=FE6F5E]“I don’t think it takes much for you guys to see I have an eating disorder. Today, Forrest gave me half a bagel. Everyone has to start somewhere, he said. But instead of salmon, which is all my mind has been thinking about. Charlie. Charlie loves salmon and my identity became Charlie. Not Penelope. Just Charlie. He put chives on it instead. I realized in that moment that while it won’t happen overnight, one day I’ll be whole again. I won’t ever be the same. I’ve been so used to salmon that it became all I am. I don’t necessarily have to let go of his memory since that’s honestly impossible. So instead of looking at it as if I'm leaving him behind, I’ll change how I look at things. I’ll carry his memory forward as I find me again. As I find Poppy and ‘[color=BB986B]grow towards the light like a flower[/color]’.... Tena said that last part.”[/color] 

[color=e62020]“That’s really great, Pops. Really, I’m happy you found that start of this incredible journey of…well, I’m not sure what we can call it.”[/color] Jade’s blue-green gaze was on her soul sister for a long moment. She let out a small laugh, almost a barely-audible chuckle as she still struggled to put a word to what happened to the three of them. Seeing that old version of her mixed with this new version of herself that was, from where the Angel Princess sat, started to take shape. She saw it because she knew Poppy wasn’t the only one breaking free from that cocoon of sorts. The soil here was rich with exactly what they needed. 

[color=dc143c]“I’m real happy for ya, Pops,”[/color] Mordechai spoke up with genuine warmth as he leaned into her, squishing her firmly between the bigger two of the trio. His whole being was warm and relaxed and he was happy to have his two friends here with him and also experiencing levels of healing. He knew that things would be harder when they returned to the stress of their hometown; unlike Jade and Poppy, he’d been through the Blue Hill Experience yearly since he was ten years old. Blue Hill was safety and healing for those from Edenridge, but the town itself always received its residents back from their temporary loan outside its borders.  They couldn’t stay happy forever, but they could actively work towards it once they cross back into town and face down their own separate demons, and Modechai was content in the moment with that knowledge. 

[color=dc143c]“I’m gonna start living for myself,”[/color] He revealed after they’d all had a moment with the silence. His revelations with Adora and Jade were fresh on his mind and felt the need to share with his friends as they’ve continued to share with him. It felt right. [color=dc143c]“I can be fine with gettin’ sober for others but I’m gonna find out how to build a life that makes me happy…That includes tryin’ for somethin’ real with Sunshine a-and Mamba, if they’re for it.”[/color]

[color=FE6F5E]“Mordechai’s in lurvessss,”[/color] Penelope teased, leaning into him and brushing her face against his body while he laughed. [color=FE6F5E]“Which reminds me, betch.”[/color] She playfully narrowed her eyes at Decky, really coming across as a whole new Poppy, less trauma filled and more optimistic of her future, [color=FE6F5E]“I don’t expect your family to be my family but I’d at least like a moment with them. If they love you, I hope they know I’m part of your life and I’m sick and tired of being the little girl that stays home waiting for her friends to come by. Let me fight for my place. ReyRey said it himself! He called me a [i]baby snake[/i] when I was cursing him out during the whole Allison shitshow. I deserve the feeling of belonging, just as much as you and Jade do. You both,”[/color] Poppy glanced over to Jade, squeezing her hand a couple of times, [color=FE6F5E]“Have your southie families with the serpents and the angels. I’m not saying I want to be part of the gang life but I am saying: please don’t leave me behind anymore.”[/color] 

[color=dc143c]“You're right,”[/color] Mordechai admitted easily, holding his free hand up in surrender and slumping his shoulders dramatically. [color=dc143c]“Can we at least wait until later in the week though? I already gotta meet ReyRey at the Edge tonight for placement and I gotta make my own rounds after that.”[/color] Mordechai tilted his head before adding. [color=dc143c]“Unless ya just wanna smush yours and mine t’gether and meet while everythin’s fresh.”[/color]

[color=e62020]“If you really want to do it like that, I’m sure I could convince the Angels to let you use the clubhouse for whatever kind of rite of passage that Pops would need to go through.”[/color] She knew they knew she was only half-joking, but the jokes aside, there was something important in her words. [color=e62020]“Or you could just become a prospect. You’re pretty much already a member because they aren’t just my southie family. You are, too. Both of you are. And really, all you’ll need is a working bike and they’ll accept you in.”[/color] She nudged Pops almost jokingly.

[color=FE6F5E]“My mom would scream and my dad would question his parenting. I’m sure that would end well if I became a hot, pale ass biker chick,”[/color] Poppy humored Jade, before turning to Decky, [color=FE6F5E]“I can wait. You know where I live. Literally a window away. Now,”[/color] Poppy released their hands and sat up, [color=FE6F5E]“I should be exhausted as fuck but I suddenly got a second wind. I’ve met so many people today and not once I had a panic attack! Progress! But that’s beside the point, what’s next on our agenda?”[/color] Poppy looked from side to side, patiently waiting for a response.  

[color=e62020]“Well…”[/color] There was a short moment where Jade’s glance fell to Key. He knew what she was leading to; she just had to find the right way to put it. [color=e62020]“Since we’re sharing revelations, new breakthroughs, and the like, I think now might be a good time to mention that I found someone as well. Like how I imagine Mamba and Sunshine make Key feel, my person does the very same for me. After going to the fields with Key, I realized just how deeply I feel.”[/color] Just like when she first confessed it to Key, Jade’s heart had started to beat at a rather fast pace and her face felt hot all of a sudden.

[color=dc143c]“Jade’s also in lurvessss,”[/color] Mordechai laughed lightly as he mimicked Poppy’s earlier taunt. [color=dc143c]“Shit man you’re gettin’ red as Pops’ sunburn!”[/color]

[color=e62020]“Am not!”[/color] She protested defensively. Just as she did, her face deepened a shade of red. [color=e62020]“It’s just…hot in here. I swear Adora must love living in an oven...”[/color] 

[color=dc143c]“The flames’a passion do make things pretty hot,”[/color] He shot back with a shit eating grin. [color=dc143c]“Ya sure it’s just your face heatin’ up?”[/color]

[color=e62020]“Oh shut up!”[/color] She laughed, rolling her eyes with a smile of her own. It was literally like her face was on fire at this point. Jade usually didn’t let this sort of thing affect her, but it was and she extended her leg over to Key’s end as the sole of her foot hit Key’s shin lightly. 

[color=dc143c]"Oh yeah, gonna be chasin' all kinds'a feelin's all night, I can already tell,"[/color] the man snickered as he shifted his leg away playfully. [color=dc143c]"She's got it bad Pops, this is gonna be fun."[/color] It's been far too long since they were all able to play like this. Since they were able to prod and tease and toy without it ending in one of them feeling broken. He's missed his angels, and the stories they could've created together, and he finally feels like he's at a place where that's going to change. [color=dc143c]"I always had ta take shit for the people I saw, this is me bein' supportive."[/color]

Penelope’s laugh disrupted their playful banter and floated in the air like a sweet, uplifting melody. She felt little tears build up in her eyes as she continued to giggle in between her friends. Even after all this time, she still had more rain inside her. [color=FE6F5E]“I really missed this, all of this. I missed you both.”[/color] She wiped her eyes and the few tears that made their great escape. Brightly gleaming at each of them, one by one, and in between breaths, Poppy sincerely expressed, [color=FE6F5E]“Thank you for coming back home,”[/color] and placed her hands on her chest. On her heart. They could each take that how they want; it was directed to both of them and knowing Poppy, there was more meaning to it than just the literal.  
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