Aces Away

Edenridge

<sup>@metanoia@LovelyComplex@Aces Away
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Rye looked at the pot in front of him on the stove, already half filled with ingredients and steaming. He should have had the thought that just crossed his mind about an hour ago when he started the process of making the soup, but he had been preoccupied with seeing his family again and spending time in their presence. It was getting pretty late, and Rye swayed back and forth to the music playing from the kitchen speaker as he tried to figure out what to do, but one hand was in the middle of pulling chicken from the bone and his other was soon to join it.

He absolutely hated phone calls. He knew it was a necessary part of life but reading text was just so much easier. His comprehension over a phone call was shit and he always had to ask people to repeat themselves. But alas, his hands were going to be busy and he needed to ask Danny this question before he proceeded.

He used his free hand to scroll through his phone and pick Danny’s contact, tapping the call option. He continued humming to the music as he waited for Danny to pick up but frowned when the call was answered, Danny's heavy breathing on the other side. Huh.

“Yo, everything ok there bro? You're sounding like an asthmatic.”

More often than not Rye called when it was something important so the likelihood of Danny not picking up was unlikely because he knew how his best friend got with his anxiety. He was planning on calling him when he got back home but he didn’t expect things to get so heated. After kissing Marco’s neck and the back of his head, running his right hand through his lover’s hair, Danny listened to his phone go off. Subconsciously, the Italian boy reached for the phone and answered it, making sure to slip his right hand in front of Marco’s mouth, “Just… in bed, man. Just… sweating. I’m okay.”

The curly haired man tried not to pout, knowing it would do no good with the video option turned off. Danny was a horrible liar. The way he spoke changed, the way he texted changed, the way he moved changed if you were actually looking at him. Danny was telling the truth right now, but he was keeping enough unsaid that his voice had dropped into liar territory.

"Just…sweating," he repeated slowly, crinkling his nose. "My man, you sweat like daily on your runs. You have headlocked me into your sweaty armpit before," he continued his task while trying not to think about how weird this behavior was for Danny, dropping the chicken pieces into the pot before going back to repeat the task once more. But, this was his best friend. Whatever Danny's reason, Rye would fall back and give the other man the benefit of the doubt. "Tell the truth, you're all gross and pale from being sick and you're embarrassed to show your face, even to lil' ol' me. I get it, I've seen you without your beauty sleep before and frankly it gave me nightmares. So I guess you're really protecting both of us here, you're always so thoughtful," he rambled, hands keeping busy with the soup as words fell from his lips at a rapid pace. "Anyways, I realized I didn't know how many of you guys were sick and I'm making soup, I'm using the twelve quart pot but I can bump it up to the twenty quart if needed. I should've asked before I started but you know me. At least I always get extra ingredients too."

There was a light chuckle on the end, not coming from Danny, causing the Italian boy to pull away from his phone and hush something (someone). Going back to the phone, hoping Rye’s hearing disability would be in his favor, Danny gave a fake cough and breathed, “Just me, right now.” Yes, Danny was lying and part of him knew Rye was aware but telling his best friend at this moment that his family was falling apart and he went to give closure to his ex, which led to him being on top of him now was a handful to say. At the time he said he couldn’t pick Rye up, he had just left the house with Natalia and was heading over to the Castillo-Brady house. “I will eat all the soup though.” Danny reassured, his breathing was no longer heavy, which meant he was slowing down to focus on Rye.

Rye's stirring slowed down after the muffled noise that came before Danny's response, the suspicions he'd been trying to push away all but confirmed. He had no idea who Danny was with, but he was definitely not sweating because he was sick. Shaking his head, Rye covered the pot as if cutting off his own bubbling thoughts.

"Okay, I'll hold you to that. I'm coming over tomorrow morning bright and early. We can chat, catch up on everything I missed, I can kick your ass in a game of Mario Kart," Rye took in a breath before continuing, "and of course you can tell me about this little friend of yours." Because he couldn't, he couldn't let Danny off entirely scott free, not without a little barb to remind the other man that he isn't stupid and that he is only letting the incident slide in the present moment. "'Til then, get some rest. Good night. And goodnight to you're mysterious friend too."

The other side was silent. It was clear that Rye had stunned his best friend. Stuttering, Danny eventually spoke, “Y-yeah, okay.. See you t-then.” And then the line went dead.

---

The following morning, Sunday morning, Danny feigned sickness so he could skip out of Sunday mass. His family didn’t care either way since each of them were heated/upset for obvious reasons. Plus, they all went to Italian mass for the babies’ baptism yesterday. He did his weekend duty. First, he visited his mother, Danny came out distraught but brought his head back in the game. Rye was coming over! While Marco was in his bedroom setting up Mario Kart because that was of the things Rye demanded, Danny was downstairs preparing a charcuterie board. He was no chef but he could at least cut fruit, meat, cheese, as well as place nuts, chocolate, crackers, and dips on a board. Nina taught him how to make it look aesthetically pleasing and absolutely to die for.

After the phone call, Danny panicked. He dragged Marco out of the house and they went grocery shopping at Walmart, since that was still open late at night. He needed to give Rye the proper welcome back party for three. On top of snack foods, he decorated his bedroom with lavender, pink, and white streamers, lavender, silver, and gold balloons, and a glittery gold sign that said ‘welcome home’. The marble cake might’ve been overkill but he got cake too.

As swift as a cheetah, he rushed upstairs to put the charcuterie board on the small fold up table (with a lavender table cloth on it, of course) he placed by his window. He even went out of his way to adjust his whole room so there was more floor space. Danny’s bedroom was a combination of a sports maniac (focused on basketball mostly), a Jordans fanatic, with a burst of geekdom, which happened around junior year. Marco basically opened the gates for Danilo to get into Marvel and funko pops.Hearing the doorbell, Danny pulled Marco up from setting Mario Kart, pulling him in a deep kiss before rushing downstairs. In front of the entrance, straightening his posture, inhaling in, and then out, he opened the door. With a wide, childish grin, he greeted his best friend, “RYE! Hey, man!!!”

Rye grinned at Danny, forearms supporting a large Tupperware container with enough soup for several servings. His earbuds were hung around his neck and there was a fast paced funk beat pouring from them now that they were out of his ears.

"Danny! I missed you so much dude, there was no one to tell me random sports facts that I'll never remember or remind me to take a breath during my rambling. Savta Miriam is great and all but she doesn't give off jock best friend vibes, y'know?" Rye greeted as he stumbled through the doorway after his friend, already feeling his shoulders relaxing in his presence.

“Yeah, it’s really good to see you. You have no idea how much I missed you.” It’s true even if Danny bailed on Rye the night prior. “Sorry about last night. I’ll explain… but first, let me take the soup from you. I’ll get some bowls ready. You can head upstairs. How’s that sound?” Without waiting for a response, Danny tugged the tupperware out of Rye’s hands, taking initiative so his dear friend could see the surprise he prepared in his bedroom as soon as possible. The air started smelling like smoke and soon after the oven started going off crazy. Danny came to realize he burnt the goddamn cookies. “Yeah, go upstairs. I’ll be there soon!”

Rye laughed at Danny's plight as the larger man rushed away to the kitchen, following his orders and heading upstairs to his bedroom with a parting shot of, "This is why we can't have nice things, Belmonte!"

He was shaking his head fondly as he threw the door open, only to catch his breath at the setup in Danny's room. The other man had decked the place out in his favorite color, even going as far as to get a banner and his favorite cake as well, by the looks of it. He had no idea how early the Italian man had to wake up to get this all ready, but he felt a bit of vindictive pleasure at the thought of him scrambling madly to set this up.

"Okay, I see you Belmonte, you sentimental, cheesy son of a bitch. You're forgiven." He said to himself in a tight voice, eyes going a bit misty at his friend's efforts. He let his eyes wander across the rest of the decorations before his eyes landed on Danny's bed. Or rather, the person on Danny's bed.

"Oh, uh, hey man! M…Marco. It's, uh, been a long time," Rye fumbled, suddenly off balance by the other presence. "Did you help with this? It's pretty dope dude."

When Danny ran off after giving him the best kiss since…the last time he kissed him like that, Marco had taken it upon himself to make sure everything was perfect. Mobility was limited for him and especially since he had been exhausted since last night, he made sure Mario Kart was set up on the Switch, the three controllers set up perfectly in front of the desk the TV rested on. As the upbeat sounds of the title screen played in the background and Marco heard footsteps come towards the room, he moved as fast as a crippled lion, and took a spot on the bed, sitting there as still as he could. When the door swung open with a reasonable amount of force, he smiled as Rye greeted him.

“Hola!” Marco said, flashing his pearly whites at Rye. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen him. It’s definitely been a hot minute. “Yeah, I helped with what I could. Danny, he, uh..asked if I could help him with the decorations. Oh and made sure I had Mario Kart all set up.” Marco gestured to the gaming area as the Mario Kart title screen lingered. “How’ve ya been?”

The fact that Marco was here, that he knew about the Mario Kart comment and was beaming in a way Rye hadn’t seen since highschool, finally clicked in Rye’s brain as he let out a surprised laugh. Looks like whatever happened with Danny last night really was going to be a good story. Marco was one of the last people Rye expected to be in Danny’s bedroom, but he couldn’t say he was exactly stressed over it either. Marco leveled Danny out back in highschool, Rye wasn’t blind to that no matter how much he pretended to be. When your best friend’s whole body language changes as he talks about his other friend and he suddenly starts acting more human than jock stereotype, a guy tends to take notice. But Danny had fears and those were valid no matter how much he had wished to drag his best friend out of the closet, so Rye always acted like he had no idea who Danny would sneak off to see back then.

It looks like the days of turning a blind eye were about to be over.

“So it was you,” Rye grinned, a teasing glint in his eye as he moved in a little closer. “It was about fucking time I mean holy shit. I’m never gonna stop roasting him. Over two fucking years,” He shook his head. “It’s good to see you around, buddy, you better prepare to get your ass beat in Mario Kart. Who do you main, Yoshi?”

“I’m not sure…” Marco was making an attempt to deny it, but seeing Rye’s face, hearing what he said, it became obvious to the sometimes oblivious son of a detective that there was no point to try and save face. It was out of the closet. “I’m not so sure about that. I’ve put in a lot of hours into it. And aren’t you rusty?” Marco teased back. Since the weight was off his shoulders, he could actually relax for a change. “Also Bowser. He has a castle, my ma’s maiden name means castle. So I rock the King of the Turtles with the castle.” Something that Rye probably didn’t know (only Danny) was he always went with Bowser because he had a castle and Lanie’s nickname for him was Castle.

Rye laughed, dropping down beside Marco and giving him his full attention. “Believe it or not, in between episodes of Judge Judy my Savta Miriam is a killer Princess Peach mainer. I’m a DK Jr. kind of guy but I’ve been known to dabble with Koopa Troopa. You should always be wary when someone can just switch it up. But I guess if I went Koopa that would technically make you my boss.”

“Guess I should say bow to the--”

Entering the room, with a tray holding three bowls of soup and a plate of burnt cookies, Danny’s smile was wide but full of anxiety. He was quick to place the tray on the side table. Once he was done, he made his way beside Marco and pulled him to his side, looking at Rye and then looking at his feet, “Gavriel, this is my… boyfriend.” It was clear Danny struggled saying this, but if he wanted to be the best man he could be for his boyfriend, he had to get used to it. “And don’t judge me, but I main Peach.”

Rye grinned at Danny and Marco, happy to be there in the moment and to be trusted. “Of course he is you fucking dope, and I always knew you and savta got along too well when you talked on the face chats, now I know it’s because you were both Peach stans.” There was no judgment, nothing but acceptance and warmth in his eyes as he stared at his friend and his boyfriend. “Welcome out of the closet bro, how’s the fresh air?”

“Not fresh yet.” Danny rested his hand on his neck, his nervous tick, before taking a seat and grabbing a controller, “This is going to be a long full disclosure, but come on. I’ll kick both of your asses and tell you how my life is.”

“Yeah, you wish. I think you were just planning on poisoning me with those cookies if I didn’t take things well,” Rye replied, turning to grab a controller himself. “Let’s start off on Rainbow Road if you wanna talk so much shit, Belmonte.”

“You’d be surprised,” Danny chuckled, as he leaned in to kiss Marco on the cheek, “I’ve practiced.”

“Oh, gag me, you two are gonna be all gross and cute.”

Sarcastically, Danny scoffed, “Says you! I’ve seen you go tongue deep in JP. I think it’s my time to show some PDA in front of you.”

“Oh so it’s revenge? Getting petty on me? It’s not a good color on you,” Rye goaded as the countdown began on the screen. “You should have been taking notes all those times, because the things that JP can do with his tongue I mean-”

“Has he gagged you yet? You know, since you said ‘gag me’.” Danny clapped back.

“Oh yeah, things that man can do with rope is just amazing, I’m sure he’d be willing to give you some pointers.” Rye shot back with a wink, almost missing the que to take off. He concentrated on the game for a quick moment before returning to their banter. “If you have any questions make sure to come to us, it’s important to practice proper bdsm etiquette. For instance, you two should pick a safe word.”

Marco felt extremely out of place and was feeling borderline uncomfortable. He never saw this side of Danny before and surely didn’t know Rye well enough to know if this was normal behavior or not. “Uh…Danny is actually very…mindful. We..uh..haven’t needed a safe word..” Heat rushed all around his body and centered to his face as he felt his cheeks get hot.

“Oh shit, dude,” Rye laughed, double taking at Marco’s flustered look. “We’re totally joking around, yanking each other’s chains, don’t stress!”

Danny gave his best friend a quick glare that read ‘too fast', earning an apologetic quirk of the lips from the energetic man, and immediately afterwards brought his attention to Marco, “Sorry, Puppy. We’ll chill.” Bringing his gaze back to the screen, he went on racing with Princess Peach. He needed to focus if he was going to beat these two, “Anyways, long story short Rye, Charlie Decker’s diary is getting sent out to everybody in town, that’s kind of what brought me and Marco back together. My family is fucked. Vivia is sleeping with Reyrey. Tiff slept with Father Joe. Cat is drowning her issues with alcohol. Mom’s dying with cancer and that’s causing all my family to go crazy. But on the brightside! This has brought me and Natalia back together, sorta? And also I was able to tell Marco I loved him. So not all bad, right?”

Rye had stayed pretty steady against Danny’s stream of information, but the mention of momma Belmonte dying had his fingers stumbling, the lack of attention sending his Koopa right off the side of the bridge. Silvia was like a third mother to him, and it wasn’t at all easy to hear that her time in this world was far more limited than it had any right to be. As his character was set back down on the track, Rye took some deep breaths and registered the rest of what Danny had told him.

“Jesus, I leave town for one minute and shit starts falling apart at the seams,” He joked weakly, hitting Peach with a green shell and tearing into second place behind Bowser. “I’m glad you and Natalia are getting closer, I know she never liked me but I always hoped you guys would talk things through. And of course finally getting your head out of your ass with Marco is definitely a bonus.” He winked at said man just as he bumped into his cart on screen. “I finally have someone to actually compete with, for one.”

As Marco maintained first place (though Rye was hot on his ass, especially with him bumping the back of his cart), he glanced over at Rye for a quick second, once again getting flushed when he winked. “Says the guy currently in second place.” There was always a part of Marco that regretted maining Bowser because he wasn’t the fastest, but he was a battering ram. “Now if only you’d stop trying to fuck the poor king’s ass.” Uh oh, Mac Attack was coming out, which meant bad news for Rye.

“Yeah, only I can do that.” Danny muttered, as he was in last place. See the thing he learned about this game, it wasn’t about keeping first place. He would know. Danny tried so hard to be like Mike in high school, trying to stand high on a pedestal, to fly so he could touch the net. This feeling where he didn’t care if he won or lost, simply enjoying himself, was a feeling he lived for. Better than any game he won in the past. He was in a room with his boyfriend and best friend, finally, as himself. In the court, sure, he was good, but here, he was at his best. As if lady luck was on his side, Danny got a blue shell. Staying quiet, as the two boys he loved bickered with one another, he tossed it and went on overdrive, pushing his competition off until he was right on both of their tails.

“A proper servant is a man of many talents,” Rye retorted, sticking his tongue out to concentrate on getting Koopa around Marco only to cry out when both him and the light haired man spun out from the blue shell. “You heathen! It’s fucking on now, asshole, just you watch.”

“Noooo! Not the blue shell!” Marco cried out dramatically. Rainbow Road was a bitch and so was that blue shell. Marco loved it when he used it but hated it when it was used on him. “I’m coming for that peach. Boyfriend or not, you’ll understand why he’s called BOWser.” When the King of the Shell-People reappeared on screen, Marco was like a shark out for blood.

Unbeknownst to the boys, the family was returning from church. Most of Danny’s siblings had their own houses (or did things after church) so the only people that returned were his father and little sister. The boys were deep in their race when the door abruptly opened, “DANILO BELMONTE WHAT IS GOING--” Taz had slammed the door open causing the jock to jump up, drop his controller, and stand at ease.

When the man of the house noticed his son was having a hangout with his friends and noticed Rye back, especially taking note of all the atrocious colored decor, Taz apologized, “Oh, sorry. Sorry. Didn’t know my son was having people over.” Taz had already forgotten of Danny’s white lie of being sick to get out of church. “Good to see you two. It’s been awhile! Welcome, welcome.” The Italian man went from pleasant to stern in a heartbeat, “Danny keep it down, your mother is sleeping. We don’t need a repeat of last night, you hear?”

“Yes, father.”

“Make sure you clean this up when they leave. Gavriel, welcome home, say hi to your mothers, and Marco, let us know when your family is hosting the next event.” And with that, Taz closed the door behind him. All three boys lost the game. Danny fell back on his bed covering his face with his arm from the stress.

“Jesus, bit of a close one there. I didn’t even hear the front door,” Rye puffed out, falling backwards next to Danny. “Your dad just gave me a heart attack and whiplash in less than ten seconds,” the controller that had flown out of Rye’s hand upon Taz’s entrance was left abandoned on the floor as he stared up at the ceiling. “How ‘bout you, Marco, all good?”

Because he wasn’t an asshole, and if Taz had sent his heart jack-rabbiting like his own father used to when he yelled then he was damn well going to check on the person sensitive enough to help Danny develop his current personality.

Marco was no stranger to suddenly loud voices. His parents were…passionate in how they spoke sometimes and when they thought he couldn’t hear them they went ham, but he did. Even still, what literally just happened was somehow different. He had completely froze in place. And when Taz left, the third controller joined the floor and all Marco could think about, all of whatever energy he could spare, was fixated on his boyfriend. He laid opposite of him, hands caressing Danny’s shoulder in an almost soothing, comforting way. “I’ll be fine…” He said in response to Rye, though clearly his main priority right now was trying to help his boyfriend feel better in whatever way he could.

“Babe, it’s okay he’s gone…” Marco whispered to his love.

Danny couldn’t respond right now. All he knew was he still needed a lot of courage to build up before he came clean to his entire family, especially his father. Instead of responding, he adjusted his position so his arms were wrapped around both his boyfriend and best friend. Turning his head first to Marco, he smiled and tenderly kissed his lover’s lips, assuring him he’d be fine. His heart was still racing and not out of love but out of fear. He needed to face the beast one day and he hoped with these two at his side, he could.

When he pulled away from Marco, he looked into his eyes and whispered back, “I love you,” in hopes to show that he wasn’t going to back down from this fight. He would fight for Marco because that’s what Marco deserved. After they continued to look at one another with fondness, warmth, and devotion in their eyes, Danny turned to Rye and kissed his best friend on the forehead, “Welcome home, Rye. I really did miss you.”

“Of course you did, I shine so bright it leaves a black hole in your life when I’m gone. It’s the consequence of loving real star material,” Rye snarked quietly, knocking his head against Danny’s shoulder as he curled into his side. “But I’m really happy to be back, too.”

Edenridge

^{Collab between @metanoia & @Aces Away || Featuring Honey Badger & Boa + special guests}

The following Collab takes place between the hours of 4:00PM and 5:30PM on Saturday

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Whenever Honey Badger had a lot on his mind and it weighed heavily on it and his shoulders, he needed a drink. Because he was technically underaged, he could always get a solid beer at the family-owned club and bar, Edge of Sin. He seldom came for the strippers, though some of the southside’s best lookers were here, but their best one, a certain blonde, seemed to be off tonight. No, he was here strictly for the cheap beer. He knew he would be able to stay for as long as he wanted or needed. He was essentially royalty. His brother was the leader of the serpents and his father the owner.

But Mika being here had more to do with his other brother returning to town and Big Rey changing family dinner from Sunday to Saturday. Yeah, that was on his mind alright. Hyde’s surprise return and demanding breakfast. It was all proving to be too much for Mika, especially considering how he spent yesterday. He didn’t know nor really care what became of the letters. The most he knew was some of his old graduating class went to their old stomping grounds, but he opted to follow his ex.

He smiled, though because he enjoyed doing that but because…well, he really didn’t know why he was smiling. Seeing her face again in person was nice, but that hardly justified any of all that he said.

Raising his nearly empty bottle of some serpent brand of beer, whoever was on bartender duty right now saw Mika and knew exactly what he wanted. As the sound of the cap being popped off was heard, Mika held a new bottle in his hand. When he was in the middle of the first sip, his phone buzzed on the countertop. He debated on letting it go to voicemail. He wasn’t in the mood to talk, but his natural curiosity won this battle and he saw who was calling him.

As he answered, he said in an excited tone, “Well if it isn’t my favorite sister-not-sister-in-law!” Mika took in another sip of his beer. “How’s our favorite boy doing? He’s not giving you any trouble is he? Need a surprise visit from Uncle Badger again--”

“Shut the hell up and tell me what the fuck you’re brother’s on, Badger, and I’m not talking about Mordechai.” Allegra cut in, tone just above a simmering rage.

“I’m sorry?” Mika blinked, his excitement dying down into confusion. “What are you talking about?” He asked, setting his beer down on the countertop.

“I’m talkin’ ‘bout whatever the hell’s goin’ on in your hometown. Some fuckin’ letters and the world’s worst treasure hunt? I know you’re back home, you tellin’ me none of this is ringin’ any bells?” She replied with a thinly held patience. “Sounds like Mordechai and some others ended up in the Serpent’s backyard?”

The minute he heard Allegra mention Boa, alarms went off in Mika’s head. “Just hold on a minute..” Overlooking the fact that she knew about the letters, which in itself was sending off so many red flags in his head, Mika had to fixate on the bigger little tidbit she just dropped on him. “What the fuck are you even on about with Boa? Since when was he back here?” Mika asked, a deep dread building in his stomach, almost like he wasn’t going to like what answer she gave to him.

Allegra took the phone from her ear and covered the receiver with her palm, leaning back as she took a deep breath before releasing it in a closed-mouth scream as she came back up. Closing her eyes, she spoke quietly, voice tight. “Of course he didn’t tell you he was comin’ home, I almost forgot how you boys were. Silly. Me.” She pinched the bridge of her nose as Chai giggled from his spot next to his mother. She took her hand from her face absentmindedly and rattled her bangles in front of the boy, who laughed more and grasped after the shiny bracelets. “Mordechai got in some time yesterday, early from the sounds of it. Got wrapped up in whatever is goin’ on there almost immediately. Surprise surprise.”

Having supplied that bit of information, Allegra let it sit with Mike before adding in, “Apparently, you can ask ReyRey how the rest of the night went, because between greetin’ Mordechai back and their interaction last night, it seems he had a change of heart about our favorite dumbass,” She sniffed sharply, irritated. “Pretty much erased all’a your hard work of having convinced him he wasn’t some prized dog.”

Somewhere in the middle of all of what Allegra told him, Mika had already paid for the one and a half beers he drank and was walking outside towards his truck, processing everything. “_{Goddamn it, Rey Rey…}” He cursed in a low town under his breath, leaning against his Toyota Tacoma. He didn’t know how to react to it. He was processing the shitstorm that must have been last night. While he was making moves to introduce himself back into Cece’s life, the business of the letters seemed to have ended in a bad way. To make matters worse, Boa didn’t even bother to let him know he was back in town.

“Fuck me!” Mika angrily kicked his foot back into his tire, which hurt him more than it did his beat of a machine, and he grunted. “Son of a snake’s tit! So what do we do now then? I got family dinner in a couple of hours, but I need to know everything.” Taking in a few breaths, HB got into his truck but didn’t start it up. This added to everything else, it might’ve been the last thing Mika needed on his plate, but whenever Boa was involved, he pushed everything to the side. “I’m guessing you and Boa talked recently about it. Do you remember where he might be? Did he say where he was? Do you remember anything about the background? Was he alone?” The panic in Mika’s voice was obvious and him spamming questions was just part of his process.

“Jesus, Mika, let me answer a fuckin’ question,” Allegra snapped, grip tightening on the phone. “They were on a bench at some park, but I don’t think either of them were plannin’ on stayin’ that long with how much emotional turmoil was spilling outta them. His friend Poppy was with him but you an’ I both know that when Mordechai gets like this he drifts off away from everyone an’ gets sobbin’ drunk.” She pulled her phone from her ear as it buzzed and checked the screen, doing a double take at the message before sending off a quick reply and getting back to her conversation. “That was him, apparently the kids an’ I’ll be stayin’ at Poppy’s house when I get in there.”

Park…Bench..

There was only one place Mika could think of that both Poppy and Boa would go. The town wasn’t big enough to have more than one regular park hangout.

“Lyon’s park. That must have been where they were.” In that small deduction he made, Mika almost overlooked one key detail that she dropped at the end and there was a smile on his face. For the first time in a while, a genuine smile. “You have no idea how excited I am that you’re gonna come to Edenridge. I don’t know what’s going on yet, but if it’s bad enough that our favorite snake decided to disappear on us, then I know he’s going to need you by his side and double goes for Viva and Chai.”

As he leaned his head back against the headrest, Mika thought about everything terrible that’s been happening and how he had even more of a feeling of dread for family dinner, but he couldn’t think about that right now. “Poppy’s good people. You will be safe there. That much I’m certain. As for Boa…” Mika kicked up his truck, the sound echoing into the call. “I’ll try to find our Boa. There’s a few places I know he goes to when he needs to be ‘away’.” HB was glad that it wasn’t a video call they were on because the worried expression on his face wouldn’t make anyone feel any better if they saw him.

“I trust you, Badger. Set his head straight in that emotionally constipated way that always seems to work for you two,” She took a deep breath, reading the flight confirmations and mentally packing everything they’d need while putting aside what she could get the diner girls to ship later. “I know I don’t get serious that often, but they both looked like shit, Mika. Wherever he is…you’re gonna have ta prove yourself again. I got plenty’a choice words about your big brother, and even more I wanna say right to ‘is stupid face. Almost two years of reassurances fuckin’ wasted ‘cause he thought it would be ‘propriate ta call Mordechai a tool in front’a everyone.”

What were you thinking, ReyRey? What was the point of that? Mika didn’t know the whole story, but his brother’s temper was always a problem. As much as he could sit around and think about how stupid his brother could be, Mika didn’t have time to spare. He didn’t know how bad Boa was. He wished he could check up on Poppy too, but hopefully she was going to be okay. For now, he had about three places in mind where Boa might be and less than two hours to do it.

“Don’t worry. You can leave him to me. I’ll get him straightened up by the time you and kids get here. And when you do, I’ll treat you all to the best sandwiches Edenridge has to offer.”

“I’ll hold you to that. And Badger? Keep any hard shit away from his veins for me, would ya?”

---

As Mika drove down Carlisle Ave, the only thing he could think about was Boa and how he didn’t tell him that he was back in town. Maybe that’s what was bothering him the most. After all they went through and how close they became in all of the time that Mika has been in Edenridge, all the laughs they had, all the friendly scraps they indulged in because that was just the southside way (for the guys, at least), and hell the times they even found comfort in each other’s arms some nights, he couldn’t at least shoot a text his way to say “hey Badger, I’m back in town”. Even that would have gone a long way.

But now? Now their first time speaking in almost three months wasn’t going to be over a couple of in-house-made beer or over some crappy nachos made at Edge. Or even dropping by Godmother’s for a couple of sandwiches. No it was on a scavenger hunt that only Mika knew of the thinly-stated clues, but it was difficult playing when you didn’t know everything that was in the game. The only place that he could think of that Boa might’ve gone was a known safe haven for lost souls and it wasn’t the apartment building he lived in. No, there was another place that he suspected Boa might go to.

“Gardenview Temple,” he said as he pulled up to the known safe place for anyone who needed shelter, or really just to get away from anyone and anything. Even Mika had stayed here a few times.

Parking across the street from it, Mika walked through the front doors. He always liked coming here. The serenity he was always consumed by whenever he heard the low hummings of whatever music or sounds Spiritual Leader Shale had playing. It just made him feel relaxed.

Well, it always did except for now. Right now, Mika was not only on a mission. Luckily for his mission, he found the person he was looking for in the front. “Spiritual Leader Shale, there you are!” Mika rushed to the front almost in a panic-like run. “I’m sorry if this is rude. I promise you I wouldn’t run into your temple if it wasn’t important, but you haven’t seen Mordechai around, have you?”

“You’re alway welcome Honey, at least you didn’t have dirty boots. And not for almost two years, no,” Shale answered, turning to Mika with a raised eyebrow as they assessed the state of the man in front of them. “He’s back in town? Duke and Dolce haven’t said anythin’ to me…” they eyed Mika. “I’m guessin’ it wasn’t an easy homecomin', huh? You comin’ here to check for him certainly never boded well before.”

Shale always was able to see through Mika. It was especially easy given the state of him. As he took a moment to catch his breath, he was looking in all directions he could, the sense of panic clear in how quickly he turned his head. “I just found out he’s in town and, well, someone very close to him and I told me he might not be doing too good. I know he comes here when he needs a place to lay low away from everything, but it seems like he’s not.” Mika could deduce that from how surprised Shale seemed when he asked about Boa, which only deepened the fear he was experiencing for his brother’s safety.

“Well, I guess that explains why you came here,” Shale spoke up, not moving their eyes from Mika’s barely contained franticness. “But Honey he came to me for shelter and a quick patch up, it was never the adults he came to for the emotional stuff, he never trusted us for that sort of thing.” Shale stated it as a matter of fact, no offense in their tone as they thought of one of the temple’s frequent flyers before the tragedy of 2019. “If I remember correctly, him and little Danny were extremely codependent on each other for those deep emotional chats. He’d only come to me for guidance if Danny pushed him to, or if Danny needed help himself. For someone who really needs other people, that boy has always had a stubborn loner streak.”

As Mika stood there, listening to every word that Spiritual Leader Shale had to say, they were absolutely right about Boa and Danny. Thinking back, they always were near each other right before that terrible day. Right before everything for this town went to shit. And Mika couldn’t recall a moment when they weren’t by each other’s side, at least whenever he saw them together. But he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle about what Shale said in regards to Boa’s nature. “You’re absolutely right. Even about his stubbornness.”

But that didn’t answer his question…or maybe it did? “You’re so right about him and Danny, but Danny’s not here anymore. He isn’t--” For a moment, pondering for close to a minute in silence, a lightbulb lit up in his head. Danny wasn’t here, but something of him was. “Of course! I know where he is!” In a typical impulsive Bager action, Mika gave Shale a hug, shocking a laugh from the temple owner. It was quick, but he owed everything to them. “I can’t explain it right now, but later on, I’ll come by and tell you everything! Thank you again, Shale!”

“I’m always here for a little guidance. And Honey,” Shale smiled at the young man in front of them and he stopped before he was about to walk out. “Give hugs more often, you’re actually pretty good at them.”

Mika walked out of the Temple and hopped into his truck and sped off as fast as he could. He U-turned and went as far east as he could. He wasn’t absolutely positive that Boa would be there, but with all of the clues that Shale gave him and everything they said, there was only one place his brother could be and only one place that he would go to be alone. Mika knew Boa more than anyone in his life and if there was one place he might be, it was the fucking cemetery.

When he pulled up to it, Mika didn’t care about where he would park. If he got it towed away, then he’d cross that bridge. It was still light out, so the cemetery didn’t seem as gloomy as it typically did in the nighttime (not that Mika would know anything about that because he didn’t come here in the dead of night that often). But even if it was pitch black, Mika knew exactly where to go. He was there when they buried Danny. So of course, he knew where in the cemetery his gravestone was. Dead center in the entire landscape.

And sure enough, sitting directly in front of it with what looked like a bottle of some kind of liquor, Mika found him at last. “You son of a bitch!” Mika announced himself, standing about five feet away from a seated Boa. “You seriously couldn’t at least tell me you were back in town.”

Mordechai didn’t even have it in him to flinch as he looked blearily up at the figure before him. The sun glowed behind his form, eclipsing Mika’s frame and making Mordechai squint even more than he already had. His hand went up to block out the light, and as the bottle was still gripped tight it came with as well, allowing Mordechai to see that there were only a couple sips left in the whole bottle.

“S-s’rry,” He mumbled out, looking away from the painful light. He could have sworn he’d only put his head down for a minute, but if Mika was here he must have lowkey passed out for at least half an hour. “D’you wanna sip?”

Like you wouldn’t believe.

But no, Mika made a promise. He never turned down free alcohol, but he made that promise to Allegra. People could say whatever they wanted, but HB always kept his word to those who truly mattered to him. “No thanks. I gotta drive, so I’m not trying to get buzzed up.” And yet he had one and a half beers in the last thirty minutes. Then again, cheap beers were nothing compared to cheap, hard liquor. “But I will take that seat next to you.”

As Mika sat next to his brother, he stared at Danny’s gravestone. He didn’t know what to really say, so he just remained quiet for a few minutes, looking at the headstone, thinking about the kid and how they first met. About how many stories he read to Danny and how much he learned from someone who was half his size almost. He thought about the day Charlie took him from this world. He thought of all the times that he made trips up to New York just to see Boa any chance he could get and then here they were. He was thinking about what was going through Boa’s mind. What demons was he entertaining in that head of his?

But more importantly, Mika was thinking about how relieved he was to find him. Period. That relief had faded when he saw the state of him. “So Allegra and the kids are coming to Eden, huh?” Mika asked, leaning forward a few inches, looking at Boa.

The other man huffed quietly, the sound barely a laugh. “Y’know Legs,” He slurred, dropping his arms across his knees and his forehead onto his arms. “She gets a thought ‘n’ follows through on it…no stoppin’ ‘er.” Mordechai tried to smile despite his state; face marked with tear tracks, eyes bloodshot and bleary, and hair completely disheveled, he was certainly a sight. “I never know what ta do when she gets goin’.”

Badger let out a chuckle as he kept his eyes on Boa. “That’s easy, Boa! You get the hell out of her way and let her cause whatever mayhem women like her do.” Again, he laughed, never moving his gaze away from Boa. “You’re lucky that she’ll do it in your honor. I’d hate to be the person who is on her badside.”

“My honor,” the next noise that passed his lips was twisted and disconnected, the self-deprecation heavy in the exhale. “What honor, Badger, I’ve failed anyone I ever set out ta support. I’m workin’ past plastered in a graveyard in the only other pair’a clothes I own. I was a tool for thinkin’ I was anythin’ but one.” the last part was grumbled as he pulled his head up to stared straight forward.

“Because I love you, I’m giving you a warning.” That was all Badger said before a crisp, open-palm slap from his left found its way across the back of Boa’s head. From his drunken stupor, Boa flew forward with the momentum and Mika stood up. He looked at his brother. He didn’t know if this was what he needed, but it was the only thing that he could think of that would knock some literal sense into Boa. “You seriously too drunk to fight back?” Mika taunted Boa for a few moments before grabbing him by the tanktop. With his higher stance and even greater strength, Badger pulled the snake out of the grass, making sure he was looking at the Badger who, contrary to popular belief, was giving so many fucks that what he was about to say hurt him more than Mordechai could ever know. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe you are a tool just to be used by whoever has the greater willpower. Maybe all of those times I went out of my fucking way to drive for FOUR FUCKING HOURS to see you, to get to know your family, and to think of Viva and Chai as my own flesh and blood was for nothing. And maybe you being here in front of his grave, being in a worse state than when we first met is exactly what you deserve. I mean, you said it yourself, right? You’re a tool because you thought you weren’t.”

It hurt him, but Mika’s way wasn’t the way of a scalpel. He wasn’t some tactful wordsmith and he wasn’t raised to be one. Mary-Anne O’Hara-Zima was more tactful than he was, but she raised him to be someone who knew when to be understanding to how others were feeling and when you needed to get through to someone who more or less closed themselves off.

And that’s exactly what he was doing right now. When he was truly afraid not only for himself, but for someone he cared about more than his own damn life, he was often cruel for their sake. Whether it was Cece or Boa, he gave them the hard truth because it’s what they needed to hear. For Cece, of course, it was to protect her, but for his brother -- for the person he’d literally give his all for, Mika had to make sure he saw it in his eyes, saw the rarity that was his heart, that Boa was full of shit. “Look at me, Boa!” Mika wasn’t the type to show tears, but his eyes were watery. Mordechai flinched, turning his gaze back to the other man from where he’d tried to look away. “I don’t care what happened yesterday or what happened last week or why you didn’t tell me you were back. None of that matters. What matters is right now! I said it once and I’ll say it fucking again! You are not some tool or dog or whatever fucking object people have you believing. You are Mordechai Boaz! And you know what? He’s someone who doesn’t take crap from anyone!”

Mordechai’s legs were jelly, Mika was basically holding him up with sheer muscle and rage, and he was pretty sure his tanktop wasn’t surviving this encounter with Badger’s paws. The way he had the fabric bunched and twisted in his grip, it would probably be stretched beyond acceptability once released. The dark haired snake stared shakily into Mika’s deep blue eyes, stormy as the dangerous ocean they mimicked, and found himself getting swept up in the waves. The bottle tumbled from his limp fingers as he reached his hands up to grasp around Badger’s own and keep himself in place. Mika had found him again, he realized, the other man had tracked him down just to assault him and bash some logic into his skull.

Echoes of a happier time rang through his mind, the memory slowly building as it pushed away the negative thoughts that had clouded his mind so completely. He latched onto the memory as strongly as he was gripping Mika’s fists. He thought of absentmindedly crafting with his daughter, of Mika showing up and bulldozing through his bullshit, he thought of candles lighting up the faces of the people he loved.

“H-how the fuck do ya d-do that, Badger,” Mordechai sobbed roughly, begging for breath as he threw his arms around Mika’s shoulders, temporarily trapping the other man's arms between them as he dropped his forehead to the other man’s jacketed shoulder. “E’ry fuckin’ time. How?”

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Mika didn’t know what to say. In the back of his mind, he wasn’t expecting Boa to embrace him in this way. He didn’t know what to expect, but as he shifter to hold his brother close to him, supporting Mordechai with all of what he had to give, he thought about the last time they were here. Not in the cemetery, but using fists and then words to get to the root of it all and Mika still didn’t know how he always got this result with him. He just knew that when those he loved more than anything in this world were in a bad way, he had to do anything that he could think of to help. Boa just responded better to his no-bullshit approach.

After a few moments of letting him get it all out, Mika brought his brother’s gaze up to his, just smiling at him in a rare, gentle way that so few people ever got to see. “I don’t know, Boa. I’m not sure if there’s anything I can say that explains how or why this keeps happening, but know that I’ll keep doing it. As long as I am able and for as long as you’ll let me, I will keep pulling you out of the darkness again and again. You are my family. You. Are. My. Brother.”

Mordechai returned his face to Mika's shoulder and kept them locked in that position until his sobs had died down, as if hiding his face hid the full body breakdown he was having in the open cemetery. Slowly, as his chest stopped heaving and his breathing had leveled out, Mordechai let go of Mika and stumbled back to lean back against Danny’s headstone. He attempted to run a hand through his disheveled locks and push his hair from his face, but his fumbling fingers got tangled in knots and he gave up halfway through. He looked back up at Mika again, too embarrassed at the moment to meet his eye.

“'M sorry you’re always dealin’ with me an’ my dumb shit,” he mumbled, squinting against the light surrounding his brother once more. If Mika was willing, they’d go right back to pretending Mordechai hadn’t been incredibly vulnerable out in the open. It was always a subtle dance between the two men, allowing vulnerability without necessarily acknowledging it, or at least not dwelling on it after it’s been showed. “‘M sorry Legs probably attacked ya too…”

He chuckled. “I’ve accepted long ago that we are meant to deal with each other when we’re out of whack. But don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Boa. Besides…” Badger looked at Boa for a solid few seconds, smiling like he was earlier. “She was really worried. And I promised her I’d bring you back to us.” For that moment, Mika let the vulnerable state of him and Mordechai linger. “I’m just glad that both of us won’t have to face that potential wrath of hers if I broke my promise. She can be scarier than my own momma when she’s tired of my shit.” And Mika wasn’t talking about Momma G, either.

“That woman’ll put the fear’a god in ta an atheist,” Mordechai laughed “She’s act’lly gonna fit in real well ‘round ‘ere, scary as it is ta think.” He looked at his Serpent jacket that had fallen off his lap and to the ground when Mika had first smacked him, and he bent down to pick up the symbol that connected him to his crew and his brothers.

Only to fall face first into it instead, arms folded under him uselessly. “fuck,” Mordechai hissed, pushing himself over until he was laying on his back. He tasted copper on his tongue and reached a shaky had up to his lip. “I busted my lip…er…re-busted? I-it was already like tha’, but I jus’ bit it open again,” he rambled, running his tongue over the wound as his unfocused eyes searched for Mika. “Ya didn't do it this time, tho most'a my busted lips have come from ya in one way or the other…ReyRey was always that close second, though…"

As much as Mika tried to resist the urge, as soon as he saw Boa try to walk and fall right on his face against the moist grass. And, of course, Honey Badger couldn’t hold in a few moments of cackling that came from a very immature place. “Someone call life alert, because this old man fell and he can’t up!” That’s how you knew things were back to how they should be. Something happens to one of them and the first response is to poke fun at their unfortunate circumstances. Mika’s been in his position and Boa always laughed when he fell down a few times, so it was only fair that Mika did the same. Besides, that’s what family was for!

“Oh yeah, you’re right. I do always end giving your mouth a nice shiner, don’t I?” Honey Badger kept chuckling as he approached his fallen brother. “What can I say, eh? Us Gonzalez men know how to throw down!” Mika snickered as walked over to Boa’s side, draping his arm over his shoulder. With a series of grunts, he showed off his superior strength once again as HB lifted up the fallen snake up to his feet. He made sure to keep a constant hold on his wrist with his own so Boa could walk somewhat. “Now what do you say we get out of here?” Mika asked, showing one last bit of his soft side to his brother as his smile reflected that.

“Yeah, in a minute…firs’,” Mordechai looked his brother deep in the eyes before his gaze flittered off to the side again, his mind falling back to another brother as Mika began to drag him towards the gates. “…first’ d’ya know where Hard Times’ grave is? Danny’d be pissed if I didn’t visit ‘im too.”

Mika would admit that he and Charlie never did bond in ways that it seemed he and Boa did, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know where it was located.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s on the way out. About five or so rows this way--” Mika guided Boa into a steady rhythm and they walked seven rows of gravestones away and there it was. Given what Charlie did and everything, Mika was honestly shocked that it wasn’t too messed up. “Here we are,” Mika said, being gentle with Mordechai as he set him down in front of it.

The drunken man slowly dropped to his knees as the other set him down, gaze on the grass as he tried to gather the stones to look this other slab of stone dead on. He hobbled forward on his knees before reaching his hands out to grip the top of the headstone, fingers tensing and relaxing against it repeatedly. He dropped his feverish forehead to the cool stone and closed his eyes as his world spun.

“...Hey, Charlie,” He whispered, not daring to open his eyes as he got used to saying the name again. “Guess ‘m a bit of a hypocrite, I was so mad for ya not visitin’ me in juvie, but look at me now….” He scrunched his brow as he kept his eyes clenched. “Anyway…’m sorry for everythin’. I miss ya…”

Mika took a knee beside his brother, his hand on his back. HB didn’t say anything. He just made sure that Boa knew he wasn’t going anywhere until he was ready.

---

When they left the cemetery, in his mind Mika had a lot to think about. He got the full story about what happened last night, but that wasn’t why he had been uncharacteristically quiet (especially for him who always had something to say). It balanced out because Boa didn’t speak much, either. It was a quiet, thoughtful ride, but there was definitely something on Mika’s mind.

He knew Boa needed to sober up and needed a place where he could lay low until Allegra and the kids arrived in Eden, but there wasn’t a lot of places that certain people wouldn’t come knocking for him. Mika thought about driving him to the temple. Shale seemed to be worried in their own way about him, but that was too public. And with the state that he was in, Mika didn’t feel comfortable enough leaving him there (no disrespect to Shale).

There’s no other way.

Mika knew there was only one place in the entire southside that he felt the most comfortable leaving Mordechai for a few hours until he was done handling what he needed to do in the next hour.

As it was decided, Mika took a sharp left, though he tried not to make too sudden so he didn’t rock Boa too much. His fragile state and all was taken into great consideration about how Mika drove. It wouldn’t be long until they were outside the Lost Soul’s apartment complex. “Alright, we’re here, Boa.” He wasn’t sure if he was asleep or not, but he had to get him out of whatever daze he was in.

Mordechai had been zoned out most of the trip, head against the passenger side window as he watched the street signs change, his head feeling heavy and his thoughts distant and muted. He had mumbled his way through last night’s full story, telling Mika everything he knew before going tiredly silent. The turn the Badger took would have jammed his head to the glass if he had been driving in his usual manner, but as it was the force of the turn simply pushed him more fully against the smooth surface. He glanced at the building through the windshield and lolled his head lazily to the side.

"Los'souls He inquired, running his fingertips along his jacket's zipper in nervous habit. "We havin' a sleepover?"

With a laugh, Mika opened his door. “Very funny. But no. I told you I’d let you sober up with someone I trust more than anyone in this world and I meant it.” As he hopped out, Mika rounded to the passenger’s side, he aided and guided Boa out. He made sure to support him with his arm draped over his shoulder and using his free hand to prop him upward.

And then they were off, walking slowly through the center of the complex, giving the Angels’ who stood guard a nod. About five minutes walking, they were inside the main building that was dead center in the back. The elevator was a straight walk through the front doors. Unlike most times whenever someone used the elevator, they would only be able to go up three floors. The “mystery” floor was only accessible by those who had clearance to use it. Typically it was often reserved for high ranking members of the associated gangs (angels, Serpents, etc), but Mika had the knowledge of the secret passcode for a very important reason that Boa was about to find out.

As he entered the five numbers in a very specific order, the elevator went up one, two, three, four--

DING

“Fourth floor.” An uneasy tension built in Mika’s stomach and soon rose to his throat and it was hard for him to keep it under wraps. It wasn’t that he had a reason for being nervous, but something momentous was about to happen in under two minutes. Okay, maybe he was just a little more nervous than he cared to admit.

Alright, you got this, Mikhail! Third door on the left side.

Mika stepped out of the elevator with Boa and they walked past the first and second doors on the left. When they came to the third, it was just like every other door on the outside. “Hope you’re ready, Boa.” He might’ve said that to Boa, but it was more him projecting his own nerves about the person on the other end of the door onto Boa.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

How long has it been since he’s made a personal visit? A week? Maybe a month? “Yeah, it’s been close to a month…” He muttered, biting his lip as the door opened.

“Hello--” A woman who bore a striking resemblance to Mika answered the door. She was wearing an oversized, red coat, her dark locks falling in front of her face as she greeted the two young men with a wide smile (albeit one laced with a delighted shock). “--Oh! Mickey! And…sorry, I don’t think I’ve met you before.” She exchanged a long glance between the both of them. “Please, come in. I don’t think we should talk outside, anyway.” She closed the door behind them. “You boys thirsty? I have water and kool-aid. I always keep a special vase of cherry flavor because I know how much Mickey here loves his cherry-flavored drinks!” She laughed, also in a similar manner that Mika did.

Mordechai blinked slowly as he shifted his gaze between the woman in front of him and the man supporting all his weight. He once again experienced the unsure feeling of wondering if his stomach was rolling from emotions or alcohol, because he may be drunk but he wasn't stupid, and he'd heard plenty of stories and seen almost every picture that Mika had of the woman standing in front of them.

"I'ssa, uh, pleasure ta meet'cha ma'am," Mordechai slurred unsteadily, mentally cursing Mika for choosing now to introduce him to his mother. A mother who Mordechai had no idea lived at the Lost Souls complex in the first place. "'M sorry for intrudin', m' name's Mord'chai Boaz." He used the hand across his brother's shoulder to pinch Mika not-so-subtly, trying to express his displeasure to the other man for the situation. One of the few people he'd ever thought of trying to make a good first impression for, and Mika tosses his stumbling ass right under the nearest bus.

He'd never live this down.

Cursing at Boa’s pinching action, Mika glared at him for a few seconds and set his ungrateful ass on the couch as gently as he just pinched him.

“It’s no trouble at all, Mordechai! Mickey has told me so much about you!” She took a seat opposite of the two of them in a recliner that sat across a coffee table in the middle of the living space in the apartment. “And you’re not intruding at all! I rarely get any visitors, especially from friends of my son’s!” She flashed a smile to the two of them.

Mika tried to keep as straight of a face as he could. The guilt of not visiting his mother as often as he would’ve liked to was consuming a large part of his ability to even speak, but when she looked at him, in that same way she always did, that smile that broke through him every time, there was a certain reset button that went off in his head. “My boy here needs a place to rest up away from prying eyes. You know, just so he can not worry about anyone needing him for something, ya know?”

Mary nodded. “I understand.” That was all Mika needed to hear to not worry about Boa. “Well, you’re in luck, Mordechai! I just made some of my famous corn beef hash and fried potatoes. If you think you’re up to eat something. You look like you haven’t had a decent meal in some time.” Ah, good ole Mary-Anne not able to filter her observation of the state of people.

She was right, however, as Mordechai hadn't done much more than push around Big Mama's breakfast at Beau's house this morning, the only thing he really had in his stomach right now was rum and butterflies. He'd sunken harshly into the couch where Mika dropped him, however, his eyelids already dropping as his chin tried to meet his chest. The warmth of the apartment, as well as the comfort he was feeling being back around Mika again was allowing for him to relax and once more give way to the liquor in his system.

"Sounds like a dream…" he mumbled, eyes closing completely. "I'll be…righ' there…'' The last part came out in barely an exhale, his chin dropping completely and body listing to the side, head hitting the arm rest with a teeth rattling thud that couldn't even startle him back awake.

“Amazing. He gave me hell and once his head hit the couch, he’s out like a light.” Mika shook his head and chuckled, smiling as he took a few moments to look at his sleeping brother before looking at his mother. “Thanks for doing this, mama. I know I don’t always say it, but I have missed you. I’m sorry I don’t visit enough. It’s just--”

Mary held her hand up, shaking her head. “You don’t have to say it.”

They always were in sync. Whenever Mika needed to confide in her or needed her advice, he knew his mother was here for him and he knew she was safe here. He didn’t know how long this would be their arrangements, but at the very least, he could find peace in that. After all, she was his rock.

Brushing off all the strong emotions he was feeling, Mika stood up. “I’ll check back with you in a few hours. If he wakes up, just stuff some food down his throat. I’m sure he’ll have quite the appetite.”

As he gave his mother a big, tight hug, wanting it to last longer than it did, he really did have to leave or Big Rey would have his head for being late for family dinner.

Edenridge

The following Collab takes place between the hours of 4:00PM and 4:45PM on Saturday

---

"Hey, boychik, I'm sorry I haven't come by," Mordechai spoke to the well kept headstone, eyes slowly tracing every line into his memory.

Daniel Amos Boaz
2004-2019
“I must admit I miss you terribly. The world is too quiet without you nearby.”
_{-Lemony Snicket}

Who chose that quote, he wondered idly, and should I update my tattoo to incorporate it? He had gotten it on a whim once, faded off his ass and unwilling to forget. The gravestone tattoo with his brother’s name took up most of his left forearm, and he felt a steady growing shame at the track marks that started just above the tattoo’s end. Guess the last thing I need right now is more needles, huh?

The silence of the cemetery seemed to mock him as he read the quote again, and he pretended that the burning in his eyes was from his latest sip of rum-Phil would forgive him for swiping the bottle. Maybe.- and not how hard the quote had struck him. While Edenridge isn't quiet by any stretch of the word, Mordechai himself has felt muted ever since he lost his little brother. It didn't matter where he was: Edenridge, New York, everywhere he wandered after, it was all the same. He would find himself looking over his shoulder to say something to what was now only his shadow and his throat would close up as everything got muffled. His vision always tunneled like it did when he was about to pass out but he'd just find himself hyperventilating instead, stumbling to put his back to the nearest vertical surface. It got him left behind at several rest stops when he was on the road, and led to a tense dinner one night with Mika in New York. The other man had struggled to help his brother, leading to Allegra shoving Viva into the man’s arms as she turned to deal with Mordechai, already used to his little bouts. It always came back to Danny and the gaping hole left in his life because of him, all his ingrained reactions being one-sided. Charlie had well and truly crippled Mordechai that day in more ways than one.

He took another long sip, swallowing the burning liquid against the cries threatening to fall out and smothering them in the process.

"I'm sorry for a lotta things, really. I only ever wanted what was best for ya but…I gotcha killed instead. I neglected…” He looked at the liter in his hand and huffed out a dark laugh, dropping his head low before Danny’s grave. “No, I abused one brother an' in the end that cost me him and you. I should’a been a better brother ta both’a you, I should’a paid more attention,” he walked up to the headstone before turning his back to it and dropping down, leaning back to rest against the cold stone as he pulled his knees to his chest. “I shoulda known I was just a tool, no one important…” Another brother flashed through his mind, and he had to choke back fresh tears as he remembered the look on ReyRey’s face last night. Mordechai was feeling pulled in far too many directions to be comfortable.

“Should I be mad at ReyRey?” he asked, rolling the neck of the bottle between his hands. “I feel like it would make sense, but all I can think of is that I did as he said. An’ not even in the you don’t say no to ‘im sense, but blindly. And my times with the Serpents are still some’a the happiest in my life, I’m already feelin’ lost again without ‘em. Allegra’s comin’ ta town just ta help me and I just- I feel fuckin’ pathetic…” his throat threatens to close again, so he raises the drink to his lips once more before throwing his head back against the stone to stare at the sky. “Allegra’s got her opinion, I could see it written all over her face, Poppy’s got ‘er own…I didn’t even give Prof or Sunshine a chance ta say theirs, and you?” he sighed. “You were always smarter than me, I wouldn’t even be able ta pretend I know what you’d say. You always saw more than you should’a, always had a comment ta whisper ta me or an opinion ya wanted me ta hear.”

”You never did like the way I treated Hard Times when he was a Serpent, and god you didn’t even know the half of it. After what Poppy said…about how he was gonna take her too…is that why he took you? Did he think he was gonna put you outta some misery? Did he think I was gonna make you miserable, did he see something I didn't? Or was he just so fuckin’ cracked that he didn’t care who he took out, even…if it was you? ‘M probably talkin’ in circles…” his speech was already slipping, and a glance at the bottle showed him he’d gone through most of it a lot faster than he’d thought he would, but that didn’t stop him from taking another burning sip. He sat forward for a moment to shrug off his Serpent jacket and throw it over his knees before leaning back against the cold stone. It cooled his hot skin through his tanktop while the coarse texture scraping his skin kept him grounded. He ran a hand through his hair and took another fortifying sip.

“I know ya can’t answer, but I just wish I could’a asked ya earlier; do ya blame Har-” The name froze on the tip of his tongue. “Charlie…do ya blame ‘im for that day? If ya knew e’erythin’, would ya blame me? W-would ya forgive m…us?” The gravestone behind him was as silent as he’d expected, but Mordechai couldn’t be sure if the dropping feeling in his stomach was from the disappointment or the liquor.

“Yeah,” he choked out a wet laugh, his gaze as blank as the sky he spoke into. “I guess I don’t really deserve an answer.” No closure, it seemed a fitting torture for the purgatory he’d been in for nearly two years.

Edenridge

^{A @Aces Away & @LovelyComplex Collaboration}




____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The following Collab takes place between the hours of 3:00PM and 3:30PM on Saturday

On top of yesterday being a nightmare, Penelope spent her morning eating breakfast thinking of her actual nightmares. Last night was so fucked that she thought ghosts of Edenridge’s past was coming back from the dead and haunting those that still lived. Seeing Charlie in her dreams wasn’t a blessing. No, it just made her come to terms that he was dead and he will always be dead.. It hurt.

Why couldn’t she give him the benefit of the doubt? Why couldn’t she pretend that everything he did didn’t hurt her? Her dream was so… vivid too. And how it ended, they had to sacrifice her because in her blood was the man that started it all. Was that true or was that her mind playing tricks on her? On top of that, she had therapy with Shannon Ramsey and lord knows she hated therapy.

Once her session was over, she walked to Lyon park and sat on a bench, no longer at Beau’s house. Penelope and Mordechai waited for the receiver to pick up the video call. She was… nervous? Anxious? Well, she was always nervous and anxious, but this time was different. This was her meeting with one of her best friend’s families. His lover? The mother of his children? And his children.

How they got to this point was beyond her. She got ready, she ate Big mama’s breakfast, and they headed out. Jade went her separate way because she had her own business to take care of. Whatever that was and their morning went on. Now here Poppy was, waiting to see the faces of all the people Decky cared about.

With Decky’s sweatshirt on, and Charlie’s jacket, Poppy sat there, face mask on and everything, waiting to see a face on the other side. Did she look okay? Clean? Dirty? How bad were the bags under her eyes? Why was she so worried? Decky had always been in her life until he disappeared.

Resting her right hand on her chest, Poppy glanced at her friend’s face as he stared at his phone screen. This was weird. Now that Poppy was finally processing this moment she realized she didn’t expect him to return like this. She didn’t expect him to return at all. He was here with her and together they were calling his family. Weird.

Mordechai tried to keep his own insecurities from showing on his face as the call tone rang out. He’d taken the time that Poppy was gone to stop by Phil’s and grab the duffel bag he had dropped off there when he’d first arrived. After borrowing Phil’s shower and changing into his fresh pair of clothes, Serpent jacket included- and he couldn’t believe it still fit like a glove, still felt like home after last night- Mordechai had headed to Lyon park and waited for Poppy to arrive. Time passed slowly as he sat on the bench, completely lost in his darkening thoughts. He barely registered Marco and Roddy across the park from him, deep in their own conversation as they were, but he did lift his gaze as they got up and walked away. Just in time too since Poppy had arrived, her warm presence against his side pushing the worst of his mood and thoughts away.

The ringing cut off silently as the screen revealed a woman with a pixie cut in a spaghetti strap and cardigan that had fallen off one shoulder, a victim of the grasp of the child who was also visible on screen.

“Well hey there Ken, ya look like you’ve been emotionally curb stomped a few times,” Allegra greeted, her picture shaking as she set the phone against something to regain full use of her hands. She situated Viva on her lap before picking Chai up to settle him on her other thigh. When her gaze returned to the phone, she tilted her head and smiled. The eyes looked familiar, but she wasn't quite sure if she was correct in who she thought was sitting next to him. “Who’ve ya got with ya there?”

Mordechai smiled dryly in response to her opening comment before squeezing Poppy into his side a bit more. He knew he looked like shit, what with his lip still being busted from ReyRey’s welcome back, and his heart and lungs still stuck in a vice from ReyRey’s last words to him. He knew she was worried for him, but she knew that freaking out over it would just push him away. Her being able to make light of any situation is one of the things that made their dynamic work so well.

“This ‘s Poppy, one’a the few people that have a piece’a my heart,” he introduced. “Pops, that's Allegra- we had a corner routine t’gether back in New York- and our kids, Viva and Chai. Chai…” He’s mine, my blood, he looks like Danny, he’s a second chance, Mordechai didn’t know what else to say, how he should finish that sentence, so he simply let it hang in the air as his baby boy babbled happily through the phone screen.

“Poppy, huh,” Allegra cut in, eyes shifting across the screen as she started getting a real read for Mordechai’s current state of being instead of a quick glance. Her expression warmed as she turned her attention to the woman. “Mordechai talked about ya all the time, Southside’s Street Angel- his Street Angel. If he hasn’t mentioned it, he really loves ya and feels guilty for leavin' ya behind.” She gave out casually, willing to be much more open about what needed to be said and often wasn’t. And given the way both of the people on the park bench were looking, things needed to be said right now before things got worse.

"Bambi…" Mordechai groans, rolling his eyes heavenward in both embarrassment and exasperation. He'd been plenty emotional last night, thank you very much, but a single look from Allegra had him going silent once more.

"It's an absolute pleasure ta meet someone that means so much to ‘im, Mika's been the only one ta ever find him I guess," she shrugged, an easygoing smile on her face. ”But we've seen the pictures of y'all that he had on his phone, heard plenty'a stories."

Refreshed at the presence of Allegra, something about her spirit was calming, warm, and protective, Penelope understood why Decky adored this woman so much. Poppy could see her charm a mile away. On top of her alluring personality, she was absolutely gorgeous.

Allegra, huh? What a pretty name.

Her soft green gaze observed the children sitting on the other woman’s lap. Poppy could feel a sinking sadness inside of her, of a life she would never have. That life was a distant dream with a house, a husband, and kids and the only person she saw that dream with was Charlie and Charlie was long gone. Never to come back. Yet, the light and smile on their faces overpowered any negative thoughts she had. Any sadness deep in her chest, left as quick as it came. They were so young and so sweet. They were children.

Chai… that’s his name? He looks just like Danny. My Danny.

Taking a deep breath in, a hard swallow following afterwards, Poppy gingerly brought the face mask down so she could project her voice. Her lips were chapped, her eyes were puffy from all the crying she did the previous night, and her make up had been sloppily reapplied after her much needed shower. Still, even with all that being said, she looked angelic under the sunlight, her gaze sparking with intrigue and cleverness, and her posture showing a lot more confidence than she thought she had anymore. “I’m just glad he had someone to help him out. You’re beautiful, by the way.” Poppy admitted, never one to hold back the truths she saw. Giving a compliment in return, Allegra's smile widened in response to the other woman as Viva was still trying to drag her cardigan down and Chai stared at Poppy through the screen in wide-eyed wonder.

Fiddling with her hands, she looked away from the screen. With an absent mind, Poppy’s leg anxiously moved up and down as she thought of her next words carefully, “Yesterday was definitely an eye opener. And, um, I can’t say any of us will be okay. There’s just a lot that happened…” her voice trailed off and in a light whisper, she said, “...that hurt.”

Mordechai looked away from the camera as well, missing Allegra's frown. Poppy had made it clear that she still loved him, but his own anxieties and guilt wouldn't stop him from wondering how much she blamed him for his actions against Charlie, how weak she must think he was to follow ReyRey the way he did. To betray Charlie the way that he did.

"...Okay," Allegra began, looking back and forth between the two. She had no real information to go off of and it looked like it might be a game of twenty questions to get answers out of the husks occupying the bench. "What are we dealin' with here? Mordechai, I haven't heard from ya since last week, all I knew was you were headed back ta your hometown."

"Well I got here," he replied dryly, eyes shifting quickly to the screen and then back to his boots. "I met up with Phil and dropped my stuff off, and found a bunch'a letters bein' sent ta my name. They had copies’a shit from Hard Times' journals," Allegra's eyes narrowed at that, beginning to piece together how things went south so quickly. “I headed over ta see the boys after that, m-met up with ReyRey and got welcomed back-” the bloody backroom scene flickered through his vision before he ruthlessly squashed it. That hadn't been a problem. He'd still been fine then. Well, as fine as he ever was. “-and then spent time with Sunshine until goin’ ta the meet up location on the last letter.”

“Because following the creepy letter to a random building isn’t the beginning of several horror movies,” She said lightheartedly, expertly dodging her almost-one-year-old’s grasping fingers as he aimed to wrap them around her hoop earrings. “But I take it ya went armed at least.”

“‘Course I did,” Mordechai replied, a bit of offense in his tone. “Who’d’ya take me for? Pops jumped in and set my head a lil’ straighter, and I settled down with her ‘n’ Jade for a minute…” he fidgeted with his free hand, trying to smile at his son’s actions through the screen but feeling heavier the longer he looked. “Went on a nice old style Scooby-Doo mystery hunt. We didn’t find whoever was makin’ the letters but…we ended up at a Serpent house and ran in ta ReyRey…”

“What did you think this was Decky?...at the end of the day you’re a tool just like the rest of them.”

His voice died out as he glared at the ground at his feet, refusing to sniff or try and wipe away any tears lest he bring attention to them in the first place. Allegra’s burning gaze followed his every movement as his silence spoke for him, until she turned her head to the woman next to him.

“Poppy?” She asked steadily, knowing that Mordechai’s current reaction to the mention of ReyRey Gonzales was not the one of adoration or respect he usually spoke with. She tried to calm her sleeping dragon, knowing she missed plenty in her friend’s first day home, and knowing she needed to be the steady one here. “What did Mika’s brother say?”

“Unc’a Badgew!” Viva piped up with a giggle, crawling off her mother’s lap and looking to the door as if the man himself would come through the door. Allegra let out a quick eye roll before getting up to bring the little girl back.

“Uncle Badger is in papa’s hometown, he visited last month bubbe,” she placated the girl as she pouted before turning back to the screen. Mordechai dimly registered that he hadn’t even bothered to tell Mika he was coming into town, and that he was owed a belated ass kicking from the man for leaving New York without telling him too. He knew the man still visited Allegra and the kids despite the fact that Mordechai himself had dipped out and fallen far off the wagon again, and he suddenly felt a sense of dread over his and Allegra’s communication levels. “Sorry about that, she really loves his visits so you can’t even say his name without her getting excited. Back to the topic at hand, though, what did ReyRey do?”

“The story is complicated.” Penelope sighed, knowing what she would say next might truly show how cursed their hometown was. “We found out the story behind a well loved girl in our town, who OD’d when we were freshmen. Charlie got blamed for it but there’s so much more to it then his mistake, if it even was his mistake. So much misunderstanding and miscommunication and hurt.”

Penelope’s eyes once again grew distant, but her attention was still focused straight forward at the screen. Her voice was rigid and clear, as she recounted the night with her class. “Regardless of who was right or wrong, Reyrey beat the shit out of him. A child.” She explained before pausing, realizing she swore in front of the children, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to do that.” Poppy apologized, her eyes resting on Chai, knowing she would need to get better with her vocabulary.

“That night…” Penelope continued, “Changed everything. How we were as friends, how we saw our futures, how… little we had to look forward to. De- Mordechai. He blames himself and it didn’t help that ReyRey…”

The Street Angel hesitated, wondering if it was worth saying the next set of words, but she knew that if anyone could help her friend out, it was the mother of his children. Hooking herself on her friend’s arm, holding him close to her, she deeply stared into the camera and said R2’s words verbatim, “...He said, and I quote, you’re good at what you do, Boaz, but at the end of the day you’re a tool just like the rest of them. Unquote.”

Mordechai’s form was tense as he leaned harder against Poppy as her grip tightened on him. She’d pulled the words straight from his thoughts and handed them to Allegra when he couldn’t, keeping him grounded at the same time. Allegra had her head cocked to the side, eyes narrowed and sharp as she processed what she had just been told, her gaze jumping between the two. She decided to tackle things one at a time, taking a deep breath before speaking slowly, trying to keep her voice level.

“Firstly, don’t worry ‘bout swearin’ in front of the kiddos, they hear worse from me on the daily,” She smiled at Poppy reassuringly, doing her best to reign in her temper. “Second, I might already know based on context clues, but just ta be sure, Charlie is…?”

“Was,” Mordechai spoke up shakily. “Hard Times.”

“Ah, I thought so,” she replied, looking between the two and settling back on Poppy. “I’ve never heard his name, he’s only ever been Hard Times in Mordechai’s stories. I can’t say I hadn’t thought about askin’, but it always seemed hard enough for ‘im ta just say that. Didn’t wanna push,” she looked at her son and then his father, trying to find the innocence in his features and imagine what Mordechai would have looked like if he too were so happy and content. It was a hard thing to imagine, having not seen him feel so safe in the entire time she’d known him. Only in the dark of night when his muscles relaxed in sleep could she ever imagine him being young and hopeful with the same fire in his eyes that came out when Mika was around.

He’d mentioned once that Chai looked like his little brother, and that it’s soothing to see some of him still exists in the world somehow. Looking at her son, she wished that she couldn’t imagine how someone could harm such a face, but she’s known since her first child that there are people out there who could harm anything if pushed too far, only having a chance to regret it later if they survived the ordeal.

“Hard Times didn’t deserve most of what he got, Mordechai an’ I’ve had that conversation a few times. There's never an excuse ta be usin’ your position over others ta beat ‘em, I've got personal experience with that one," she glanced off to the side as she remembered her ex-pimp, Viva birth father. "Especially ‘cause if I’m rememberin’ it right then ReyRey’s got a few years on all'a you. Sounds to me like the lot of you Serpent boys need ta sit down together for a long awaited therapy session. Shit ain’t ever as black and white as it appears ta be,” she focused on Mordechai. “We went through this when Mika first showed up, you’re not some tool or some dog and if I have ta call him up and make him say it to you again I will.”

“It came right from ReyRey’s mouth, Legs,” Mordechai protested weakly, not wanting her to send Mika after him just to make a point. “it wasn't just me makin' things worse in my head this time."

“Because you’ve never said somethin’ ya didn’t mean before,” Allegra scoffed back, eyes going warm when she turned back to Poppy as she let that sink in with Mordechai. “Poppy, how are you feelin’? None’a this could’ve been easy for you either. If I were there, I'd be draggin' ya to a spa day and then a day in with some hard liquor and shitty movies."

Listening to Allegra talk and process everything she knew thus far, hearing her not blame Charlie for most of the things he went through, listening to her soothing words towards Decky… all this only hit Penelope like a brick. She faded out more so than she had previously, completely blacking out and missing everything after the words ‘therapy session’.

The feeling revisited her, the feeling from yesterday when she was in the gym, after all this time. Going completely catatonic, no longer in the present, no longer hearing Decky’s voice, or Allegra’s, or seeing the sweet, innocent children in front of her, she replayed the moments when she was waking up that morning before the shooting to a text telling her to meet her at the gym. That morning when her world would no longer be the same because her World decided to bring hell on Earth and burn in the flames with his victims.

Poppy couldn’t even feel Decky change their position where he was tightly holding her in his arms, her head against his collar. After three minutes of staring at her lap, her dead gaze unwavering, she heaved for air. Heavily breathing, repeating the mantra in her head— breathe, just breathe, breathe, just breathe — body shaking in Decky’s arms, tears started running down Poppy’s eyes.

She realized something she wished she didn’t.

Hyperventilating, she tried to muster her thoughts in words, “He- he-” She brought her hands to her face and let her tears fall even harder, “He was going to… take me with him.”

Mordechai stared blankly at Allegra where he had set the phone down on Poppy's other side when he'd realized she had faded out of the present. The mother of his child looked just as confused as he did, obviously startled by Poppy's sudden state as she worked through what the other woman could have meant. Unfortunately, she was working on limited information, only having what Mordechai himself had told her. Suddenly however, it dawned on him instead as a cold rage settled over his body.

"You mean in the gym," he clarified, one hand going to the back of Poppy's head and gripping the back of her neck to ground her, just as she'd grasped his arm earlier. "After he made his way through the school, Hard Times was gonna- he was gonna kill you too." He didn't know what to say to that revelation, so he just did what he did know and held Poppy tight as she cried. Thinking that he might have lost her too that day…he couldn't even imagine losing one more person, let alone Poppy of all people. He never would have imagined Charlie was capable of it.

I never thought he would hurt Danny either, or me for that matter…

Movement on his phone screen had him looking over Poppy's head and to the device once more with the realization that several moments had passed. Allegra had taken her phone off of whatever she had propped it up against and had the phone close to her face as her eyes dashed across the screen. There was a deadly calm to her features as she did so that had Mordechai shivering in anticipation.

"Legs? What're ya doin'?" He asked warily, refusing to let go of Poppy even if he was sacrificing a better look at what was happening on his phone screen.

"I'm booking the soonest tickets to Boston that I can find, and when I hang up with you I'm gonna give a certain Badger a call to find you because you both are not okay and I'm too far away ta do anythin'. But fuck this, I'm coming." It was said with a finality to it and gave way for no argument. "I think ya need all you're family in one place, Ken, and it's high time you see us all in person again. Not ta blow my own horn, but I'd say we were pretty good for ya."

"...Thanks Barbie," he finally said, not bothering to try and stop the bulldozer that was Allegra Cardenas on a mission.

"Of course. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go cuss Mika out over the way his brother thinks he can speak ta you."

"No, wait-" it was too late, the screen went black and the whirlwind of information suddenly halted, his mind rebooting before zeroing back in on Poppy. "You still with me, Angel?"

“Sorry, I… I still don’t have a good handle on that. I…” Poppy looked up at Decky, the tears trailing down her cheeks, “Not… not even me, I couldn’t save him. He was already gone by junior year. He already made… made his decision. I couldn’t protect him, Mordechai. I… couldn’t show him it’ll be okay. Lean on me, my family, your mom is going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to be okay. I-I maybe he was right. W-what good have I ever done? I’m not meant for the southies, I’m not meant for the northies. I-I will never belong.”

Penelope couldn’t stop herself, she just kept word vomiting, all the things that had been compartmentalized for so long, “Maybe being dead is better for me. Maybe I should’ve gone with him. Maybe being put out of my misery is the answer. Maybe…” Fuck. This hurt so much. Why didn’t he just take her instead of everyone else?

Decky might’ve been trying to get her back to her senses but Poppy had completely lost it. “Why does it hurt so much? If it was just him and me, if it was just us, everyone else could still be here. I did- didn’t protect you. Jade. You say you fucked up? Imagine being the one that knew his heart better than anyone else. Imagine being the one who taught him how to shoot a gun…”

"Hey!" Mordechai cut in, halfway to shaking her to her senses before he thought better of it. Getting physical with her when she's already in the state she is would probably make things worse, but she was making it really hard to get a word in and stop her dark ramblings. He took a shaky breath, wanting to gasp for it but trying to hold himself together for her sake. "You taught him ta shoot? I'm not even surprised since you're the best shot outta all of us, but he would'a learned one way or another. We all learned eventually, yeah?" He leaned back, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "There ain't a damn world out there that would be better without you in it, Poppy James, an' for all the times you didn't let me go down that road I sure as hell ain't gonna let you go down it now. This is…this is all on me. No one else pushed him the way I did, you never saw how bad it got between us in the Serpents. If he had taken you, that would'a been another body at my feet that I couldn't stand ta bury. You matter, you belong. To me, and to Jade. And you said it yourself: he'd already made his decision."

And I pushed him straight into it. It went unsaid, but the guilt was heavy in Mordechai's eyes and heart.

"All you ever did was love him, you understood him more than anyone in this life did. He would…he would'a snapped a lot earlier without you in his life. Without me he may've never snapped at all. Don't you ever doubt your impact."

With wide eyes, looking right at him, her eyes heavy, she brought her hand to his cheek and let it rest there. The last words she could muster to him, as she pushed a strand of hair behind his ear, was in a whisper, “We’re so broken.”

Sadly, it was true. They were incredibly broken. But together, they could stand. Together, they could and would live on. Life goes on. If not for themselves then for the people they loved.

Broken but not destroyed.

And there they embraced, letting time pass them by until Penelope offered her home for Mordechai’s family and they said their goodbyes.

Edenridge

Gavriel Phillips-Shomer

Name:
Gavriel Levi Phillips-Shomer
Nickname:
Gavi, Gav, Rye
Age:
19 3/4 (Nov.18)
Gender:
Male
Sexuality:
Bisexual
Relationship Status:
Single

Appearance Details

Height:
5'5
Hair:
Brown, curly, and well maintained
Eyes:
Dark Brown
Body Type:
Rye has a very average body, no excess of muscle or fat, he's not overly lanky nor stocky. He has a healthy figure that he's happy to be back at after losing so much weight from the aftermath of the shooting.
Clothing Style:
Is it comfortable? Is it warm? Rye will wear it. He likes to layer- a light and soft hoodie or crew neck under a durable jacket and a pair of well-worn jeans is his most common choice of clothing- and most of the hoodies you'll catch him in have been acquired over the years from his friends' closets, or right off their person. He finds a certain level of comfort in wearing something that was originally in the possession of someone he cares about. Likewise, he likes to give his own jackets or sweaters to those he cares for, so it's a good thing he tends to wear clothes that are a bit on the larger side, otherwise those little exchanges would be much more one-sided. The downsides of being smaller than most.
Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings
Rye has a bullet scar on his left shoulder from when Charlie tore through the high school, but aside from that and some small scars from childhood injuries, he has mostly blank skin. He never got any piercings or tattoos, not because he couldn't but more because he just never felt the need to, always having expressed himself in other ways.


Personality Traits:
Rye was much more outgoing in highschool, always there with a snappy one-liner or delivering a joke with a tone so dry you'd feel dehydrated. He's more reserved in public nowadays but around those he's comfortable with, his real personality shows. He can still be playful and witty when he knows where he stands with someone, but if he's on rocky terms with them or doesn't know them at all he'll draw in on himself and become a bit of a wallflower.

Trigger Warnings for Homophobia, mentions of an overdose, violence, brief description of a school shooting and mentions of blood, character death

History

Before Eden

Born and raised in Downtown Cleveland, Gavriel had a relatively normal life and nothing to complain about. His mother, Avigail, was strong, funny, and understanding while not being a pushover. His father, Yosef, was tall, silly, and left most of the punishments to his wife when it came to it, but he loved coming home with little tchotchkes whenever he had to go out of town on a trip. His mom taught him first aid from a young age and his father and him had been working on fixing up an old muscle car together since he was four and could figure out what tools his dad was asking for. He got love, affection, and support. His mother recognized his early signs of anxiety and helped with tools to cope if the panic takes over. His father showed him how to tie a tie and a bowtie in the same day, and took him shopping for ones he’d want to wear at shul- the very occasional times they would go for the holidays, that is- because according to him, even if you only use it a few times, a man needs a good suit and tie. He wasn’t going to argue, he enjoyed dressing up every now and then.

The first sign something was wrong was when his dad came home early from a trip to see a ten year old Gavriel and his mother doing each other’s make up in the brightest colors possible. Their giggling had cut off quickly when his father had grabbed a rag, wet it, and began roughly scrubbing the makeup from his face. His mother had started yelling at him, pushing him and the rough fabric away and grabbing a few makeup wipes, handing them gently to Gavriel and sending him to another room. Their house wasn’t big, and it wasn’t anywhere near soundproofed, so Gavriel sat on the living room couch and took the makeup off in gentle strokes, wiping away the tears as well as he heard his parents arguing.

Suddenly, his dad was trying to sign him up for sports, and he was making Gavriel work on the car with him instead of them just doing it as a fun hobby. His dad was focused on showing Gavriel how to be a ‘real man’ as much as possible, while his mother would glare at him before taking Gavriel out for a mother-son day of fun. It all came to a head after the start of his eighth grade year, where Gavriel nervously sat his parents down and told them he was bisexual. His dad had stayed quiet, face unchanged as his mother leaned forward to hug him, telling him that she was happy he shared this and that there was nothing wrong with having love in your heart, no matter who it’s for. His father, however, reached his breaking point and began yelling and cussing, startling both he and his mother as he began ranting that Avigail had turned their child queer with all the makeup and coddling. Avigail stopped him with four simple words.

“We are getting divorced.”

Integrating

Halfway through his eighth grade year, his mother’s application to Sinclair Health had been accepted, so she packed him into their car and they drove towards their new life in Edenridge, Massachusetts. They got a nice two bedroom apartment with plenty of natural light and open space within easy walking distance to the school, and quickly fell back into the routine of working and learning. Gavriel and Niles Sinclair were introduced to each other, striking up a reserved friendship by proximity alone. Niles was the only person he would even consider a friend at the time. Gavriel would never admit it to his ma, but he felt incredibly out of place in this new community; he had issues connecting with the Northside kids, and most of the Southside kids seemed to glare or scoff away any outsiders.

Gardenview Temple helped, and both mother and son found themselves going more often than they had ever gone to an actual synagogue back home. They met the Phillips family a little over a month and a half into their patronage there, and while Avigail and Robyn hit it off as single mothers of queer kids- and having exes that they don’t speak of- Gavriel and JP had hit it off as well. If there was a dark corner or hallway in Gardenview, the boys found it and explored together, stealing kisses and letting hands wander. Still, Gardenview seemed like it’s own little pocket, untouched by the actuality of Edenridge. Making friends outside of it was still an issue for the boy.

He wasn’t one to quit though, just readjust, so he would go to parties and crack jokes, share a good time with people whose names he never asked for and faces he'd quickly forget, and then he'd go back home and bunk down with a book like he hadn't just been in the limelight for 5 hours. His public personality was overcompensating for his lack of genuine social connection, but he was starting to get used to the new him. It continued like this through the end of 8th grade and then, miraculously, it ended with a single person.

Danilo Belmonte was an otherworldly, beautiful, oblivious dork that he was lowkey flirting with just to watch blush from their very first study session freshman year. He suffered through listening to him talk about sports, and in response Gavriel would wax poetic about the dumbest shit just to see if the jock was actually paying attention. Miraculously, he almost always was. Meeting Danny gave him hope.

The first time he felt relief was in the second half of Freshman year, when he heard someone cussing someone else out with a heavy mix of Yiddish tossed in. His head had whipped around to the boy in the Serpent jacket as he slammed his phone shut, and when they locked eyes Gavriel merely tilted his head and gave a smile that helped create his nickname, no reservations about talking to the gang member despite his audience quickly shifting away.

"Got some tsuris over the phone?" He'd asked, making the other laugh in surprise before studying him closer.

"Tsuris there, mishegas here. 'S always somethin' with Goyim, yeah?" He'd replied, getting a laugh back, and that seemed to be a natural cue to move somewhere more quiet.

"Thank fuck, I though me and my ma were the only Jews in the whole town when we moved here, dude, you have no idea."

"I got no idea? I've lived 'ere my whole fuckin' life. Been havin' ta translate my everyday speech since the firs' day'a school."

"Oy vey."

"Fuckin' right."

Gavriel Shomer and Mordechai Boaz made an odd friendship, but it was there nonetheless. It turned out the Boaz brothers also frequented Gardenview, leading to more chances towards genuine friendship. Less than a week into their interactions, Decky had designated the other boy Rye; a joke on Jewish Rye bread and the boy's wry sense of humor. Despite enjoying his humor, Decky seemed to take a particular pleasure out of cutting Rye off mid-rant by shoving him to the nearest flat surface and stealing his breath. Neither of them ever complained about the arrangement.

In just over a year of moving to Edenridge, Rye finally found his friends in both Northies and Southies. Unfortunately, those friends still didn't mix no matter how many times Rye tried to make it a thing. Time continued on and Rye continued to be his shameless self in public while isolating himself in his private time. Smoking with Decky and hanging out with him and his little brother, going to Gardenview Temple, and spending time with Danny kept his life level and steady despite the growing chaos around them.

Belonging

Death in Edenridge seemed to hit differently than it did back home, but he supposed a small town would feel everything more strongly, more personally. Small towns always see death as a curse against them instead of the flow and chaos of life. Gavriel had learned better before moving to Edenridge, and so his life continued to move on through all the events that cast wounds and scars into his friends' bodies and souls. He could be there for them, sympathize with them, but empathy was far away.

He hadn’t been at the party when Allison Davies OD’d, but he’d seen the aftermath. It hadn’t stopped him from befriending and hanging out with Decky, and by extension the rest of his Southside crew, including Charlie Decker on occasion. He didn’t know how to act when Maxine died, everyone calling it a suicide except for Poppy and those who believed her. He’d rather believe someone that Decky had trusted than all the others, but it wasn’t his place to take on serious conversations in public; he was just the sarcastic outsider who didn’t know how to stay on the ‘right’ side of the track. Hell, their friendship was still pretty fresh by the time it had happened, he was well aware that anything he might have to say would not be well met in the first place.

Towards the end of Freshman year, Danny seemed to be getting more antsy and aggro by the day. While Rye was all for going out and getting in a bit of trouble, it didn’t seem to soothe any part of what was hurting in Danny. Nothing was grand enough, distracting enough, to bring real light and attention back to Danny’s gaze. Whatever it was definitely had the larger boy stressed out, and what better way to help a highschool jock stereotype de-stress than a little (un)healthy competition? Nothing wrong with a little game of Conquests, right? At the very least, maybe it’ll kick Danny out of his stagnant state and into forward motion.

The summer before his Sophomore year brought about many quick flings, but it also had Rye and JP graduating from dark corners to genuinely hooking up- which wasn’t too hard considering their mothers had bonded and were often over each other’s homes, dragging their willing children along. At least, that’s what it seemed like to the two teens. Turns out that Avi and Robyn had begun dating, and this was made clear when they officially announced it to their families a bit later into the summer. With a few side-eyes and more than a few shrugged shoulders, Gavriel and JP continued as if the announcement had no effect on their current standing. And it didn’t, not really; they continued to hang, on occasion bang, and overall grow closer. They wouldn’t have to have too serious of a conversation until their moms decide to tie the knot less than a year later. Even then, as Rye would so kindly put it to JP one night: "We didn't grow up together, didn't have formative years together, but we’ve definitely had good times together. Why should that stop?"

The Game picked up during Sophomore year, but now Rye was also juggling the integration of a new family dynamic. Luckily, thanks to Gardenview and having been brought along to each other’s homes, it wasn’t a rough transition, just a weird one. There were extra toothbrushes in their bathroom drawer in case any of the Phillips’ stayed over, Robyn got a drawer in his mom’s room and his mother likewise got one in Robyn’s. By the end of Sophomore year, he lived in a household of Seven instead of an apartment of Two. He was a sibling and a new son and he was adjusting as well as he could. By the time his and Danny’s game had ended- earlier than intended and with worse consequences than expected- Rye had finally settled into a real life in Edenridge. In his own opinion, it was about damn time too.

In the summer before Senior year, Danny had gone off to camp and Rye had spent plenty of time with the Boaz brothers, who were now living Northside. Rye didn’t mind, Danny had to do his own thing, and the Boaz’s were practically family by that point anyways. But that also led to them trusting him, led to Decky leaving Danny with him. He would never stop wondering if his presence in the cafeteria that day caused little Danny Boaz’s death.

Shooting and Aftermath

He’d been sitting in the cafeteria already, so when Decky walked in he’d had little Danny sit with him while he left to talk to the auto shop teacher. Rye had to be told much of what happened next, but he remembered that he heard the gunshot and pulled little Danny for cover. He took note of Charlie just before Decky came back through the doors. His distraction let Danny go before Rye could catch him, but he ran after the boy.

The same bullet that hit Danny hit Rye, and they went to the ground together. He had Danny’s blood on him and was bleeding himself, but Danny Belmonte’s sister Elisa helped him. Then together they took charge of first aid until the ambulances arrived. They did everything they could together until Rye passed out.

According to his very tearful mother when he next woke in a hospital bed, he had collapsed into unconsciousness almost as soon as the ambulance sirens were heard. She spent the next half hour alternating between scolding him for causing himself more harm, and praising him for doing everything he could to help. He asked her about Decky, about Niles, about anyone and everyone he could think of in the school that he’d cared for. There was so much death, and Gavriel realized that- unlike the previous deaths in Edenridge- he was heavily affected this time. By the time he was out of his hospital bed and dreading apologizing to Decky, the other boy had already left. And not just the hospital, but Edenridge as a whole. Gavriel would never know just how much Decky hated him, or if he blamed him, and that would cycle in his head for years to come.

After everything that happened, Rye all but destroyed his public persona. He stopped going to parties- not that there were many to be had- and he holed himself up in his room more often than not. He woke up screaming in the middle of the night, waking up most of the Phillips-Shomer household at least once a week. He began weekly therapy- both physical and mental- but even talking through everything and getting a second opinion didn’t stop him from blaming himself for the loss of Danny Boaz. He skipped school constantly and relied heavily on Niles and Danny, who had both stayed by him at the hospital, for the little social interaction he still craved. He found himself having a silent bond with Elisa when he saw her in between classes, but he couldn’t bear to actually speak about what they did together. He couldn’t bear trying to just think of the lives saved instead of those lost. He didn’t go to prom, he hadn’t even tried to so much as ask anyone if they were going. He just barely scraped by to get to graduation, a far cry from his previous B+ average. There was nothing left of the boy that arrived four and a half years previous. One of his only shining moments was finally getting almost full range of motion back to his shoulder, and that wasn’t exactly something you throw a party to.

Most of Rye’s time now is spent between Sinclair Health for his mom, Palermo for Danny, and Main Street Music for JP and great-uncle Eddie. He’d see Niles whenever the other man came in from Chicago, but most of their time interacting has been through phone calls. Gardenview though…Gardenview was lost to him, no matter how much his family tried to convince him back. There were just too many memories with the Boaz’s there. Shale understands, though, and has no problem meeting him at Lyon park every now and then for a spiritual chat. The fresh air does him good, anyway.

For this last summer he had been back in Cleveland, taking care of his maternal grandma after a surgery. Now that she was back on her feet, however, Rye was on his way back to Edenridge, having just barely avoided the events in Chapter 1.

Extra:
Rye has Tinnitus and often has music or some other noise going on in the background to drown most of it out.
Rye enjoys dancing and listening to most music with a nice beat, but he's partial to Rap and Hip Hop
Theme Song- Wedding Speech by the Flatliners.
Font- Inclitodo
FC- Joshua Basett- #28e0af
Family:
Avigail Phillips-Shomer(50)| Birth Mom | FC- Gabrielle Anwar- #2ed969
Played by @LovelyComplex
Robyn Ellie Phillips-Shomer(54)| Stepmom | FC- Nicole Kidman- #e7b87d
Sable Xylia Phillips-Shomer(23)| Oldest Stepsister | FC- Taylor Cameron Upsahl- #e1795b
Jericho Xavier Phillips-Shomer "JP"(21)| Stepbrother | FC- Tyler Young- #a8d16a
Winnie Cooper Phillips-Shomer(18)| Younger Stepsister | FC- Hunter Schafer- #e1c75c
Mallory Skye Phillips-Shomer(16)| Youngest Stepsister | FC- Jo Ellen Pellman- #e48585

Edenridge

Gavriel Phillips-Shomer

Name:
Gavriel Levi Phillips-Shomer
Nickname:
Gavi, Gav, Rye
Age:
19 3/4 (Nov.18)
Gender:
Male
Sexuality:
Bisexual
Relationship Status:
Single

Appearance Details

Height:
5'5
Hair:
Brown, curly, and well maintained
Eyes:
Dark Brown
Body Type:
Rye has a very average body, no excess of muscle or fat, he's not overly lanky nor stocky. He has a healthy figure that he's happy to be back at after losing so much weight from the aftermath of the shooting.
Clothing Style:
Is it comfortable? Is it warm? Rye will wear it. He likes to layer- a light and soft hoodie or crew neck under a durable jacket and a pair of well-worn jeans is his most common choice of clothing- and most of the hoodies you'll catch him in have been acquired over the years from his friends' closets, or right off their person. He finds a certain level of comfort in wearing something that was originally in the possession of someone he cares about. Likewise, he likes to give his own jackets or sweaters to those he cares for, so it's a good thing he tends to wear clothes that are a bit on the larger side, otherwise those little exchanges would be much more one-sided. The downsides of being smaller than most.
Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings
Rye has a bullet scar on his left shoulder from when Charlie tore through the high school, but aside from that and some small scars from childhood injuries, he has mostly blank skin. He never got any piercings or tattoos, not because he couldn't but more because he just never felt the need to, always having expressed himself in other ways.


Personality Traits:
Rye was much more outgoing in highschool, always there with a snappy one-liner or delivering a joke with a tone so dry you'd feel dehydrated. He's more reserved in public nowadays but around those he's comfortable with, his real personality shows. He can still be playful and witty when he knows where he stands with someone, but if he's on rocky terms with them or doesn't know them at all he'll draw in on himself and become a bit of a wallflower.

Trigger Warnings for Homophobia, mentions of an overdose, violence, brief description of a school shooting and mentions of blood, character death

History

Before Eden

Born and raised in Downtown Cleveland, Gavriel had a relatively normal life and nothing to complain about. His mother, Avigail, was strong, funny, and understanding while not being a pushover. His father, Yosef, was tall, silly, and left most of the punishments to his wife when it came to it, but he loved coming home with little tchotchkes whenever he had to go out of town on a trip. His mom taught him first aid from a young age and his father and him had been working on fixing up an old muscle car together since he was four and could figure out what tools his dad was asking for. He got love, affection, and support. His mother recognized his early signs of anxiety and helped with tools to cope if the panic takes over. His father showed him how to tie a tie and a bowtie in the same day, and took him shopping for ones he’d want to wear at shul- the very occasional times they would go for the holidays, that is- because according to him, even if you only use it a few times, a man needs a good suit and tie. He wasn’t going to argue, he enjoyed dressing up every now and then.

The first sign something was wrong was when his dad came home early from a trip to see a ten year old Gavriel and his mother doing each other’s make up in the brightest colors possible. Their giggling had cut off quickly when his father had grabbed a rag, wet it, and began roughly scrubbing the makeup from his face. His mother had started yelling at him, pushing him and the rough fabric away and grabbing a few makeup wipes, handing them gently to Gavriel and sending him to another room. Their house wasn’t big, and it wasn’t anywhere near soundproofed, so Gavriel sat on the living room couch and took the makeup off in gentle strokes, wiping away the tears as well as he heard his parents arguing.

Suddenly, his dad was trying to sign him up for sports, and he was making Gavriel work on the car with him instead of them just doing it as a fun hobby. His dad was focused on showing Gavriel how to be a ‘real man’ as much as possible, while his mother would glare at him before taking Gavriel out for a mother-son day of fun. It all came to a head after the start of his eighth grade year, where Gavriel nervously sat his parents down and told them he was bisexual. His dad had stayed quiet, face unchanged as his mother leaned forward to hug him, telling him that she was happy he shared this and that there was nothing wrong with having love in your heart, no matter who it’s for. His father, however, reached his breaking point and began yelling and cussing, startling both he and his mother as he began ranting that Avigail had turned their child queer with all the makeup and coddling. Avigail stopped him with four simple words.

“We are getting divorced.”

Integrating

Halfway through his eighth grade year, his mother’s application to Sinclair Health had been accepted, so she packed him into their car and they drove towards their new life in Edenridge, Massachusetts. They got a nice two bedroom apartment with plenty of natural light and open space within easy walking distance to the school, and quickly fell back into the routine of working and learning. Gavriel and Niles Sinclair were introduced to each other, striking up a reserved friendship by proximity alone. Niles was the only person he would even consider a friend at the time. Gavriel would never admit it to his ma, but he felt incredibly out of place in this new community; he had issues connecting with the Northside kids, and most of the Southside kids seemed to glare or scoff away any outsiders.

Gardenview Temple helped, and both mother and son found themselves going more often than they had ever gone to an actual synagogue back home. They met the Phillips family a little over a month and a half into their patronage there, and while Avigail and Robyn hit it off as single mothers of queer kids- and having exes that they don’t speak of- Gavriel and JP had hit it off as well. If there was a dark corner or hallway in Gardenview, the boys found it and explored together, stealing kisses and letting hands wander. Still, Gardenview seemed like it’s own little pocket, untouched by the actuality of Edenridge. Making friends outside of it was still an issue for the boy.

He wasn’t one to quit though, just readjust, so he would go to parties and crack jokes, share a good time with people whose names he never asked for and faces he'd quickly forget, and then he'd go back home and bunk down with a book like he hadn't just been in the limelight for 5 hours. His public personality was overcompensating for his lack of genuine social connection, but he was starting to get used to the new him. It continued like this through the end of 8th grade and then, miraculously, it ended with a single person.

Danilo Belmonte was an otherworldly, beautiful, oblivious dork that he was lowkey flirting with just to watch blush from their very first study session freshman year. He suffered through listening to him talk about sports, and in response Gavriel would wax poetic about the dumbest shit just to see if the jock was actually paying attention. Miraculously, he almost always was. Meeting Danny gave him hope.

The first time he felt relief was in the second half of Freshman year, when he heard someone cussing someone else out with a heavy mix of Yiddish tossed in. His head had whipped around to the boy in the Serpent jacket as he slammed his phone shut, and when they locked eyes Gavriel merely tilted his head and gave a smile that helped create his nickname, no reservations about talking to the gang member despite his audience quickly shifting away.

"Got some tsuris over the phone?" He'd asked, making the other laugh in surprise before studying him closer.

"Tsuris there, mishegas here. 'S always somethin' with Goyim, yeah?" He'd replied, getting a laugh back, and that seemed to be a natural cue to move somewhere more quiet.

"Thank fuck, I though me and my ma were the only Jews in the whole town when we moved here, dude, you have no idea."

"I got no idea? I've lived 'ere my whole fuckin' life. Been havin' ta translate my everyday speech since the firs' day'a school."

"Oy vey."

"Fuckin' right."

Gavriel Shomer and Mordechai Boaz made an odd friendship, but it was there nonetheless. It turned out the Boaz brothers also frequented Gardenview, leading to more chances towards genuine friendship. Less than a week into their interactions, Decky had designated the other boy Rye; a joke on Jewish Rye bread and the boy's wry sense of humor. Despite enjoying his humor, Decky seemed to take a particular pleasure out of cutting Rye off mid-rant by shoving him to the nearest flat surface and stealing his breath. Neither of them ever complained about the arrangement.

In just over a year of moving to Edenridge, Rye finally found his friends in both Northies and Southies. Unfortunately, those friends still didn't mix no matter how many times Rye tried to make it a thing. Time continued on and Rye continued to be his shameless self in public while isolating himself in his private time. Smoking with Decky and hanging out with him and his little brother, going to Gardenview Temple, and spending time with Danny kept his life level and steady despite the growing chaos around them.

Belonging

Death in Edenridge seemed to hit differently than it did back home, but he supposed a small town would feel everything more strongly, more personally. Small towns always see death as a curse against them instead of the flow and chaos of life. Gavriel had learned better before moving to Edenridge, and so his life continued to move on through all the events that cast wounds and scars into his friends' bodies and souls. He could be there for them, sympathize with them, but empathy was far away.

He hadn’t been at the party when Allison Davies OD’d, but he’d seen the aftermath. It hadn’t stopped him from befriending and hanging out with Decky, and by extension the rest of his Southside crew, including Charlie Decker on occasion. He didn’t know how to act when Maxine died, everyone calling it a suicide except for Poppy and those who believed her. He’d rather believe someone that Decky had trusted than all the others, but it wasn’t his place to take on serious conversations in public; he was just the sarcastic outsider who didn’t know how to stay on the ‘right’ side of the track. Hell, their friendship was still pretty fresh by the time it had happened, he was well aware that anything he might have to say would not be well met in the first place.

Towards the end of Freshman year, Danny seemed to be getting more antsy and aggro by the day. While Rye was all for going out and getting in a bit of trouble, it didn’t seem to soothe any part of what was hurting in Danny. Nothing was grand enough, distracting enough, to bring real light and attention back to Danny’s gaze. Whatever it was definitely had the larger boy stressed out, and what better way to help a highschool jock stereotype de-stress than a little (un)healthy competition? Nothing wrong with a little game of Conquests, right? At the very least, maybe it’ll kick Danny out of his stagnant state and into forward motion.

The summer before his Sophomore year brought about many quick flings, but it also had Rye and JP graduating from dark corners to genuinely hooking up- which wasn’t too hard considering their mothers had bonded and were often over each other’s homes, dragging their willing children along. At least, that’s what it seemed like to the two teens. Turns out that Avi and Robyn had begun dating, and this was made clear when they officially announced it to their families a bit later into the summer. With a few side-eyes and more than a few shrugged shoulders, Gavriel and JP continued as if the announcement had no effect on their current standing. And it didn’t, not really; they continued to hang, on occasion bang, and overall grow closer. They wouldn’t have to have too serious of a conversation until their moms decide to tie the knot less than a year later. Even then, as Rye would so kindly put it to JP one night: "We didn't grow up together, didn't have formative years together, but we’ve definitely had good times together. Why should that stop?"

The Game picked up during Sophomore year, but now Rye was also juggling the integration of a new family dynamic. Luckily, thanks to Gardenview and having been brought along to each other’s homes, it wasn’t a rough transition, just a weird one. There were extra toothbrushes in their bathroom drawer in case any of the Phillips’ stayed over, Robyn got a drawer in his mom’s room and his mother likewise got one in Robyn’s. By the end of Sophomore year, he lived in a household of Seven instead of an apartment of Two. He was a sibling and a new son and he was adjusting as well as he could. By the time his and Danny’s game had ended- earlier than intended and with worse consequences than expected- Rye had finally settled into a real life in Edenridge. In his own opinion, it was about damn time too.

In the summer before Senior year, Danny had gone off to camp and Rye had spent plenty of time with the Boaz brothers, who were now living Northside. Rye didn’t mind, Danny had to do his own thing, and the Boaz’s were practically family by that point anyways. But that also led to them trusting him, led to Decky leaving Danny with him. He would never stop wondering if his presence in the cafeteria that day caused little Danny Boaz’s death.

Shooting and Aftermath

He’d been sitting in the cafeteria already, so when Decky walked in he’d had little Danny sit with him while he left to talk to the auto shop teacher. Rye had to be told much of what happened next, but he remembered that he heard the gunshot and pulled little Danny for cover. He took note of Charlie just before Decky came back through the doors. His distraction let Danny go before Rye could catch him, but he ran after the boy.

The same bullet that hit Danny hit Rye, and they went to the ground together. He had Danny’s blood on him and was bleeding himself, but Danny Belmonte’s sister Elisa helped him. Then together they took charge of first aid until the ambulances arrived. They did everything they could together until Rye passed out.

According to his very tearful mother when he next woke in a hospital bed, he had collapsed into unconsciousness almost as soon as the ambulance sirens were heard. She spent the next half hour alternating between scolding him for causing himself more harm, and praising him for doing everything he could to help. He asked her about Decky, about Niles, about anyone and everyone he could think of in the school that he’d cared for. There was so much death, and Gavriel realized that- unlike the previous deaths in Edenridge- he was heavily affected this time. By the time he was out of his hospital bed and dreading apologizing to Decky, the other boy had already left. And not just the hospital, but Edenridge as a whole. Gavriel would never know just how much Decky hated him, or if he blamed him, and that would cycle in his head for years to come.

After everything that happened, Rye all but destroyed his public persona. He stopped going to parties- not that there were many to be had- and he holed himself up in his room more often than not. He woke up screaming in the middle of the night, waking up most of the Phillips-Shomer household at least once a week. He began weekly therapy- both physical and mental- but even talking through everything and getting a second opinion didn’t stop him from blaming himself for the loss of Danny Boaz. He skipped school constantly and relied heavily on Niles and Danny, who had both stayed by him at the hospital, for the little social interaction he still craved. He found himself having a silent bond with Elisa when he saw her in between classes, but he couldn’t bear to actually speak about what they did together. He couldn’t bear trying to just think of the lives saved instead of those lost. He didn’t go to prom, he hadn’t even tried to so much as ask anyone if they were going. He just barely scraped by to get to graduation, a far cry from his previous B+ average. There was nothing left of the boy that arrived four and a half years previous. One of his only shining moments was finally getting almost full range of motion back to his shoulder, and that wasn’t exactly something you throw a party to.

Most of Rye’s time now is spent between Sinclair Health for his mom, Palermo for Danny, and Main Street Music for JP and great-uncle Eddie. He’d see Niles whenever the other man came in from Chicago, but most of their time interacting has been through phone calls. Gardenview though…Gardenview was lost to him, no matter how much his family tried to convince him back. There were just too many memories with the Boaz’s there. Shale understands, though, and has no problem meeting him at Lyon park every now and then for a spiritual chat. The fresh air does him good, anyway.

For this last summer he had been back in Cleveland, taking care of his maternal grandma after a surgery. Now that she was back on her feet, however, Rye was on his way back to Edenridge, having just barely avoided the events in Chapter 1.

Extra:
Rye has Tinnitus and often has music or some other noise going on in the background to drown most of it out.
Rye enjoys dancing and listening to most music with a nice beat, but he's partial to Rap and Hip Hop
Theme Song- Wedding Speech by the Flatliners.
Font- Inclitodo
FC- Joshua Basett- #28e0af
Family:
Avigail Phillips-Shomer(50)| Birth Mom | FC- Gabrielle Anwar- #2ed969
Played by @LovelyComplex
Robyn Ellie Phillips-Shomer(54)| Stepmom | FC- Nicole Kidman- #e7b87d
Sable Xylia Phillips-Shomer(23)| Oldest Stepsister | FC- Taylor Cameron Upsahl- #e1795b
Jericho Xavier Phillips-Shomer "JP"(21)| Stepbrother | FC- Tyler Young- #a8d16a
Winnie Cooper Phillips-Shomer(18)| Younger Stepsister | FC- Hunter Schafer- #e1c75c
Mallory Skye Phillips-Shomer(16)| Youngest Stepsister | FC- Jo Ellen Pellman- #e48585

@BrutalBx@Venus
I finally got him finished :')

Edenridge

a @metanoia @LovelyComplex and @Aces Away collaboration featuring Mordechai and Danny Boaz, Penelope James, and Jade Taylor

---

Walking on the sidewalk of Carlisle Avenue, with headphones on, over a mustard-colored knitted beanie, Penelope James found herself in a fever dream, as she made her way through the crowd in contemplative silence. Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi blasted in her ears as the night came to life. Halloween gave people permission to make-believe and be a kid again, or a monster. Whether they gained an inner sense of joy in masks and costumes or they simply wanted to indulge in all the candy and spooky themed desserts, the community of Edenridge thrived on nights like this.

This night was livelier than usual. At least on this street, the people she glided past had suspended disbelief and chose to spend time with their ghosts, in ignorant bliss, as if they never died. A sister in a fairy costume prancing beside her dead brother, who died the day of the shooting. A mother holding back her tears and gathering all four of her children, half deceased, to take a picture together. Two ghost lovers, Penelope was pretty sure they were in the Acapella group, embraced each other tightly. She even saw some folks in fashion that were decades old, perhaps they were ancestors.

It was weird and oddly… beautiful, in a sad kind of way. Poppy was sure not everyone was as accepting as these individuals were, as they crossed the border of North and South. For example, she, herself, wasn’t ready to talk to her ghost. However, she understood where their heart was. No one knew how long this happenstance would last and they didn’t want to waste any time. Admirable, really, how they can bury all their hurt to enjoy the moment.

If only it was that easy for her…

After slipping into a hole in the chain gate surrounding the track, a hole that was made years ago, Poppy left the fever dream behind where the dead and living celebrated Halloween together, and took the shortcut to the park. A shortcut that led to an area she shared with Mordechai, Danny, Jade, and... Charlie. Through the track, climbing over the bordering gate, and entering the surrounding dark wood, Poppy took out her flashlight and walked a path less traveled, especially as of late. A barely noticeable hiking trail now covered by nature.

When she reached a tree marked with initials of lovers, instead of following the happy trail that led to a lovers’ den for teens, she walked off the path and let her memory take her to the next destination. When she arrived at an open area in the wood, a small circle clearing with the best moonlight, she saw the Boaz brothers sitting by the black oak tree on the makeshift camping ground they made to cloud and stargaze. Aside from an unused campfire, the only other noteworthy thing was a rustic mailbox that likely had books inside it that they hadn’t touched for years. Mordechai had his phone light on and both him and his little brother looked up at the starry sky.

After putting her headphones around her neck and turning off her music, she watched the two boys turn to her (likely hearing her rustling). Waving the flashlight, she announced her arrival, “Hey.” Strolling onward, she apologized, “Sorry for making you two wait, I was having… a time. No, no need to get up, I’m coming to you.” As soon as she entered their bubble, she crouched down and opened her arms, offering Danny a hug, “It’s good to see you, Danny.” It seemed at least for now, or at least for Danny, Poppy was embracing the odd phenomena of ghosts owning the night.

Danny happily returned the hug, squeezing her tight before pulling back and grinning at her. Mordechai watched the exchange from his own spot, soaking up every moment of seeing his brother that he could.

They'd been there a while longer in their near-silence until Poppy had arrived, the emotions from their last conversation draining even the lifeless brother of energy. Danny had quietly pointed out the constellations visible through the clearing while Mordechai worked on not shutting down emotionally before Pops could even get there. Now, though, she was here with them once more.

"Poppy!" Danny cheered, still hugging her like he was a little kid instead of the two of them being the same height. Danny had been on his way through a growth spurt, already shooting up a couple inches the summer before the shooting. "Did'ja come alone?" He asked confusedly, looking around. "What happened ta Ch- ta whoever visited ya?"

Mordechai eyed his brother as he actively searched for other ghosts, meeting Poppy's eyes with his own question about the specter that everyone knew would appear to her first, maybe exclusively.

“He’s… seeking answers.” Penelope gave a weak smile, her gaze shifting between brothers, before clearing her throat, “I’m sure he’ll show up when the time is right.” And when that happens, maybe she’ll be ready to talk to him.

Shifting the subject, she stared at Danny, running her hands through his hair. “You haven’t changed much.” Danny rolled his eyes good naturedly in response. One thing she realized about ghosts were, their touch is only possible if you deem it so. Consent and power of will. If you don’t want to be touched, you can reject them, like she did with Charlie not so long ago - walking right through him.

Staring at the boy that was like a little brother to her, Poppy could feel the nostalgia grow heavy in her chest, like it was only yesterday. Like it was only yesterday when she last saw him walking into the main building, as she made her way to the gymnasium. Usually, she would’ve gone with him to get some breakfast but… she was asked to wait in the gym.

How strange this all felt.

Was this a blessing or a curse?

“How’s it to be back? Even if it’s just for a little while.”

"It's...watery?" Danny answered, tilting his head into her fingers a bit more. Mordechai looked at him questioningly so he continued. "Like this- I r'member what this felt like when you an' Decky used ta do it but I can't feel it now. The only thing I really feel is the pull ta go ta someone, like I did with Decky when this started, everythin' else is just memory."

"So no cold or hot? No pressure?" Mordechai asked, shuffling closer to them and crossing his legs. Danny shook his head.

"Nothin' at all, but that don't mean I don't want the contact." The younger boy admitted, settling himself between the two and snuggling up to them both. "But seein' y'all? Hearin' 'bout your life, Decky, 'bout your kids an' friends? It's a gift that's gonna bring me a lotta peace." Mordechai sniffed and tilted his head to rest against Danny's while the boy practically glowed in contentment. "I think we all deserve a lil' peace."

As much as Penelope wanted to drop her defenses, she was still on edge from seeing multiple dead people. The rational part in her brain couldn’t turn off. In addition to that, she had this gut feeling that something like this shouldn’t have happened, messing with the natural world so unnaturally… something bad was bound to happen.

Something bad always happened in Edenridge.

While the brothers enjoyed each other’s presence, Penelope was quick to hear something come from the wood. Without any hesitation, she pulled out her father’s gun, adjusted her position for better aim, and took it out of safety, “Who’s there?” It’s been awhile since Danny saw Poppy last and rarely did he see this side of her. The most prominent memories he would have of her is when she babysat and read to him, not this girl with a gun who carried so much weight on her shoulders.

The eerie darkness lended itself to the blonde as she almost snickered whilst in the darkness. “Now I know you’re not aiming that at me, PB&J,” Jade smirked as her figure became more than a silhouette her black-on-black costume made her out to be. She came with a cigarette pressed between her lips and she took it up between her right index and middle fingers, blowing the smoke out.

As Jade went closer to her soul sister, there was a moment where they exchanged a glance. Jade was happy to see her (though she could have done without the gun). Southside life, huh? But what made the blonde take a double take was who she saw beside Decky. Either she was seeing things like she had been all night or she saw Danny right there in the flesh.

“There’s no way…” She heard herself say as her steps were slow but she was getting closer and closer to Danny. She went right past Poppy and found herself looking directly at the boy she believed to be dead. She got a bit close to the boy and really found herself studying his face for an uncomfortable few seconds. “It really is you, isn’t it?”

With a sigh of relief, Penelope put the gun back into safety. Standing up, she gave Jade her moment with Danny as she surveyed the area.

"'S really me, J," Danny replied, reaching out to tap her nose with his finger as proof. "We're all back, just for a little bit." He looked at his other older sister. While he spent a lot more time with Poppy, Danny still loved Jade just as much as he did all of his older 'siblings', and he was happy to get to see her, knowing she suffered just as much as the others. He held his arms open in an invitation for a hug, not wanting to push her with the bombshell of his presence already having dropped.

"He woke me up in a den an' freaked me the fuck out," Decky explained, glancing at Poppy and deciding that bringing up Charlie was her choice. "Creed's dad an' both'a Jokes' parents are back. I haven't heard anythin' from Sonny, but a few other Serpents are seein' old crewmates an' family."

There was a moment where Jade felt herself hesitate. Not out of some reservation that she had that this was real. The fact that Danny talked back to a very specific question she asked put any of those thoughts to rest, yet she wasn’t quick to hug him. She didn’t know why she recoiled her arms close to her chest. Maybe it was the overwhelming amount of emotion flowing through her heart and soul and that if Danny was back, did that mean…

Charlie.. The thought of his name and face and things she left unsaid, she was about to let it all show.

So she embraced Danny in a comforting hug.

And for a moment, the reality of him being a ghost was almost taking shape. As she went to wrap her arms around him, she felt not only hers go through his, but his go through hers. And for a moment, she hoarsely murmured: ”no..”, like she didn’t want it to just be like how ghosts were in the movies. She didn’t want him to go through her like a wall.

Then by some miracle of whatever fuckery was happening tonight, Jade could feel him. He didn’t feel like a ghost and she was smiling. And she shed some tears as she hugged Danny tighter like she needed it more than she was initially letting on. Danny held back just as tight, burying his face in her shoulder to cover the fear he had gained at almost falling through her, of being lost twice.

Mordechai continued his silent observations while he allowed the two their moment, his head tilted to the side. Everything and everyone in Edenridge had a habit of reverting to their base selves, and without the people that helped push them forward, they'd all been stagnant for years. This ghost thing was confusing, most definitely a blessing and curse all muddled together, but it might just finally give all the living residents thier second wind. He could get behind that.

When they'd had a proper amount of time attached to their hug, he finally spoke up. "Not that we ain't all happy ta see ya or nothin', Boychik," he started, running a hand through his hair which had doubled in length since Danny's lifetime. "But if we've got everyone back, don't that include...y'know, the serial killers and enemies too? There's been a lot over the years."

"I mean, I don't know everyone that's ever been buried in Edenridge," Danny replied, biting his lip and looking up in thought. "but yeah; there's a good chance it ain't gonna be sunshine and rainbows for everyone t'night."

“Yeah, we should get going.” Poppy didn’t hesitate in replying, ready to take on the night by storm. “The sooner we find answers, the better.” Already, she switched her gun out with a flashlight, before deeply sighing, “The dead are back and that ain’t right. As much as I love seeing faces of the past, it hurts. Like a bitch. And I can only imagine the balance of nature, well, it’s fucked. Now come on, we don’t have all night.”

That last statement had more weight than any of them realized. While the night was young, time was ticking and they were being watched.

Edenridge

They were sitting on the ground at their spot, staring up into the evening sky. Danny had his head resting against Mordechai's shoulder, eyes tracing the clouds.

"I let ya die."

Mordechai broke the silence for the first time since they'd settled down, his voice quiet and crackling from emotion. They had gotten his life updates out of the way on the stumble-walk over, and had been enjoying the sounds of nature since, unsure of what to say.

"Ya didn't let anythin' happen. Ya couldn't even really move at the time, I r'member that. Charlie'd stabbed ya and pistol whipped ya- what? Twice?" Danny easily denied him the guilt he'd carried for two years, closing his eyes and leaning further into Mordechai, the older brother actively working not to tense at the cold that radiated from him.

"He was my fault too," Mordechai argued. "He was my responsibility just as much as you were."

"Charlie had 'is own issues, Deck, just like we did. Why is it all on you?"

"I was the decidin' factor in jumpin' him outta the Serpents," Mordechai revealed, shoulders tense and eyes steadfast on the sky. "ReyRey told me he woulda killed 'im if I didn't make the decision. I thought I was savin' 'is life but I just prolonged it enough for 'im to take you with." His fingers dug into the grass beneath him as he spoke. "Some brother I was, huh? Both blood and soul."

"Are ya serious right now?" Danny finally lifted his head to stare at his older brother. "Decky ya may've been a domino in the chain of events but you were not the only reason Charlie cracked. ReyRey wasn't no help, momma Decker bein' sick wasn't no help, losin' his place in the Serpents wasn't either. I still don't really know why…why he killed me but I know I don't blame you. I don't even think I blame Charlie," he admitted, raising himself to his knees to block Mordechai's view of the sky and make him focus on his brother. "He was sick, and alone, and probably scared, definitely angry. If ya didn't have me an' Sonny and then Poppy an' Jade an' Charlie, and then the Serpents, who's ta say ya wouldn't'a gone a bit crazy? What if I never had you? I'da been dead a lot sooner. What if Lanie didn't make ya leave the Serpents an' get clean? What if Beau didn't take us i-"

"What's your point, Danny?" Mordechai interrupted, hugging his knees as he looked away.

"My point, dummy, is leave the What If's ta the dead, we got nothin' better ta do with our time. But you can choose ta move forward and live instead'a survive. I'm stuck here, there is no movin' forward for me. But ya got kids now and you're talkin' ta Poppy an' Jade again. Ya don't have ta get outta the life again, ya just gotta make sure ya still have one ta live." He scowled there. "And since I woke ya up with a needle in your arm and a guilty look on your face, I know you're makin' bad choices and livin' in the past. But all that's left for ya there is us, the ghosts, and we can't help ya figure out how to live. It's not really our thing."

Mordechai stared at his brother with sorrow and grief written into every line of his body.

"It shoulda been me, though," Mordechai lamented quietly, reaching out to grip the collar of Danny's jacket. "You were gonna go places, do things, kick ass and take names all in one. I'm the broken one, I'm the one that always fucks up. No one woulda cared if I'd gone down that da- oof!" He was cut off as he was shoved backward till his back hit the ground. His brother was now sitting on his chest and glaring down at him.

"In this scenario, I'da been alive, so I woulda missed ya. I woulda lost my brother and guardian, the only person I ever loved with all my heart. Lanie woulda lost her boyfriend in a way that wasn't trauma induced abandonment-" and fuck, no one but Danny could say that and retain a lack of judgement in his tone. "-Sonny woulda gone off the deep end, Jade an' Poppy woulda still lost a Boaz! I don't care if ya left the damn state, Decky, ya left your mark on people here just like I did."

Mordechai stared at the sky behind his brother's head, silent but openly emotional. There were tears welling in his eyes and trailing down his face, his bottom lip and chin were quivering as he clenched his jaw defiantly.

"Say it."

"Say what." the flat tone he used barely allowed the words to be a question.

Danny pushed his face closer to his older brother's, face calm and serious. "Say ya matter, say ya wanna live, say it ain't on your shoulders, say-"

"Ya know I don't say shit I don't believe," Mordechai cut in with a bitter smile. "'m sorry it includes all'a that shit ya wanna hear."

Danny huffed out a breath he no longer needed and rolled off of Mordechai to lay beside him, arms thrown to the sides. "I can't believe ya right now. No, that's a lie I totally can, ya've always been like this. I just want ya ta be better."

"No magical one day fix for that, Boychik."

"No, I guess not...Think about what I said though?"

"Of course. For you."

"Good 'nough then."

They went back to watching the stars come out as if nothing happened at all.

Edenridge

FT. Mordechai Boaz, Danny Boaz, Penelope James, Charlie Decker^@BrutalBx
Small FT. Maxine James

---

---

"Baby brother," a young Mordechai Boaz breathed out in awe as he stared at his new brother in his 'crib': a cardboard box with ratty blankets thrown in that Mordechai had done his best to make comfortable. "I'll stay with you. I'll protec' you."

The infant giggled in his sleep and Mordechai's responding smile caused his lip to break open again from his father's slap earlier, but he paid it no mind.

"I'll never leave you."

'I Promise.'

~~~

"-cky…"

The world was nothing but streaks and blurs of color as he slowly pulled himself from the darkness.

"-ecky. Wake u-"

The floor was cold and dirty, newspapers and rags strewn under and around him in a mock of comfort. The blankets were moldy.

"-cky come on."

The needle was itching from where it was still in his arm, and he reached blindly to take it out.

"Decky I'm serious, wake the fuck up!"

A slap against his cheek finally had him opening his eyes and lurching into a sitting position, hand going for the knife in his back pocket. He paused halfway there when the face before him finally solidified and came together in his vision. He then promptly turned to the side and got rid of what little food was in his stomach.

Before him sat Daniel Boaz, dressed in Mordechai's old beaten Serpent jacket that he had grown out of, a dark green t-shirt and gray jeans. Mordechai's old boots were on his feet.

Just like the day he died.

To wrap up the macabre little hallucination, if you looked past the curls that fell over his forehead, a small hole was right in the middle just above his brows.

Noticing his gaze, the younger boy's face twisted in embarrassment as he frantically brushed the curls with his fingers to cover more of his forehead. "S-sorry! I thought I had it covered up! But ya also shouldn't stare! S'rude!" The boy stuttered as Mordechai just stared with wide eyes.

"Wh...at?" Mordechai croaked.

"I said starin's rude. Ya taught me that keepin' your eyes down kept ya safe, 'member?"

Mordechai just stared.

"C'mon Decky-" the name made him flinch, and Danny's frown grew. "What? Why are you flinchin'? It's me." He sounded hurt, and that tone from him practically set fire to his previously put out brotherly instincts.

"N-no it's not you! I just haven't used that name since y-" he froze mid explanation as he realized what he was about to say, voice going quiet and shaky. "What is this?"

"Um…'m not exactly sure?" Danny sat back on his heels from where he'd been kneeling. "I just kinda woke up next to ya a lil' bit ago, been tryin'a wake ya up for a while now. Thought ya might've...y'know."

"...Oh," was the eloquent reply. "Um...well I didn't," he reassured weakly. "But I ain't sure m'not still trippin'."

"No no it's me!" Danny chirped excitedly. "It's not just me either! I think it was a lot of us, actually."

"A...lot of ya."

"Yeah! Y'know," he wiggled his fingers and made a spooky moaning noise. "the gravestone crew."

"Right…"

"Anyway! Where're Poppy an' Jade? And Sonny? I'm guessin' since you're usin' again you an' Lanie broke up, so maybe I'll visit her myself later, but I really wanna see everyone so- what are ya doin'?"

The phone was already up to Mordechai's ear, the ringing loud in the silent drug den as Danny stared at him petulantly.

Buried under a pile of clothes, Penelope’s phone began to ring a generic ringtone. She wasn’t one to go out of her way to find a ringtone for people, regardless of how close she was with them. There were folks that put sentimental value in actions like that, but she just saw her phone as a means to contact someone or be contacted. She wasn’t even a romantic and more often than not when people flirted with her, it went over her head. It did not help that she wasn’t looking for affection and nostalgia, either. Not since Charlie died.

Laying on the bed in a daze, not really aware if she fell asleep or not or if she had been staring at the ceiling the whole night, Poppy grumbled to herself when the insufferable ring resonated in her bedroom. Sluggishly, she picked herself up and scanned her room, which was slowly but surely returning to a healthy and clean state, with clothes folded on her bed, belongings and books in their designated areas, and the sight of the floor once more. Still, she had a few piles of clothes to deal with, one pile to donate, one pile to toss, and another pile of ‘maybes’ that her sister would be great at convincing her what to toss and what to keep.

Following the sound, crawling on her knees, she dug in one of the piles, with mild struggle. After making the other person wait for a few seconds, she mutterily answered the line, not checking who it was on the other side, “Hello?”

"Pops thank god, I think I'm fuckin' losin' it here," Mordechai answered in a rush as he struggled to stand up, freezing when he felt the hallucination of his brother helping him. "I-I think my last hit was laced or somethin' cause I'm seeing Boychik and he just helped me fuckin' stand up." He could hear his own heartbeat in his ears, feel his blood heating in his veins as his nerves went alright in panic.

"It's not a hallucination, Decky!" Danny cried from where he threw his older brother's arm over his shoulder. "It's really me, come on!"

He clenched the phone tighter and let out a small whimper. "It's so fuckin' real Pops."

“What are you on about?” Poppy rubbed her face, contemplating how early it was or late. What time was it even? Well, regardless if the sun was up or not, none of that mattered. Her friend was having a mental breakdown. “Do you need me to come over? Are you—” She hadn’t even registered half of the things Decky said, but she did hear a small voice on the other line. “—Do you have someone over?”

Boychik.

“or are you just missing Danny?” After picking herself up, Penelope put her phone on speaker, followed up by placing it on her bed. As she waited for Mordechai’s response, she stretched her arms, legs, and body, not knowing if this was a moment she should panic and rush to his street or be calm, cool, and collected, because he needed that from her. There was no point in having two people freaking the fuck out because of anxiety or grief or whatever mental issues they both had.

"I'm always missin' 'im Pops, I'm just usually not seein' 'im too."

“Jesus woman; after everything you still don’t lock your window? You’re a mad bitch, Poppy.”

Charlie Decker tumbled through the open sash window as he had done from the age of five until the day he died when he was eighteen. He crashed down to the floor as he always did, never understanding how tall and lanky he actually was. Every single time he entered the window he caught his stupid big feet.

He hadn’t aged a day; he looked exactly like he did on that awful day all those years ago, save one thing; the leather jacket that now hung on the back of Penelope’s desk chair. His jet black hair was loose over his face and his fingers were adorned with rings (Decker did like his hot topic bling). His black jeans and Doc Martens were a little bit dirty and his faded band t-shirt was stained with likely cream cheese. As he sprang back up to his full height, Charlie’s face scrunched up as he caught wind of a foul stench.

“It smells like ass in here.” He wandered over to the bed and took a seat on the edge. “Is that…? Stale bagels? How could you waste such a gift?”

In times like these, people had three responses. Fight. Flight. Or Freeze. The voice she had heard come from the window had grown faint over the last year, but still she could remember it like it was yesterday. With wide eyes, she eyed the boy in front of her and the first thing her mind could think of was…

Slap!

Caught up in a nightmare or a dream, Penelope was quick to grab her phone and not take in the boy that should be dead. Instead, she ran to the bathroom, locked the door, and ran into her sister’s room. In complete denial, she convinced herself there was a stranger in her room.

“Uhhhh…. M-mordechai.” As if seeing Charlie wasn’t painful enough, her older sister came out of the closet holding some of her untouched, lonesome clothes.

“You guys seriously haven’t touched anything here. Nothing’s changed, aside from the occasional dust bunnies. Poppy, where's my blue dress? You know the one you wore junior year when you wanted to confess—”

Max…

“MORDECHAI!” Alarms setting off, the first thing Poppy thought of was where the nearest firearm was. Her dad had them hidden throughout the house but the nearest would be her parents' room. Mad dashing, she bolted out of one room, going down the hall, and entering the other, locking the door. Why did her parents have to be at work now?!

Swiftly she searched her mom’s dresser until she found the revolver, as she did so she instructed her friend, “We need to meet. Now. Whatever you caught is spreading. I, I’m seeing… what the fuck is going on? This has to be a dream.” Taking the gun off of its safety, there was a moment where Poppy contemplated shooting herself. That would force herself to wake up but instead she heard a sound and pointed the gun straight to where it was coming from.

Charlie stood by the door with his hands raised. The side of his face was red raw after Poppy’s slap. “I wouldn’t do that, Poppy. Getting shot isn’t as painless as the movies make it seem,” He offered her a smile, a soft one that only she was ever privy to. “You’re not crazy. You’re not dead. I’m here. Max is here too. I don’t have all the details but something has gone wrong and well, I’m here to help.”

There was probably some rational explanation; Charlie didn’t have it at that moment though. He was like a newborn babe, experiencing the world, the warmth and the light for the first time. Yet he remembered everything. He remembered the smell of bagels, the constant tears of his mother, the words of Keats and the way he felt about Penelope James. Even in death or afterlife or wherever the hell he was, his heart always belonged to her. He took several steps forward and placed his hands on either side of her cheek.

“I had to come back to you, whilst I’ve got the chance.”

“Fuck.” As much as Penelope was a fighter by heart, with Charlie or his ghost, she felt the storm inside of her come to a calm. Dropping the arm that held the revolver, she put it back into safety mode, gazing at him with only conflict in her eyes. None of this made any logical sense. There was no rationality behind any of this and the fact that she could feel… his hands felt cold. Still, how could she know this was indeed Charlie Decker? The ghost showed no ill intent as she stood there before him in her pajamas, not an uncommon thing while he was alive.

Part of her wanted to give in, but the part that won, for now, pulled her back, cautious and afraid. “You… you don’t get to do that. Fuck. I need a cigarette.” Stepping back to put distance between her and her dead first love, Penelope spoke into her phone, “Meet me at our spot. Make sure everyone else is okay… bring Danny.”

Then her line went dead.

Mordechai had already begun a stumbling dash out of the den, calling uselessly back to Poppy as she called his name, her tone more distressed each time. He could have sworn he'd heard- but no, it couldn't be! Danny was keeping up with him, and that's another hint towards it being a hallucination because Danny could never keep up with his sprint when he was alive. He almost came to a complete standstill in the middle of the street when she said she'd caught his hallucinations. And, is that a thing, is that possible? But then Charlie's voice was back and Mordechai straight up tripped over his own feet and face planted into the street, Danny's sympathetic hiss loud in his ears. He took a moment to breathe and swallow back the bile threatening to rise in his throat, and then he grabbed up his phone- and the screen is cracked even more, great- just in time for her to summon him-them-to their spot. He didn't even get a chance to respond before she hung up, and he was left staring dumbly down the street with his phone still held to his ear.

"Soooo," Danny piped up from behind him, rocking back and forth on his heels and toes with his hands behind his back. "We get to go see Poppy?"

Silence. Mordechai turned to stare blankly at his baby brother, waiting for an answer to fall into his lap. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he reached out to the boy. Danny happily took advantage of the outstretched arm and ducked under it, latching around Mordechai's torso and smashing his face into his chest. The older of the two stiffened, breath hitching and hands twitching uselessly before he practically melted, folding over his baby brother and holding him tight.

"What the hell is this?" He breathed, his voice cracked and wavering.

"I don't know, but 'm not exactly upset either." Danny whispered into his chest, not letting go. Even with the changes-he's so cold, he feels solid but it's still like I'd slip through if I pushed hard enough, his chest ain't movin' 'cause he's not fuckin' breathin'- hugging Danny was like coming home in the best of ways.

Edenridge

with @BrutalBx

TRIGGER WARNING FOR SEVERE CHILD ABUSE

---

“You think this is a fuckin’ game, boy?” Benjamin Boaz growled from his position towering over a seven year old Danny, eyes bloodshot and nose crusted with white powder as a sheen of sweat coated his skin. Danny was shaking so visibly one could almost worry he would pull a Flash and vibrate straight through the floor. Chest heaving, Beni grabbed a fistful of his youngest’s shirt and hauled the boy off his feet to dangle uselessly as he struggled. “Answer me!”

“I-I don’t know!” The child cried, blood running down from his nose to trickle onto his shirt and by default his father’s hand as well. “I don’t know what I did!”

“That’s the damn problem!!” Beni yelled before tossing the boy to the side, his small body rolling a couple feet before coming to a sudden halt as his back hit his mother’s legs.

“Why’d you throw him at me?” Alana asked before roughly shoving the boy away with one foot, arms crossed. “Throw him in his room if you don’t wanna look at him.”

Before Beni could reply, the front door flew open to reveal a haggard looking Decky Boaz, freshly in his double digits despite his size indicating otherwise. His eyes immediately locked onto his baby brother’s shaking and slumped frame at the other side of the living room. His heart stumbled before jumping right out of his chest and towards Danny, his body only following a moment later.

“Dan-erhg!” The back of his collar was yanked in the opposite direction of his body, cutting off his air supply and making him splutter and cough as he tried to take a breath. Beni dragged his eldest to the other side of the room, far from his brother, before throwing him like a ragdoll against the wall. Decky caught himself palms first before using the force to spin himself around, glaring at his father with his back against the wall. His eyes searched for Danny again, but all he got to see was the ugly, threadbare plaid of his father’s shirt right in front of him. A blow across his cheekbone sent him to the ground before he was hauled back up against the wall.

“You better learn to pay attention to me you piece of shit,” his father growled out, eyes wide and predatory. “Don’t you get between me and your brother when he needs punishment, or I’ll give it all to you and then some.”

“So do it!” Decky yelled, making his father jerk back in surprise before the scowl retook his features and another sharp crack! was heard through the room as Beni left a hand shaped mark on his cheek.

“You wanna take his beatin’,” Beni replied with a poisonous glare. “that’s just fine. Lana, keep the other watchin’.”

“Wait wh-”

CRACK!

Decky’s head whipped to the side, his body following after as he slumped halfway down the wall before pushing himself back up.

“You didn’t think he’d get off that easy did you? You taking his punishment doesn’t teach him anythin’ unless he fuckin’ sees it!”

CRACK!

Decky got lost in the pain soon after, able to focus on nothing but staying conscious.

“DECKY!” Danny cried out, holding his injured shoulder but still reaching for his older brother.

“Nuh uh, you little leach,” Lana scolded, holding the boy’s jaw in a bruising grip and yanking him forward on his knees, making him stumble and- had it not been for the hand holding his jaw- almost crash his chin into the floor. “What do you think you’re doing? You think you can help? Think you can be his little hero?” His mother taunted, nails digging into his cheeks and drawing blood. “C’mon, smile, you just got out of a world of pain. The least you could do is watch.”

Danny whimpered and sobbed in her hold, whole body shaking and tears burning trails down his face as he watched his father deliver blow after blow on his older brother. The entire time, his mother held his face in place with one hand while alternating between a cigarette and a bourbon bottle with the other, not a care in the world as her child’s blood sprayed across the dingy wall with each hit. A few minutes in, she looked down upon feeling the weight increase in her hand and gave out an aggravated sigh at the sight, pulling her hand off Danny’s chin as though it burned her. The youngest Boaz had fallen unconscious, unable to handle the physical and emotional stress of the night.

With all the care of someone dragging a sack of manure, Alana dragged her youngest into his room by the back of his collar before tossing him onto the floor and closing the door, pushing both locks in place before turning the key lock for good measure. She then returned to the living room to see her oldest on the ground with his back leaning heavily on the wall while his chest rose and fell with a few stutters in between.

Decky’s face was a bloody mess, one of his eyes was swollen shut and there were deep splits on his cheeks from where his father’s knuckles had landed. His shirt, already a baggy and threadbare mess, had the collar completely torn apart while the rest of the fabric stayed stretched out from Benjamin's fists twisting into it, leaving the upper half of his chest exposed to reveal the trail of blood running all the way from his nose to his torso. As she watched, more blood poured out of his nose and trickled its way down the path until it got absorbed by the fabric hanging at his sternum. Benjamin was standing over the dazed boy as his shoulders rose and fell with labored breaths, though for very different reasons than her son.

“Looks like he’s still got some fight left,” She mentioned, raising an uncaring eyebrow at the boy she previously thought unconscious as he struggled to lift his head and give his father a one-eyed glare, arm shakily pushing his torso into a straighter position. “Can’t even take a beatin’ right, what a fuckin’ burden.” A harsh thump and gasp rang out behind her as she turned her back to them, making a beeline for the untouched line of coke on the table. With her latest cigarette still between two fingers, Alana knelt down and quickly took in the line, rubbing her nose harshly afterwards. Hopping up from her spot, she turned to Beni and Decky with her eyes blown wide and a sneer on her face. “‘S’all you’ll ever be, too.” She flicked her cigarette butt at her eldest and watched in fascination as it landed on his exposed chest and sat there, causing him to jump and wince harshly as the cherry burned a small gash into his skin before he could knock it off. Decky let out a harsh breath as the pain set in, the exhale wet and rattling.

“Huh,” she huffed out in intrigue, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it, passing it to Beni as she knelt in front of Decky, gripping his jaw the same way she had Danny’s earlier. “Guess we’ll have to make sure you don’t forget.”

In a mock of a loving gesture, Alana slid a hand to grasp the back of his neck as he attempted to steady his glare onto her. She smiled coldly as the cigarette was passed back to her, taking a hit before thrusting the burning end into the spot just below where the other cigarette had hit him. The reaction was immediate: Decky convulsed violently against the pain, and Alana tightened her grip on his neck painfully, holding him in place until his skin put the whole thing out. This continued for the next thirty minutes until both of the Boaz adults had run through their cartons, his father eventually having had to hold him down on the floor by his shoulders because of his struggling.

The end result was an angry, inflamed red word stretching from the middle of his chest, over his left pectoral and across his left collarbone. For the rest of his life, Decky would have the reminder of this night. BURDEN. His eyes were wide and glassy, his arms limply spread out on the floor as he stared at the ceiling without really seeing it, a small whimper making its way past his lip’s defenses every few seconds.

“God, I can’t fuckin’ stand the sight’a ya right now.” Beni spoke up from his place crouched over the boy. With a grunt of exertion, the man got himself up before grasping the dark locks of his eldest son’s hair and dragging him ruthlessly to the door, tossing him out and sliding the locks into place behind him with a final click.

Bruised, battered, and broken, Decky stayed slumped half over their front stoop for the next five minutes, mumbling his brother’s name over and over in a hoarse whisper.

“...Mob…” Decky’s head flew up from where it had been resting against his limp arms, his one good eye falling on Sonny Cernis in all his ragged glory. Sonny had his own cuts and bruises, and the other boy’s face was twisted up into something awful when he saw the state his friend was in, seemingly unable to choose between rage and dismay. It ended up in the most twisted grimace Decky had ever seen on Sunshine, and he didn’t like it at all.

“They kept Danny in our room,” Decky let out with a broken sob. “They made ‘im watch and now he’s in there ‘n’ I’m stuck out here. They made him watch, Sunshine.”

Sonny’s eyes turned stormy, their normal pale green hue darkened to a dull gray with his rage. He dropped down beside Decky and hovered his hands nervously over all his wounds. When the battered boy turned himself over, Sonny’s eyes went wide at the sight of his chest. Catching sight of the other’s stirring emotions, Decky huffed out wetly.

"Don't do that, Sunshine, there's nothing you could do."

"There's somethin' we could both do, actually," Sonny declared, casting his gaze down the street to where you could see a few people camped out on the corner. "They protect their own, right?"

"Can’t stop either of our parents without us ending up in the system," Decky retorted venomously, but Sonny knew none of it was directed at him. “we just gotta wait for them to OD or somethin’. Give us time to avoid it.”

"Maybe," he replied. "or maybe we can make them hurt and scared once we help ourselves first."

And that? That had Decky pausing long enough to really consider the option. It could help him. It could help Sunshine. It could help Danny if he plays his card right.

It...really wasn’t something he had any reason to turn down. So, with a determined nod and a, "Yeah...yeah ok, let's go," he took the other ten year old’s hand and with Sonny’s help they limped their way down to the corner, stopping in front of all the teens that were sitting on overturned crates and barrels. The two stopped at the edge of the group, knowing they needed to wait to be acknowledged. Decky must have looked a sight, all bloody and bruised with torn clothes and nothing but some more blood to poorly cover his new brand.

ReyRey sat on the stoop, a cigarette hanging from his mouth and the golden chains and rings that formed his tanned skin were illuminated by the street light. He glanced over around the strong body of one of his guards at the boys that now stood on his corner. He allowed his dark eyes to track their wounds and the blood that covered them. Do what he did for as long as he did and you gain the sad ability to tell if a beating is for business or for pleasure and judging by what now stood before him, this wasn’t a business transaction.

”Someone get these boys a blanket and something to clean themselves up”

That broke the tableau as several crew members moved to do as their young leader told them. As the blanket was dropped over both of their shoulders, neither boy letting go of the other, one of the women came out of the house with wet rags and a bottle of antiseptic. Decky kept an eye on her as she approached, the warm rags dangling from slender, tanned fingers as a small smile makes its way onto her full lips. She crouches to their height once she's right in front of them, and hands each a rag, frown flickering across her face briefly as Decky takes a physical step back. Sonny looks between the two and carefully takes both rags and antiseptic from her. With a smile devoid of pity- nobody wants pity down here, to be pitied- Tama Kraeter stood back up and headed back to her husband and boyfriend over by the street sign, keeping half an eye on the kids that were even younger than little Jonie and Maliq. The world today was just so wrong.

"Thank you." Sonny called to her retreating back, already grabbing Decky's arm in a gentle grip and beginning to wipe the blood off the other boy. Decky continued to look around warily, barely flinching when Sonny moved to the next, more damaged arm. His good eye settled back on the older boy on the stoop. He had never personally dealt with ReyRey Gonzales, or indeed many of the people in his own neighborhood, but the man had taken one look at them and casually demanded comforts be given. Sunshine was wiping at his neck, working his way up to the sluggishly bleeding cut on his cheek. ReyRey seemed confident in his place in a way Decky had only ever pretended to, and he had the ability to change things he didn't like like Decky never could. Sunshine had finished his face with the rag, the cuts still bleeding but his face as clear as it could be.

”Wherever you boys came from, you ain’t going back, not tonight” ReyRey threw his cigarette down onto the floor as he looked upon the strangers now standing on his corner. He scratched the fuzz on his chin before reaching into his jacket and pulling out a wad of bills. He licked the tips of his fingers and began to count the dollars. He delegated a few from the bundle and handed them to one of his subordinates, whom then offered them up to the tear away teens. ”Go to the Edge, tell them I sent you and you need a bed. We’ll make up a plan for you in the morning”

Both boys now stared at him warily, eyeing the cash being held out in confusion and fear. You didn't just get money to spend. You had to lose something for it, and these two didn't really have anything left to give. Decky hissed and recoiled once the fibers of the rag tugged at the raw skin on his chest, finally revealing the inflamed brand to the cold night air, and every set of eyes on the corner. Sonny apologized to him quietly, still working at the wound while Decky forced the tears from falling. Every swipe of the fabric was like getting burned all over again, and his thoughts quickly settled on Danny. He squared his shoulders as best he could and looked to ReyRey.

"Thank you, uh, sir," he started awkwardly, pleasantries and honorifics never really his thing, and speech slurred by his swollen jaw. "But my baby brother is still there-" 'so I'll just sleep outside the window,' "-so I can't go anywhere yet. We just...wanted to know if you had any spots open…"

”As a matter of fact I do” Rey responded. He jumped up to his feet and placed his hands into his jacket pockets. ”Do what you need to tonight boys, take care of your business and your family. Come see me tomorrow. I’m sure you know where to find me” With that, R2, flanked by multiple serpent jacket clad youths took off into the night.

They watched him go with the blanket left over their shoulders, and many of the crew members following after him. As they turned to leave themselves, the woman that had come up to them with the rags approached again, this time with a lithe man with dark hair and soft, angled eyes. As they approached, the other man they had been with- a tall black man with messy scruff and a wool beanie- broke away and crossed the street, heading for the Edge of Sin.

"Intel is gonna talk to his wife at the Edge and make sure she has a dorm set up for you tw- three," she told them, correcting her count as she remembered Decky has a brother. "Kam'll make sure the sheets are clean an' everything's stocked. Until we see you next-" she held her hand behind her and Slick passed her his beanie. She took her own off as well and secured them on both boy's heads, face neutral but kind as she ignored the flinches. They looked at both Serpents with wide eyes. "-can't have you freezing out there. It's supposed ta rain tonight so find somethin’a stay under, okay?"

"Who said we were-" Sonny went to deny before a sharp look only a mother could give cut him off.

"None'a us are stupid, kiddo, but we also ain't pushy. You've got your business just like ReyRey said. But when you're done, we'll be here." She smiled at them before standing up from her crouch and backing up. "Now go on, we'll see you tomorrow."

The two boys stared at her in mute wonder for a moment before nodding slowly and beginning their trek back down to their houses.

"We should introduce them to Jonie and Maliq, I'm sure Kam and Intel won't mind much." Slick spoke up as the boys disappeared into the darkness of the broken street lamps.

"My man, always knowin' what's on my mind," Thunder turned around and smiled at her husband. "Everyone could use a few friends."

Those boys needed more than just friends, they needed people at their back, and if they continued on their current path then their kids would be perfect for that. They'd treat 'em right.