Venus

Edenridge

_{TIMESTAMP: Tuesday, July 20th, 2021 | Blue Hill Reservation | Shortly After Field of Memories
A @LovelyComplex & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Tennessee Deere-Echohawk & Introducing Willa Casey
(with mentions of Blackhat Casey sprinkled in)}

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My dearest Daddy,

There comes a time when even the most sheltered of butterflies must leave their cocoon, spread their wings, and find their special place in the world. And as much as I know it’ll pain you to hear this, I am confident that the time has arrived for me to do the same.

I can’t stay in town anymore. The memories of a past long gone and the possibilities of what could have been are much too painful for me to endure. Being here makes me feel like I’m drowning in the deepest of waters, and that the only way to save myself is to pack up my things and start somewhere new.

I promise you I’ll be okay. I’ll take everything you’ve ever taught me and continue carrying it with me, to ensure that I’m always safe. No matter the distance or the time apart, please remember that I love you to the moon and back, always. This decision I’ve taken has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with my desire to find the happiness I feel I let go of and will never get back. It’s my dearest hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me and to understand.

Your little girl always,
Willa Jean

The decision of leaving Reeds Point, Wyoming was not one that the youngest member of the Casey clan had taken lightly. After the culmination of her university studies, Blackhat Casey’s only daughter had returned to their small, Mountain West hometown with a master’s degree under her belt and a heart full of hope for the future. In her dreams, the lover she had left behind welcomed her back with open arms, they rekindled their relationship and built the life they always dreamed of since the age of fourteen.

Reality had turned out to be the cruelest mistress around. Walker Jameson, her high school sweetheart and first love, had been diligent in carrying out her best wishes for him. Being freed from his ties to the youngest Casey girl had led the lover she had left behind straight into the arms of his true soulmate, as Willa had been eagerly told by her father. As her eyes filled with tears and her heart shattered into a thousand pieces all over again, she could hear Blackhat’s scolding words in her ear:

“Did you seriously expect him to sit around and wait for you, Sweet Pea? Wise up, baby girl. You were the one who let him go, and he went ahead and found himself somebody else. You did this to your own self. He just did what you asked him to, sweetheart.”

With no hope left for a future in her hometown, this was the moment that, in her heart and mind, Willa Casey realized that her departure time from Reeds Point and the Casey ranch had arrived.

Although she knew she was the apple of her father's eye, Willa knew well that he wouldn't take kindly to another family member 'abandoning the ranch and their legacy' as he would call it. She knew that once the initial sadness had passed Blackhat would be using every tool at his disposal to track her down, so she took as many precautions as she could to ensure her identity and final destination remained anonymous throughout the trip. Her cellphone and credit cards had stayed behind in her childhood bedroom at Reeds Point. She had emptied her bank account and retrieved all of its funds in cash, some of which had been used to purchase the tickets of her various transportation methods. A bus ride to the Denver airport, a flight to Philadelphia, a train ride to South Boston, and an Uber ride later, and Willa Jean was finally within walking distance of what she hoped would be her new home alongside her mother, brother, cousins and stepfather: Blue Hill Reservation.

The decision to wear her signature dark brown leather cowboy boots had proven useful as Willa made her way down the dirt roads of the reservation. Small pebbles and rocks crunched under her footsteps and the combined weight of the large red suitcase, matching large duffel bag and her backpack that carried her clothing and prized possessions became heavier and heavier the further she walked. She knew she could have called Kerry to meet her at the entrance to the rez and drive her to their mother’s home, but she needed some time alone to clear her head before the questions about her latest life decisions began.

The woodland scenery to the right of her path soon gave way to acres and acres of lush green fields. Curious, the young woman left her bags on the side of the road and took a few steps in the direction of the nearest bush. Careful inspection of the plant revealed strawberries growing from the soil, and Willa couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face as she plucked the ripest berry she found and held it between her fingers. Her favorite fruit being her first discovery in reservation soil was the sign she needed from above that the decision of a fresh start had been the right choice.

When the photos start to fade, and her memories slip away, what happens next for Elizabeth Deere-Echohawk? Tennessee knew for a fact he would not have the strength to remind his mother of what was important. What was right in front of her. He wasn’t like his twin who knew what to say and how to say it. Her strength and sheer power of will was one of her best qualities and he could never compare to that. Winnie was amazing and she didn’t even see how strong she was. How easy she made it seem to be someone’s caretaker. Someone’s guide. Someone’s center.

Some days Elizabeth knew who her son was, other days all she saw was his father. The love of her life. Today had already been a hard day for him, seeing how he was this close to graduating and starting next week, he would be a rookie lighthorseman. The thought of his father played back, like a broken record, and he wondered if he was being dumb and if he was about to make the worst mistake of his life. He wondered if he even had what it takes to be a lighthorseman and stand beside the likes of Fallon Tatanka and Sheriff Rudy Wolfe.

Ten had his doubts. Not of himself, because he knew he would protect his home fiercely. He had his doubts because he wondered if he was doing this for himself or was he doing this because, in some way, he wanted to be just like his dad. He knew he could never be the Bright Star this village knew and loved. He could never be as steadfast, as wise, and as brilliant as his dad. Part of him wondered if it was possible, in some way, to live a life using his father as his example. His blueprint. His map to a happy, fulfilling life. A drunk decision one night to become a lighthorseman led to him attending the program and challenging himself. Actively pursuing this career path, finding excitement to leave bartending behind, which he was never good at, and join a cause that he firmly believed in. To this day he had no idea if that drunk decision was his or not but he ran with it and made it his own. In days, Ten would cross the finish line, almost there. Finishing a goal. In days he would swear an oath and be a sword or a shield for the people, depending on what they need. In days, he would be responsible for protecting not a few but many. In days, he’d be a lighthorseman.

Here Ten was, sitting on a stump, staring at a basket filled with strawberries, getting cold feet. Shaken and on the verge of tears, the grief overtook him. His mind tried to bury his father’s life, days long passed by, and the emptiness in his mother’s gaze as she searched for her past in her children. He wanted to have purpose and this choice could very well give him that but he knew if he continued to walk forward, he wouldn’t be there to hold his mother’s hand. He wouldn’t be able to tell her all the names of the faces she didn’t recognize and be like yes, this person, she’s your friend. Or yes, I am your son who is all grown up. Right here, right in front of you. Your son who chases a feeling, following his heart, just like you always said he would.

Today as he watched Kerry and Winona tenderly look at each other as they all walked with Elizabeth and listened to her stories, her history, and the struggles she went through to be where she is today, he couldn’t help but think one day, those two would get together. He could see it a mile away, how badly they burned for one another. They were fools to think they hid it well. What made this bittersweet was that one day, his mom would forget it all and not see them get married, have children, or just be so deeply in love with each other, just how she was with her Bright Star. Add that on top of the fact that their future kids would never meet their grandpa, the world in this moment felt far too heavy to carry alone.

Was he even going to be able to make it to work tonight?

Of course he was.

He couldn’t do that to his sister. She busted her ass off on the daily. The least he could do was show up and be there for her in the only way he knew how. Sighing to himself, Tennessee rubbed his eyes, wondering if he could just shut off his brain and take a nap. Whether he had time for a nap or not was entirely up for debate. Once he was done rubbing his eyes, making sure no tears slipped out, he dropped his hand to the side only to see a sight he didn’t expect. The past two days seemed like the time for offcomers to visit. He couldn’t get a good look at her from how far she was but her frame alone made her seem elegant and small. Standing up to make his presence known, he waved at her, “Are you lost?” He spoke loudly so the stranger could hear him.

The big, ripe strawberry Willa had been holding fell to the ground beneath her when she was startled by a masculine voice breaking through the silence. The young woman’s head immediately snapped up, her senses on high alert as she looked for the source of the words. She could see a male figure in front of a stump in the distance, standing in front of what seemed like a basket full of berries. A lonely female carrying multiple pieces of luggage and appearing to be lost in unknown forest territory would be easy prey for anyone with ill intentions… That was, if she wasn’t the daughter of Blackhat Casey.

“In a manner of speaking,” Willa replied to the man just as loudly, making sure her naturally honey, dulcet voice showed no signs of worry, apprehension or fear: only assertiveness and fortitude, just like her father had taught her. Meanwhile, her hand was discreetly posed on the handle of the silver revolver holstered on her right hip. 'It's a dog eat dog world out there, Sweet Pea. You gotta kill or be killed' was Blackhat's mantra when it came to firearms possession for self-defense. He’d taught her how to shoot with a handgun by the age of eight, and by age thirteen she was proficient in the use of rifles. So, naturally, a handgun and ammunition had been the first things she’d bought in Philly before boarding her train ride to South Boston. You know, just in case-- to keep herself safe. “Who are you?”

While part of him was lingering on his own grief and sadness, the other part of him understood the situation. He needed to. To read the room was only a small portion of his upcoming job as protector of the people. Ultimately they were strangers and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable. “Tennessee,” he called back, adjusting himself to pick up the wicker basket. He needed to deliver it to the Summerhill house, seeing how his sister and mother picked plenty for them. He was sure the Summerhill girls would be grateful for it and knowing Yana, she’d prepare smoothies for all of them.

He didn’t want to keep shouting though. If a girl was in need, he wanted to assist but if she said no. No means no. “Is it alright I approach you, Miss?” He honestly asked. “My sister, mom, and my friend just headed back not too long ago. If you need help, I can show you to the station?” Could she even hear him from this distance? He hoped so.

If not, he could inch a little closer…

Assertively, he did take a couple steps forward. If she showed clear signs of discomfort, he would stop. “You’re definitely a new face! I know just about everyone who lives on the Res. While I can’t promise you we got everything you need, we’ll help you the best we can to get you where you’re going. Can you hear me? Sorry, I’m trying to respect your boundaries!”

Rather than back away, Willa straightened her shoulders and wrapped her hand around the revolver’s handle, ready to spring to action in a split second. This guy could just be saying things to earn her trust only to turn around, kidnap her and take her back to his cabin in the middle of the woods to do God knows what. But if there was a life skill that the brunette luckily possessed, it was the ability to decipher most people’s intentions. And Willa could see that the man’s tone of voice, the words he’d chosen to communicate with her and the way he carried himself came from a place of respect, politeness and a true desire to assist her if she was in need. She didn't perceive a threat in his demeanor.

Allowing herself to relax, Willa released her hold on the handgun and took the remaining steps to close the distance between them. Upon first impressions, the man who had identified himself as Tennessee was nothing short of handsome. He appeared to be half a foot taller than her, with well-styled black hair, beautiful brown skin, and captivating dark eyes: all part of those beautiful features that distinguished Native Americans-- ones that Willa had always found fascinating. It made the young woman break into a smile.

When the girl approached him, everything about Tennessee radiated like the sun. There was a warmness about him, with the way he looked at her. His eyes brightly smiled with his lips and he beamed a youthful energy, which shined through even as he stood there trying to handle the situation maturely. He was carefree and relaxed, especially now that he had company that wasn’t too close to home. Whatever was creeping up on him, while he sat with his thoughts, combating sadness, all that had dissipated and his focus was now the offcomer.

"My name is Willa. I’m moving here from Wyoming to be with my family, but I wanted to take a little time for myself and explore the Res for a bit before I called my brother to pick me up. What I didn’t realize was how heavy these bags would get the longer I walked down these dirt roads!” she explained with a chuckle, gesturing towards the suitcases and duffel bag that she'd left on the side of the road.

As she introduced herself, his intrigued gaze never left her hopeful eyes. He didn’t let his curiosity check her out nor did he breach any closer to cause her discomfort or force her to bring her walls back up. He could tell easily that she was a pretty girl but if his mama taught him anything, it was to look at someone’s soul, not what was on the surface. True beauty were the flowers that helped other flowers bloom.

Holding the wicker basket in one arm, he nodded before realizing something, “My friend is from Wyoming! He doesn’t really talk about anything else in regards to his life before he moved here but that I do remember.” Common sense would tell Ten that this friend was connected to this young lady right here but Ten sometimes was oblivious to context clues. “Maybe you know him? I mean it isn’t everyday we get someone from the same state.”

His mind had a delayed response with her last comment about her bags. Something his sister would’ve likely picked up on first. “Oh wait, sorry. That was rude of me. You need help with your bags? Here, we can trade! You can be the keeper of strawberries and I’ll be your mule.”

A giggle escaped from Willa’s lips at Tennessee’s comment. His eagerness and overall jovial demeanor reminded her of a golden retriever: friendly, sweet and helpful. It was surprisingly quite endearing, and it made her feel bad for almost pulling her gun out on him earlier. “Only because you offered,” she told him with a smile, exchanging her luggage items with Tennessee for the basket filled with yummy strawberries.

“So you have a friend from Wyoming, huh?” the brunette asked as they made their way down the dirt road, kicking some rocks for entertainment along the way. From her conversations with Kerry, Willa knew that her family members were the only Blue Hill citizens that came from the mountain west state. So when he talked about a male friend from her home state, there was a 80% chance that Tennessee was talking about her beloved big brother. Curious about what impressions her new friend had of her family, the youngest Casey decided to inquire more about the subject. “Wyoming may look big on a map, but when you’re actually there it just feels like it’s all one big small town-- if that makes sense. You tend to know lots of people, or know someone who knows someone who knows someone,” she explained. “Maybe if you tell me more about your friend I can see whether I might know him or not.”

“Hey, the Res is like that too. Well, actually we’re like one big family so we try not to cross mingle if you know what I mean,” Ten chuckled to himself, knowing if it weren’t for the program that lets them go to schools nearby like Salem, Pinehurst, or Edenridge, they would be reverting back to the past and trying to procreate with blood. It was a new dawn and a new age and Blue Hill did not do that shit. That he knew of. With her duffel hanging on his shoulder and her suitcase being carried by the handle, since the gravel made it hard to roll, the native man considered her words. Wyoming was like a village and everyone knew everyone which meant this girl might’ve heard of Kerry.

What a small world!

He watched her as she talked, a smile never leaving his face. Nodding when she asked about his friend, Ten was quick to answer, “This guy came in like he was from a Western movie. He got swag for days, like all the girls drool over him beside my sister. Though I know the truth. Hehe,” Ten’s thoughts trailed off as he thought of something that turned his smile into a grin before realizing he was now talking in his head and not outloud. “This guy! Yeah, my friend really loves Johnny Cash. Never really listened to that myself until he showed me, now I can say I can Cash. Cash is good. We usually have bro nights — him, me and Tank. Though he’s hard to crack open like one time, he told me his broken watch he wears all the time is from his little sister but he never gave me a name. Weird seeing how he walks my sister home every night, but whatever.”

What else could he say about Kerry?

“Oh! And he has a lot of hats. Like A LOT of hats. For different occasions too. Never met a guy that had that many hats. Hell, I couldn’t afford that many hats if I wanted to,” Ten admitted, looking back at the small woman beside him. He was glad she appeared when she did or else who knows what other dark things his mind would think of. He had gotten so caught up with talking about Kerry that he didn’t realize he didn’t bring up a name. “Sound like someone you know?”

Old Western movie swag? Check. Her brother had been the wallflower type for most of his life, but he’d earned his confidence after escaping their father’s dictatorship and enrolling in the Armed Forces.

Fan of Johnny Cash? Check. The Cash, as Tennessee had so comically called him, was an artist all of the Casey children had grown up listening to thanks to their fathers and grandfather. Kerry in particular had grown fond of the singer since he was a boy.

Difficulty in opening up to others he hadn’t known for long? Check. Another challenge that the people that cared about him and had the best intentions for him could blame Blackhat for. A lifetime of physical, verbal and emotional abuse would do that to you.

Consistent use of a long-since broken watch gifted to him by his sister? Check. The leather watch had been an item that caught fourteen year-old Willa’s eye during one of her trips around Downtown Reeds Point, and she had saved up her allowance money for weeks so she could get it for Kerry’s sixteenth birthday. He’d put it on immediately after unwrapping it that day, and he hadn’t taken it off since.

A collection of hats that would make any cowboy jealous? Check. Hats were to Kerry like boots were to Willa, what men were to their cousin Rochelle and what destinations were to their other cousin Joelle: something worth collecting. Some had been gifts from his mother, his aunt, his sister and his cousins; and some had been purchased throughout the years. Still, it was certainly quite the collection, and Willa was happy her brother had managed to keep it.

That her big brother was walking her new friend’s sister home every night? Now that was a juicy piece of gossip that had Willa going from a smirk to a full-fledged grin. Throughout his life, Kerry had never been the type to get caught up in romances like Willa or Jojo, much less get entangled in the webs of lust like wild child Chelle. To know that there was a woman out there who had captured her brother’s attention to the point that he was walking her home every night was a very unexpected but exciting revelation. She couldn’t wait to grill him about it later.

Did it sound like someone she knew?

“Yeah, you can say that,” came the girl’s vague response, unable to stop smiling. It truly was a joy to meet people who clearly thought as highly of her brother as she and the females in their family did. A man as wonderful as Kerry deserved nothing less than that. “He sounds like a cool guy.”

“Too cool. He makes me look bad,” Ten grumbled, as they continued to trek down the dirt path, with Willa chuckling at his comment. He led the way to his home, unsure where to drop her off. Certainly though, he would figure it out, one step at a time. “Now, we can talk about Kerry all day but I want to know a bit about you. As your mule, I think I deserve a little treat. You said you have family here. Or around here. Why didn’t you move here when they did?” His brown eyes curiously searched her face, genuinely concerned why now she chose to come when she could’ve left before. Was she running away from something? “I hope that’s not too personal, if it is… we can talk about… food. Everyone loves food.”

The cheerful demeanor Willa had presented throughout their earlier conversation was quickly dampened by unease. There was no way for Tennessee to have known how loaded of a question he had asked, and how complicated the entire story behind it actually was. But something inside the Casey girl was telling her that this was the time to let go of some of that burden she’d been carrying for years-- that this stranger would be capable of listening to her without judgment. And before she could talk herself out of it, the brunette embarked on the narration of some of her life story.

“My father isn’t exactly a good man…” Willa began to explain, and immediately felt a twinge of hurt and guilt in her chest. Blackhat had treated her like nothing short of a princess the majority of the time, but that didn’t mean she was naive to the different types of abuse he had inflicted on their family. “Although he spoiled me as his only daughter and treated my aunt and my cousins fairly well, he wasn’t as nice to my mom or my brother. My dad didn't lay a hand on us girls-- though I think he might have grabbed my cousin’s arm hard enough to leave a mark once--, but he did things to scare us and keep us in line. He’d punch walls, he’d throw things around the room, talk about how if we did this or that he’d bury us in the backyard… His favorite way to keep us in line was to flick a bullwhip next to whoever he thought was disrespecting him, because he knew we hated the sound and it would make us flinch. Fear, threats and intimidation were his favorite ways to keep us submissive. My brother had it the worst, though. My dad wanted him to be his heir so badly, but my brother had too much of my mother’s virtues in him, and that made Dad even angrier. He was beaten so many times-- for the smallest of things, too. And even then, there were times when he willingly put himself on the line of fire to keep us girls as safe as he could. He wanted to leave so badly, but he was only able to after he joined the Army. Once he enlisted and left for basic, he never came back.”

“Then when my two oldest cousins left for college and didn’t come back either, my aunt moved back to Texas to be with her family. Her husband-- my dad’s brother-- had died when the girls were five and seven, so she stayed in the ranch until the girls left because my dad had fulfilled his promise of taking care of them. Then after I went to college, my mom finally left the ranch too. She waited until she knew I’d be okay, bargained with my father to get a divorce, took her chance and never looked back. She’d heard about Edenridge from my aunt MaryJo, who has a brother that lived there, and thought that would be the perfect place to start out fresh. She wasn’t expecting to fall in love with your Chief and end up moving in with him to this reservation, though,” Willa confessed, a small smile peeking through the clouds of gloom of the conversation. “So that’s why we all moved here at different times. My mother Darla came in first, after she got together with Chris. Then came Kerry after he was done with the army-- Mamma told him where she was and how they needed ranch hands and he moved here with her. Joelle and Rochelle came in after that, to both be ranch hands and train with Brad Clearwater for their rodeo competition events. And now here’s me: just graduated from college, desperate to get away from my hometown, and so ready to be with my family again.”

Realizing that she had shared so much more than she had intended, Willa’s face flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just dump all of this on you like that,” she apologized, tucking a strand of her behind her ear and keeping her eyes glued to the ground. “Guess that’s one way to over-answer a simple question, huh?”

While this was more than Tennessee could ever expect, he was sitting on all the reveals she threaded in her story. Her mother was Darla, Chief Coldwind’s wife. Her cousins were Joelle and Rochelle, two girls he’s found comfort with, in more recent days. They found their footing in the Reservation and absolutely loved it here. Far better than their home, they’d say. The one reveal that hit him the most was that Kerry, his comrade, his buddy, his pal… Kerry Casey was her brother. And everything she revealed about her brother only caused Ten to frown. He didn’t even know how to answer but he didn’t want to stay silent for too long. He didn’t want her to feel ignored after she so courageously opened her soul to him. How brave she was to show him her heart. “I… wow. Great Spirit, calm my mind.”

With his hand that wasn’t holding the suitcase, he rubbed his temple, “That is awful… sorry, I… you know what? Nevermind all that.” He thought carefully and swiftly, deciding to reassure instead of throwing her a pity party. “I can promise you the Reservation, while small and could use some funding, is a great place. We have good people that go out of their way for each other and your family, which I’m still processing is your family, they’ve really become part of our family. I…” he was trying to grab onto the right words, as everything she had just loaded onto him caused him to malfunction. “... I think it’s great that you’ve come all this way to be with people that make you feel loved and safe. I’m sorry to hear that about your dad. If it means anything to you, I actually really appreciate your company right now. You caught me at a weird time, my mom, well.” He cleared his throat and looked away from her.

He glanced up at the sky, trying to find courage and strength from some greater being or even his father’s spirit. She was so honest to him, it was only right for him to do the same. He didn’t know if his words were coming out right but instinct was telling him to not hold back and talk. Just talk. They only just met but he wanted her to feel comfortable around him. He wanted her to feel safe. “My mom is losing her memory and she called me by my father’s name. My father died a couple years back, on me and my sister’s birthday. We’re twins, actually. You wouldn’t be able to tell if you met her. She’s always been so focused, responsible and smart. She always knows how to pick me up when I fall but I’m getting off track, sorry.” He paused again, taking a moment to sigh deeply.

No longer walking, stopping for a moment to gather himself, he noticed they had reached the Blue Hill Reservation sign. Looking at her, really looking at her and the soul that shone through her beautiful green eyes, Ten tightened his grip on her suitcase handle, adjusted her duffel and continued to confide, “There was a raid and he was a protector. We lost a few lives that day and I don’t think my sister and I will ever look at our birthday the same. I guess, in a way, I’m really grateful for your brother. He’s healing my sister, even if she doesn’t realize it. She closed up a lot before he came here so yeah, I guess you can say your brother is someone I consider important. My best friend even. I’m glad you all got out of your bad situation and I hope I can become someone that protects people like you.” He wondered if that was too domineering, so he stumbled back on his words, “Not saying you need protecting, I just mean, I want to help people. You know, like my dad. I’m sure you’re a total badass. Rootin’ tootin’ cowboy girl shootin’ skills. I just want to be something to someone. I want purpose. Am I making sense?”

The young woman nodded, having shifted her sights from the ground and to Tennessee's face as he’d rewarded her sincerity with his own. His words had taken her on a rollercoaster of emotions. She was grateful for his sympathy at her situation-- it soothed wounds in her soul she didn’t realize she’d had in the first place. Her compassionate heart went out to him as she listened to the struggles he had faced throughout his own life. She couldn’t imagine the heartbreak of losing a parent, watching the other slowly fall apart in front of you and being unable to do anything about it. There was comfort in the midst of the sadness, though, with knowing that Kerry had been such a rock for this family like he’d been for his own. His way to describe her demeanor from earlier had made her giggle, and she could see his genuine desire to serve and protect reflected in his beautiful dark eyes.

“You’re making absolute sense,” Willa reassured him, feeling comfortable enough to hold the arm nearest to her and squeezing it gently. She wanted to do whatever she could to ease any doubts Tennessee had about himself. “Finding your purpose, letting your purpose find you… I’ve been down that road myself. I’m still trying to find mine-- which is part of the reason I came to Blue Hill, too. But I know-- actually, I’m sure of it: we’ll both find that purpose of ours. And about being something to someone, just look at it this way: you’re your sister’s defender. You’re your mother’s protector. You’re Kerry’s friend. I’m hoping you’ll be my friend and keep me safe too, even with my rootin’ tootin’ cowgirl shootin’ skills,” she said with a joking Southern drawl before letting out a bright laugh. “See? That’s four people that you mean something to right there. It’s a start, right?”

It was a start. There was nothing wrong with humble beginnings. In truth, that was what life was all about. New beginnings and taking people along for the ride. He had three people, and obviously more if he were to include his mother, that he meant something to. Wait? He meant something to her? A girl who hardly knew him? He was taken aback by how caring she was and how she readily accepted him. For the first time in a long time he felt like he could be exactly who he was meant to be and that feeling only came because he met Willa Casey.

“Yeah. And I think-- No. I know. You and me? We’re going to be great friends. Though, don’t get me wrong, you look like a sweet cinnamon bun but I feel like you got some spice in you. Spicy hot wings that could wreck me. Sounds like a good time. Sounds fun.” He gave a playful, toothy grin to the grinning brunette beside him still holding his arm before nodding toward the direction they needed to head towards. “Come on, let’s get going. It’s time to start the next chapter of your life. Welcome to Blue Hill, Willa.”

Edenridge

_{TIMESTAMP: Late Afternoon | Friday, July 23rd, 2021
A @BrutalBx & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Natalia Belmonte & Mitena Strongbow}

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The directions Heather had given Natalia had led her to a dirt lane that offered more beautiful scenes of the reservation’s forest greenery. A comforting familiarity struck Tal as she drove down the road, and she found herself smiling fondly as she remembered the feeling of that Tuesday morning breeze on her skin, arms wrapped around her beloved Dolcezza stealing her from her misery and away to their private paradise. Her reminiscences were sometimes interrupted by muttered curse words under her breath whenever her Navigator was victimized by a pothole, but not even that could damper her optimistic mood. With the spirits and best wishes of her mother and Charlie as her guiding light, Tal was ready to take the gamble and give herself another chance at finding happiness.

Even with her slow driving in the bumpy roads, Natalia’s arrival to Silverheel happened faster than she had anticipated. The nerves she’d been brushing off came back in full force as she parked in front of the large ranch home, and her heart skipped a few beats when she noticed Tena’s bike parked beside the front porch. Good; that meant she was home. With this confirmation of her lover’s presence nearby, Tal took a few seconds to reapply her lip gloss and shake off the jitters with a few puffs of her vape before exiting the vehicle, holding the beautiful potted cactus plant she’d brought for Tena as a gift in her hands.

Mitena arose from her knees, wiping the heavy sweat from her brow with her forearm. Plucking weeds from the dirt was hard damn work, but the front garden was her late mother’s baby, and Tena had made a promise to herself that she would do everything she could to maintain its beauty. The hot summer sun was at its peak above her head and bearing down upon her with his incredible heat. She could feel her form fitting denim shorts clinging to her lower body even more than they were designed to and her loose button down shirt was open to reveal her bra and allow what little breeze there was to cool her body.

Her hands covered in dirt, Tena turned into the sun with a smile on her face. The Silverheel ranch had been in her family for centuries. If the elders of the tribe are to be believed, the first Silverheels settled in this land after the exodus from what is now Edenridge after the youngest of their number, Aponi, was hung, and the indigenous people were driven away by the pilgrim armies of Judge Nathaniel Carlisle. Their name, Silverheel, came from this very spot when they found silver in the Earth; which, when sold to the white man, helped fund the building of the original reservation and moved its people out of teepees and into actual homes. Now in the modern era, there were bigger, more profitable ranches like the Coldwind’s and the Tatanka’s, and Jadyn was using this place for her drug-growing business. But at the end of the day, Silverheel was still helping keep the reservation and its people alive.

When the sun finally left her gaze, Tena was treated to an incredibly welcome sight when she saw Natalia standing at the foot of the path. This only made the raven haired girl's smile even brighter. “Stargirl.” She couldn’t mask her excitement at seeing the girl of her dreams walking back down her way.

The green-eyed girl watched Mitena approach her with a dumb, wide grin on her face. Even with the veil of lust from the time they first met now lifted, the Native girl was just as beautiful as she remembered. The rays of sunlight radiating down around them did a wonderful job in highlighting the shininess of her dark hair, in illuminating her mesmerizing brown eyes, and in making the little beads of sweat on her sun-kissed skin look like dewdrops on a flower petal. Her blouse was open to reveal her stunning upper body, and her denim shorts hugged her feminine curves perfectly while showing off those toned, thick legs. But it was the way the woman was smiling at her, with such genuine delight and excitement, what made the Eden girl truly weak at the knees.

Wiping her hands on the towel she had hanging from her back pocket, Mitena walked forward to meet Tal halfway. “Heather texted me and said that there was a pretty girl asking for me at Aponi’s. I can say unequivocally that I’m very happy that it was you.”

That declaration about Heather's text made Tal chuckle. "Really? So does that mean there are other pretty girls chasing you or asking around about you that I have to be worrying about?" The tall girl joked, sticking her tongue out at Tena.

“Oh, sure.” Tena stopped a few feet away from Natalia and placed her hands on her hips. “They usually don’t get here until after I’ve finished my gardening though…but I suppose the early bird gets the worm.” The indigenous girl tilted her head ever so slightly as her big doe eyes drank in the visage of her Stargirl. Natalia was just as beautiful and as perfect as she remembered her being during their night and day together. “Are you here to chase me, Stargirl?” She said with a small bite of her lower lip and a flutter of her eyes. “If you are then you beat me to the punch since I was coming to chase you as soon as I was done here.”

Although Natalia kept a straight face, the mental arguments had started. The little monster of cynicism that lived inside Tal’s head was quick to snort at Tena's comment about chasing her. I'm sure you were... the little devil on her shoulder jeer at her. Who in their right mind would purposely set out to seek her? She wasn't nice. She wasn't kind. She wasn't independent. She was an insecure, jealous, paranoid, doped-up mess with nothing to offer. The angel on her shoulder, though, was quick to silence the negative voices. Why would Tena lie about that-- or anything, for that matter? In the short time since they had known each other, the woman had been nothing but honest and truthful with her. So if she said she'd been planning to chase her, then that meant she was probably going to do as she said.

Trying to keep her mental angel and the reason why she was here at the forefront of her mind, Tal shifted her sole focus back on the beauty in front of her. "Well it's a good thing I caught you now while you're still gardening, then. That means you'll know exactly what to do with this," she replied with a timid smile, presenting Tena with the cute potted gift she'd procured for her and praying it was to her liking.

Mitena’s tongue rolled across her lip as her smile brightened more, her doe eyes gazing upon the small flowered cactus in Natalia’s hands. “Oh Tal, is this for me?” She could feel her cheeks flushing with warmth and excitement. Her heart was bubbling with giddiness as she closed the space between them and took a hold of the potted plant, placing her hands over Natalia’s as she did so. “I love it, thank you so much.” Tena wasn’t going to starve her fire or oxygen. Carefully, she leaned over the sharp needles of the baby cacti and pressed her mouth against Tal’s, breathing in her lips in a loving kiss.

A wave of relief and excitement washed over Natalia as Mitena expressed her delight with the small surprise she’d been presented with. The gift had been an impulsive purchase made at Hummingbird Creations during Tal’s drive to Blue Hill. She’d remembered seeing a few cactuses and succulents decorating Tena’s room and hearing her mention they were her favorites, so she thought that it would be a sweet gesture to add another to her lover’s collection. And judging by Tena’s reaction and the way she was kissing her, it looked like her move had been the right one to make.

Tena was not afraid of being forward, especially with Natalia. From the moment she saw her in that bathroom, Mitena had held her face in her mind and with every moment since it had expanded to fill her entire being. She was falling hard for the Stargirl, her train had come off the tracks and was careening off of a cliff and she didn’t want to pull that emergency break. This feeling in her heart, she wanted it to keep going, keep growing and never stop. “I know the perfect place for this.” Tena broke the kiss for only a moment to speak before pressing a soft, light peck on Natalia’s lips once more. “Follow me, Stargirl.”

She turned happily on her heel, looking over her shoulder and back at the alabaster goddess before skipping into the main ranch house. Making sure her lover was behind her, Mitena led Tal towards the back of the first floor, past where Tena slept and the stairs that went up to the second floor. Finally when the girls stopped, they stood before a door with intricate patterns carved into the very wood itself and various decorations hanging from it. The singer pushed down on the handle and allowed the old oak wood to fall open by itself, revealing another bedroom. It was steeped in white and sky blue colors and drowned in fresh flowers and traditional native decorations such as dream catchers and woven quilts. “This is perfect.” She beamed. “Go on, find a place for it.”

An aura of peace and cheerfulness seemed to linger in the air and wrap itself around them as Tal stepped into the room she’d been led to by her beloved. "This is a beautiful bedroom,” she muttered in audible admiration, green eyes drinking in the details of her new surroundings. The choice of colors in the wall made the area feel inviting and cozy, while the selection of flowers and traditional decor added life, charm and character to the space. As she surveyed the area, she couldn’t help but wonder who this lovely spot belonged to.

After some scouting, Talia located an opening on a windowsill that would be perfect to showcase the beauty of the gift. By sitting in between, it would compliment the other two small potted flowers already residing there beautifully. “What about here?” the green-eyed woman asked Tena, walking over to the spot in question and pointing at it. “It’s got just enough sunlight to hopefully keep it alive.”

“I think that’s exactly where it belongs.” Mitena traced her fingernails down Natalia’s arm as she placed the baby cactus onto the windowsill, overlooking the rambling field of the ranch, lit bright by the sun and sitting strong beneath the shadows of the Blue Hills. In Tena’s mind, the potted plant wasn’t the only thing that had found its way home. As her big doe eyes looked lovingly at the Eden girl, she couldn’t help but be overcome with the feeling that Natalia herself belonged there too. From the moment they met, the indigenous singer had been head over heels for the brunette and she knew that wherever Tal went, if Tena was with her she would be at home. She loved the Rez and its people with all her heart but anywhere with Natalia was where she wanted to be.

Stepping behind her Stargirl, Mitena wrapped her arms around the gorgeous woman’s slender waist and kissed beneath her ear, right on top of a little freckle that lived there. “This was my mother's room.” She said resting her chin on the taller girl's shoulder. “She loved to garden. That’s why we always put fresh flowers in here when we can.” Tena let out a soft little chuckle as a thought crossed her mind. “My cousin Illy has an eye for interior design, hence why it looks so pretty in here and my room looks like a nuclear bomb went off in there.”

Natalia couldn’t help but smile at Tena’s words as she rested her head on hers. The more she and the Native girl interacted, the more she believed they were connected by forces beyond their comprehension. What were the odds that she’d be shown this memorial bedroom on the same day that a promise to her own mother had led her here? Some people would call it coincidence, others would call it a fluke. Tal was calling it destiny.

“Your cousin’s a very talented girl, then,” the green-eyed girl complimented the woman, softly kissing the top of Tena’s dark-haired head. “And from what you’ve told me about your mom, I think she would love the way you guys are keeping her memory alive here. I just wish I could have met one of the people responsible for creating the jewel of a woman currently standing beside me. She sounds like she was just as lovely as you are.”

As kind as Natalia’s words were, there was a hint of sadness washing over Tena as she thought about her mother; Dakota. She was a wonderful woman, a doctor who gave everything she was to her patients. What she lacked in resources she made up for in drive, tenacity and sheer love for her fellow man. Mitena knew some things about her father, mostly whispers. She knew that he had a poet's soul, like her brother and that he sought to help people when he could. The problem for James seemed to be he couldn’t help himself. She had lost both her parents and her brother, yet Tena did not feel alone because she knew they were with her always, watching her and guiding her into the arms of Natalia.

“Lovelier.” She smiled at the press of Tal’s lips on her head. The warmth she radiated into her being filled her from toe to crown. Letting go of her Stargirl, not without dragging her fingers over soft skin, Mitena walked to the dresser and rested her hand next to a photograph. “This is her. Her name was Dakota.” She beamed as she looked at the image of her mother. Everyday her face faded a little more from her memory but the love she gave her could never leave.

Natalia took a moment to examine the photo Mitena was presenting. It was clear where her lover's looks came from. The sharp-jawed, slim woman in the photograph posing with a tan jacket off the shoulder was another Native beauty with dark hair, tanned skin and deep, soulful brown eyes. It wasn’t hard to tell that Tena’s radiance came from her, nor was it hard to see what James Decker could've seen in her.

After caressing the image for a second, Mitena strolled back over to Natalia and took her hands between her own. “You traveled all this way, so it can’t have just been to see me. What’s on your mind?”

The Eden native couldn't help but smile at the other girl’s correct assumption. Leave it to Tena to accurately guess her intentions. "It's funny you brought me to this specific room today of all days, because I'm partly here due to a promise I made to my own mom of having her meet you," Tal began, caressing the back of Tena's hand with her thumb and tucking a strand of the Native girl's hair behind her ear. It was time to allow herself to be vulnerable and hope for the best.

"You came into my life when I was in the middle of a very dark place. I've been going through some things: some I've told you about, and some I don't feel ready to just yet. And I've felt so alone throughout everything, all because I isolated myself from the people I care about with the way I acted like a bitch throughout the years. But then you came along, when I was least expecting it. For the first time in a while I felt safe enough to be raw and vulnerable about what I think and how I feel with someone. You take my breath away with how beautiful you are since I first laid eyes on you, and every time I've looked at you since. But it's the way you've treated me with such kindness, tenderness and respect that has captivated me since the night we met. I know we've only known each other for a little while, and that I might come off as impulsive by saying all of this, but you haven't left my mind since I met you… And I don't really want you to." Tal trailed off, taking in and letting out a deep sigh as the butterflies inside her stomach fluttered with nerves. This was it. "So that's why I came all the way here today: to see if you'd be interested in going out with me, and being exclusive. We can take some time to get to know each other and see where this goes."

She said them. Natalia said the words that Tena had been waiting to hear since the moment they met. She wanted them to date, proper, full on, real, live and in color. Knowing what little she did of her Stargirl’s past, Mitena had no question that Tal saying the words out loud was a huge step for her. She also knew that Silvia did not have long left and that her words would carry an insurmountable weight with Natalia; the native girl knew that feeling. When her own mother passed, Mitena was not offered the chance to say goodbye. Her last living memory of her Mom was not anything significant or heartwarming, it wasn’t cute nor spiritual. It simply was. She was happy Tal was using the time she had left with her Mom better than Tena did.

“You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that.” She spoke in exasperation before bringing her hands to Natalia’s face and pulling her into a deep kiss. With fire in her lungs, Tena savored every second that their lips caressed one another, that they shared one breath and one heartbeat. Staring into Tal’s big green eyes she tried to talk but could only manage a small whimper first before she found her voice. “When I look into those eyes of yours, I see potential. I see infinite possibilities in an endless cosmos and I want to explore it with you.” She traced her finger for Tal’s painted lips, desperate to kiss them again but first she had to say what she needed to say. “I see you, Natalia. I see you and I can’t stop seeing you. You’re everywhere. You’ve captured me: mind, body and spirit. I want to do this with you: be with you. The good, the bad, the secrets and scars. I want to share them all. I’m yours, Stargirl.”

Tena couldn’t deny how fast things were moving with her Stargirl. But she also couldn’t deny her feelings-- that was one thing she could never do. Being with Tal brought out a fire, a feeling of elation and joy. Mitena had never felt anything like it before. And she had to be honest with herself in saying Natalia was an addiction that she did not want to give up.

The green eyes that were locked with Mitena's brown orbs had filled and overflowed with tears of happiness as Natalia moved to embrace her girlfriend. Any worries or second thoughts that remained in her heart about Tena not feeling the same way she did had vanished as she listened to the other woman’s beautiful words. She spoke with such certainty and conviction in her voice, showing no signs of doubt or hesitation about wanting to commit herself to Natalia. To Tal, it was admirable how the other woman had the capacity to open her heart out to her so freely and openly. She was not afraid to say how she felt; and, more importantly, it was clear that her statements were honest and true. Tena wanted to be with her-- wanted to be hers…

"Just like I'll be all yours, too, Dolcezza." she replied to Tena out loud as she pulled away slightly from their embrace, holding her close and briefly kissing her lips again. "Even if I'm absolutely fucking terrified about not knowing what happens next."

“Not knowing what comes next is what makes life a great adventure.” Mitena smiled brightly as she took a hold of both of Natalia’s hands and stepped backwards to lead her out of her late mothers room. Turning to face the other way but keeping their fingers interlocked, the singer coyly looked over her shoulder with her doe eyes shining with playfulness. “Feel free to watch my ass while we walk, girlfriend. It’s yours now.” Tena swayed her hips to tease her lover as she guided her towards the small bedroom towards the front of the property, her bedroom. Once inside, she closed the door behind them and stood silently for a moment as she watched Tal explore it in the light of day.

Much like her older brother, Mitena’s room was a tragic mess of organized chaos. Beyond the clothes strewn across the room, there were old records littered everywhere, she had several guitars both attached to the wall and simply leaning up against dusty amps that hadn’t seen the light of day in years. On the window overlooking part of the farm, trophies from her time in gymnastics and track. The walls were adorned in traditional hand made native decor and one wall was covered in photographs of Tena with people from her life, the center photograph being of her mother with a space next to it.

The last time Natalia had been inside this bedroom, there hadn't been much time for dwindling on its contents. Both her and Tena had gone inside of it in the middle of the night with a purpose, and it wasn't to linger around doing show and tell. Today, with the afternoon sunlight illuminating the room, the taller woman took the opportunity presented to her to get a better insight on her newly designated girlfriend.

Like in Dakota's bedroom, the native decor on the walls gave the room charm and personality. The clothes on the floor weren't a turnoff for Tal-- the only time there wasn't at least one garment on the floor of her own bedroom was when there were anticipated guests coming over. She'd been told about Tena's penchant for collecting records (like a certain someone they both knew), but she was surprised with the amount she could see scattered about. More impressive than that were the amount of gymnastics and track awards by the window, because when their conversations had shifted to discuss their athletic abilities, Tena had been pretty modest about her accomplishments. But it was the wall of photographs that captured Tal's attention the most.

The Italian girl felt a stab in her chest as she stared at the pictures of people she did and didn't recognize, all frozen in the middle of times from the past and the present. It was these moments when wished she hadn't spent so many years at odds with those she cared about; that she'd made an effort to forgive any transgressions committed by or against her in favor of cherishing the relationships. Maybe then she could look back at the times of yesterday without so much guilt and even more regrets.

Instead of dampening the mood with her retrospection, Tal chose to push the thoughts aside to dissect another day and focus on the present. "What's this space here for?" she asked her girlfriend, pointing at the blank space next to the heartfelt photograph of a younger Tena with her arms wrapped around Dakota.

“I’m not sure yet.” Mitena smiled as she came up behind her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around Tal’s gorgeous waist and pressing soft, light kisses to the warm skin of her exposed back. “Every picture on the wall means something or shows a moment or a person that I wanted to remember exactly as it was. I thought maybe if I could I’d find a picture of my Dad or maybe even Charlie...” She trailed off for a moment as her thoughts lingered on her lost family. Tena did her best not to dwell on the life she didn’t have and focus on the one she did, yet it didn’t make it any less difficult when those thoughts popped into her head.

At least with Charlie Jay, Mitena was finding out more each day. From Natalia and Penelope and his other heart pieces she was finding out the man her big brother was. Her dark eyes glanced at the book on her bedside table, his novel, his innermost thoughts and feelings transformed into one of the most moving things she’d ever read. When it came to her father, James, there was so much Tena didn’t know, so much that she wasn’t allowed to know because he had brought great shame to their tribe and been labeled craven. He had been expunged from their society for his actions and the love of a father had been taken away from Mitena before she was even born.

Yet none of that mattered as much anymore. The heiress to the Silverheel had found someone whose love could fill her up in ways that she had never imagined before. The alabaster girl wrapped up in her arms shone a glorious, supernova of light onto Tena that completely enveloped her in its warmth. Together, they would float amongst the stars and write songs of infinite love.

Posturing up on her tiptoes, the native girl's teeth teased Natalia’s ear with a light nibble, a joy of being smaller than her Amazon lover. “I might have to start a separate wall for everything you and I are going to do together, Stargirl.” She whispered before resting her chin on Tal’s shoulder and removing one of her arms to trace circles over the Eden girl's pale, befreckled back with her fingertips.

Although the unexpected mention of Charlie did momentarily take her by surprise and tensed her up, Tena’s teasing was quick to pull her back to the present again. "I just hope I don't disappoint you," she heard herself muse out loud without really meaning to. While her Dolcezza's optimism about their newly officiated relationship was heartwarming, Tal couldn't help but let her insecurities momentarily get the best of her again. She cared about this girl so much: wanted to love her, protect her and bring only happiness to her life. But was she capable of doing such a thing in her current state?

“Enough of that talk.” Mitena turned Natalia around in her arms and used her hand to cup the beauty’s face. “I know this can be scary-- starting fresh, starting something new.” Her husky voice was gentle and soothing for her lover, her palm caressing Tal’s cheek with every word. “It’s just as terrifying for me as it is for you: I can promise you that, baby girl.” Tena starred up into those big green eyes and found the hope and the strength she needed inside of them, inside of Tal. The Italian woman would be the source of her strength and resolve because Tena knew that she was worth every second. “I meant what I said. I want to be all yours, and I want you to be all mine, and I want us to be us, together and striding forward into the future. We are together. That’s all that matters. You found me, how could I ever be disappointed after that?”

Before Tena knew it, the hands of Natalia that had been resting on her hips as she spoke now moved to cup her face as the Belmonte girl passionately captured her lips with hers. How was it that this girl had an innate ability to pinpoint her necessities and give her what she needed? How was she able to find the perfect words to validate her feelings, sympathize with her and alleviate her concerns in just a few sentences? The idea of soulmates was one that, after so many failures and disappointments, the Italian girl had long since stopped believing in. Finding Mitena had changed that. She was her soulmate, and she was so fucking excited to have found her.

"You're amazing," Tal murmured fervently after breaking the kiss, her forehead momentarily pressed to her girlfriend's before she locked her lips with hers deeply again. "I'm so happy you said yes."

Mitena couldn’t hide her smile as her newly minted girlfriend kissed her. With every grace of their lips upon one another, the feeling inside the indigenous girl grew higher, stronger. The magic inside was indescribable and the more time that she spent with her Stargirl the more Tena couldn’t deny the fact that she was falling in love. She had never subscribed to the idea of love at first sight but in their all too brief encounters, Tal had done more to open Mitena’s mind and heart than anyone ever had before.

“You think I’m amazing now?” Tena’s mouth lingered over Natalia’s, her dark eyes flickering with playfulness. As her hands dropped down from her lover's face and traveled down to her perfect hips, she would pull their bodies together tightly, getting a smile from the taller girl in response. “Baby you ain’t seen nothing yet.” Leaning back on her heel, Mitena pushed Tal backwards against her wall and allowed her hands to wander freely over the Italian temptress’ firm body, whose green eyes watched her intently with bated breath and her lower lip between her teeth. “If you really wanna impress me, how about taking me on a date?” She leaned and kissed her Stargirl’s neck on alternate sides between every word, earning herself a small whimper from her lover. “Hm?” Tena cocked her eyebrow inquisitively. “Show me off to your friends?”

One of Natalia's favorite things about Mitena was how bold and assertive she was with their physical affection. She could be the softest girl around one moment, tenderly wrapping Tal in her arms to cuddle her, caress her and kiss her gently. The next moment, she could be flipping the switch: letting lust and passion take over her actions and bringing her to submission. Allowing herself to surrender to the native girl's sensual authority was exhilarating to Tal: a high that took her places nothing else could. Letting Tena push her to wherever she wanted to, touch her however she wanted to, kiss her anywhere she wanted to… It was a feeling she couldn't get enough of, no matter how many times they made love to one another.

"Only if you come spend a few nights back in Edenridge with me," came Tal's suggestive response, letting her own hands travel down from Tena's back and to firmly grab the round curves of her behind. Smirking, the taller woman leaned forward and whispered a little afterthought in Tena's ear. "So I can show you off in the day and eat you out in the night…" before lightly nibbling on her earlobe.

As a hybrid combination of a giggle and a moan came up from her throat, the sensation of Tal’s lips on her ear and her hands on her rear forced the fog in Tena’s mind to clear. She had often wondered what Edenridge was like. There were few places that she wasn’t allowed to go as a younger but Eden was one. For years, she was told it was because it just wasn’t a good place but Mitena knew later on that it was likely that her tribe wanted to spare her the heartbreak of spying through the looking glass at the world and the skies that darkened her past. The difference was now she was a fully grown woman-- and Tena was a strong, grown-ass woman. She was a curious, grown-ass woman. She would allow Natalia to take her anywhere and she would follow her anywhere, but the opportunity to finally meet a past she never knew? That was too intriguing a chance to pass up.

“Sounds like a date to me. I guess I better pack…” Backing away from her lover, with kittenish eyes staring back at Natalia. Tena glanced down at her own skin, dirty from her time in the garden. “I’m so filthy.” She peeled off her already open button down shirt slowly, big brown eyes locked deep in worship of her Stargirl as her head tilted ever so slightly to the left. Flinging the garment over her shoulder, Mitena, fingers danced across her soft chest, sailed down the middle of it and to her toned stomach until it reached the waistband of her Daisy dukes. She turned on her heel, making sure that Tal drank in every inch of her visage and understood that as of now, it was hers and it belonged to her. Mitena was Natalia’s now.

“I’m going to go shower… girlfriend.” She smiled playfully, her hips swaying as she walked onto the en-suite bathroom, leaving the door open…

The smirking Natalia wasted absolutely no time in following suit.

Edenridge

_{TIMESTAMP: Late Afternoon | Friday, July 23rd, 2021
A @BrutalBx & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Natalia Belmonte & Formally Introducing Heather Tatanka}

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With her beloved Post Malone playing in the background, Tal mustered up the confidence to sit in her vanity chair and face her reflection in the mirror for the first time in weeks. The greasy hair from before was now clean and freshly blow-dried into glossy locks of dark hair that barely reached her shoulders. The dark bags under her eyes were now less pronounced and had lost their puffiness, enough that she no longer looked like a racoon. The blemishes that had on her cheeks and chin had been effectively treated with pimple patches, their only trace of existence being fading dots of hyperpigmentation on her pale skin. These, and any other imperfections on her face, were soon concealed from view with the assistance of makeup products, while her best features were consequently brought to the forefront. Concealer was used to hide the blemishes and the dark circles, mascara elongated and thickened up her lashes, navy blue winged liner emphasized her starry eyes, a touch of sparkly liquid blush gave her cheeks a healthy glow, a spoolie fluffed up and styled her eyebrows, and a flavored lip tint plumped up and added some color to her lips (and hopefully make them more appealing for Tena to kiss while at it). A short, form-fitting, spaghetti-strapped baby blue sundress paired with some matching sandals had been the outfit of choice. She wanted to look casual and cute while toeing the line at being sultry.

Today, with Charlie Decker's and her mother's encouragement, was the day that Natalia Belmonte would momentarily put her fears aside to follow her heart ‘down that blue highway’ and straight into the arms of Mitena Strongbow.

With the windows down and a far more uplifting playlist flowing out of the speakers, Natalia sped down the roads that led to the Blue Hill Reservation with ease. But because of the circumstances surrounding their first night together and her determination to surprise her, she couldn't recall the way to Mitena's house. The only place she remembered how to get to besides Adora's house was Aponi's, which is how the Eden native ended up at the reservation’s landmark longhouse.

Although she tried her best to put on a confident facade, the young woman anxiously made her way inside the large building, looking around for any familiar face that could help her but failing to immediately recognize anyone nearby. Letting out a deep breath, Tal decided to occupy one of the stools beside the bar instead, hoping that getting some liquid courage would soothe the nervous butterflies inside of her. If she was lucky enough, maybe Tena would show up while she waited.

“Hey!” A female voice called out from beneath the bar floor. “I’ll be with you in just a second, okay?” After a few moments, a tanned hand appeared from the other side of the bar top, then another and then finally a head, face and body soon followed as the girl pulled herself out of Aponi’s freezing cellar and back into the warmth of the world. Closing the trap door behind her, the girl offered the offcomer a warm and welcoming smile. “Sorry about that.” She said with a small giggle in her voice. “I was just changing some kegs. Let me just wash my hands and I’ll get you whatever you need, pretty girl.”

The woman strode over to a nearby sink and began to rinse her hands free of sticky beer and fragrant produce. Now stood in the light, her features were far better illuminated. Unlike most residents of the Blue Hill Reservation, this girl's hair was far more brunette than it was black, with soft blonde highlights. Her face was sun kissed and befreckled and her eyes a lighter shade of chocolate. She was dressed in a flowing buttoned down dress with the arms rolled up a touch. She very obviously spent a lot of time taking care of herself. She was in an enviable shape. After finishing up at the sink, she slid back down the bar and directly opposite Natalia. “So, what can I get for you?”

The Belmonte girl was left momentarily speechless. What was in this reservation water that made their women so gorgeous? The stunning specimen currently standing in front of her ticked a lot of the boxes on her Yes list: dark hair, brown eyes, button nose, full lips, a beautiful figure and a feminine appearance with a dash of athleticism. Under different circumstances, this would have been someone that Natalia would've absolutely tried to take home with her. But of course, no matter how floored she was by her bartender’s looks, it didn't change the fact that Tal was here for her beautiful and incomparable Dolcezza.

Realizing she'd been staring at the woman a second too long, Natalia cleared her throat. "What's something good you have to take the edge off?" she asked her, knowing that her usual White Claws wouldn't do.

Heather was flattered by the girl's big green eyes staring at her for a moment. She couldn’t deny the stranger's beauty, but the middle Tatanka girl had learned from her high school self and only wanted to be with one person and at the present time… A blonde roping champion called JoJo with the cutest smile she had ever seen. She took a strand of her brown hair behind her left ear as she began to sense some familiarity with the stranger. “Hm. You don’t strike me as a straight up beer girl and it’s too early for a shot, but how about you try this?” As she poured the alabaster stranger a taste of her sister Kalia’s latest brew of Warhorse Mead, Heather finally placed her customer's face. She had been on the reservation a few days ago; she remembered seeing her in the crowd, at the Red Wolf show. She was most certainly hard to miss and Tena had gushed about going home with her that night and being struck by Cupid's bow. Heather couldn’t help but smile to herself; Mitena was a strange kid. “If you like it, I’ll pour you a glass.”

She turned back and handed Natalia the small glass of alcohol before leaning down onto the bar with her elbows. Heather didn’t even actually work at Aponi’s, not in the same way Winnie and Ten did. Like most members of the tribe, she helped out in multiple places when the need called for it. On this particular day, both of the twins were unavailable and Kalia had just brewed her latest batch and needed someone to take it to the bar. Two birds, one Heather. “What brings you here, dare I ask?”

Rather than answering right away, Tal took a second to savor the sample provided to her, and immediately felt herself being blown away by the taste. The beverage was slightly thicker than wine, and its sweet blend of blueberries and honey felt pleasant and warm as it softly burned down the throat. It was delicious, and exactly what she needed right now.

Natalia smacked her lips a few times and audibly expressed her approval before eagerly signaling the bartender for more. “I’m actually here looking for someone-- well, more like I’m looking for someone’s house, but you get the idea,” she answered with a nervous chuckle, feeling the anxiety from before creeping back up again. And before she could stop herself, she went off on a ramble to this beautiful stranger on the other side of the bar. “I sorta made an impulse decision to come all the way here from Edenridge to surprise Mitena Strongbow and ask her if she wanted to date me and give things between us a try. But now that I’m actually here and thinking about it, I don’t know if randomly showing up to her house unannounced would be a good idea. I’d probably end up looking like a fucking creep or a weirdo, and the last thing I want to do is scare her off.”

As she poured Natalia a full pint of her family's legacy, Heather couldn’t hide her smile. “Tena is fearless, it would take a little more than a pretty girl coming to confess her feelings to scare that one off.” The older woman finished pulling the drink and slid the mead over to Tal. “I’ll put this one on her tab. I mean she owes you considering how happy you’ve made her feel… Natalia.” It took a moment but Heather finally remembered the name of the girl that her friend had not stopped talking about since their last gig.

Everybody on the Reservation knew that there was just something special about Mitena. The way she had the uncanny ability to connect people and find whatever they needed from her almost instantly, it was astounding to watch, really. She spent so much time making others happy and bringing light into their lives that Heather and others worried just how longer she could go before her sun burned away. It was the Tatanka woman’s hope that maybe this Stargirl could share that light and keep Tena burning for a bit longer.

“I’m Heather, by the way.”

Heather calling her by her name stunned Natalia for a moment, but she shouldn't have been surprised. In such a small place, things like the names of random visitors who come to their land seeking one of their own was probably one of those things that became public knowledge shortly after it happened. Her vote of confidence that Tena wouldn’t be scared of what could happen was helpful, too. "Nice to meet you, Heather," Tal said politely, winking at the woman in acknowledgement. "And you don't have to put anything on Tena's tab! I've got it covered."

As she took a sip of her mead pint, the Belmonte girl thought about what Heather just said. A curiosity unlike anything she'd felt in the last few years motivated her to want to find out more about the girl she was interested in and where she potentially stood with her. "You said that I've made her feel happy. Does that mean that she's, like, talked about me? Orrrrrrr…?" Natalia innocently inquired, a small smile on her lips at the thought of both her and Tena being so into each other that they'd gushed about their existence to the people they trusted the most.

“Oh for sure!” Heather shook her head. “I mean, T is a talker at the best of times but all it’s been since you were here last had been ‘Stargirl’ this, and ‘Natalia’ that. She’s down bad for you, babe.” She had never seen her bandmate like this before. Mitena had always been a free spirit, something that Heather aspired deeply to be yet when she spoke of the Italian woman that she had met one night at Aponi’s Heart, the songstress became a giggling school girl. “I can drop her a message and tell her you’re here if you’d like?”

Natalia’s smile widened into a beaming grin with Heather’s words. The confirmation that the same feelings and their intensity were mutually shared by both herself and the object of her affection lifted a weight off the woman’s shoulders. Her self-sabotaging, self-deprecating nature had been working overtime trying to convince her that this thing with Tena wasn’t worth pursuing: that the risk of getting hurt was too high. She was glad to have an opportunity to silence those thoughts, even if it was momentarily.

When the freckled woman offered to contact Tena, the dark-haired girl shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'd rather she and I meet somewhere a little more private," Tal explained, hoping that the other girl would be understanding of her desire for discretion. She didn't want the potentially vulnerable conversation to be interrupted in any way. "If you're comfortable with doing it, though, are you able to give me her address and maybe send her a message asking if she's home right now?"

“Sure thing.” Heather picked up a pen from behind the bar and scribbled on a service notepad that she had tucked away. “I already know she’s home. She messaged me about five minutes before you walked in.” After finishing the note that contained Mitena’s address, the drummer for Red Wolf Road slid it across the bar into the off-comers waiting fingertips. “To be fair, Silverheel isn’t very far and you can’t really miss it. Take the main road to the west of town and follow the dirt path straight up the hill. Lovely scenes but a bitch to walk when you’re drunk…” Heather placed the pen she had just used behind her ear before placing her hands on her pear hips. “Then again, you’re walking with purpose and that purpose is damn worth it. She really is.”

In some ways, the native was jealous. She had yet to find her person, her reason. She wondered if they even existed. Joelle was an interesting case. Heather loved spending time with her when she could. But more often than not, the blonde-haired country girl was off on her travels with her firecracker sister. And as happy as seeing that bright smile made her, the Tatanka daughter did wonder if the fact that she could leave so easily, meant that what they had wasn’t what she thought it was, or wanted it to be. Heather had spent much of her youth being a terrible person and it was only after her older sister lost something dear that she realized how short and brittle life could be. Natalia was a beautiful girl and based on the look in her eyes, she wanted to be Mitena’s person. Good for them.

“You know I have a cousin in Edenridge? That’s where you are from, right? Her name is Topan…” Heather paused at a loud bang as her head sharply turned to see a young man dropping a large box onto the floor. “Tuna, you shitass! That’s some expensive equipment!” The boy shrugged his shoulders in melancholy before he began to refill the box, and their guest chuckled in amusement. “Sorry. I’m not even supposed to be here today but I’m glad I was. Give T my love when you see her?”

Natalia chugged the last of her mead and nodded eagerly. "Sure will!" she replied to the woman with a grateful smile, sliding her a $10 bill across the bar and rising from her seat. As much as she wanted to continue their conversation, there still remained a bigger purpose for the visitor's presence in Blue Hill. Now that she had the information she needed, it was time to turn her eyes and focus back on the prize. "Thanks for everything, Heather. It really means a lot to me."

Tal waved at Heather and took a few steps, but suddenly stopped and turned back around with a playful smile. "And if Mitena and I end up getting married, I'll make sure yours is the first name on the guest list."

Heather let out a soft giggle. “Married, huh? Guess this must be that love thing people always tell me about?”

Natalia gave a laugh on her own and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. I guess we’re going to find out.”

Heather picked up the bow empty pint glass that Natalia had left behind and placed it into the open dishwasher which had yet to fill up for the day. Seeing the stranger giddy and happy was infectious and the drummer hoped that it would spread across the reservation as she made her way through it to Silverheel Ranch. Everyone could always do with one more good day. Heather slipped the payment into the counter and the befreckled beauty offered Natalia one more warm smile.

“Go get her, tiger.”

Edenridge

_{TIMESTAMP: Silvia Belmonte’s Bedroom || Noon | Friday, July 23rd, 2021
A @LovelyComplex & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Natalia Belmonte & Silvia Belmonte}

---

With the curtains closed most of the way, there through the small opening, a path of light streamed in, hitting the bed. Silvia Belmonte laid in the dark, gazing at the illuminating sun that touched and warmed her skin. Her bedroom had shifted from something of grandeur to something grim and desolate. Her king sized bed that she used to share with her husband was replaced with a hospital bed and there, on her nightstand, were flowers — lilies specifically. A subtle reminder of her circumstance. As she watched dust particles within the passageway of the sun and of the light dance in the air, Silvia got lost in thought, trying to accept her awful position. She knew from day one of her diagnosis that she would be in a constant state of uselessness, unable to do much besides lay and listen. When she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, she gradually turned her head away from the window, bringing her attention to the door, wondering which child wanted to visit her today and what would they say.

The door to Silvia’s bedroom slowly swung open, and the fifth-born Belmonte child carefully stepped inside. Her mother looked livelier than usual, which was always a good thing to see-- a possible sign that she was picking the perfect moment to have this conversation. “Hi Mamma.” Natalia greeted her mother upon arrival, offering the frail woman a soft smile as she walked across the room and settled in an empty spot next to her on the bed. It felt like the space available in the bed became bigger as Silvia’s health grew weaker, but Tal chose not to dwell on such sad thoughts. “How are you feeling today?”

Catching her at one of her better moments, even with her body getting smaller and smaller each day, Silvia had a glow about her. Not the kind of glow that meant she was okay. She simply seemed in better spirits, the more her children routinely visited. A good sign being her timid smile. On top of that, the Belmonte matriarch wasn’t coughing as much nor was she in need of a rag bath from the nurse, who had cleaned her up earlier this morning. Today she was in good spirits.

While she knew she wouldn’t defeat the beast that was cancer, she could at least give her children moments with her until she knew they were going to be okay. Sleep wasn’t going to overtake her until there was no doubt in her mind her family would be fine without her. Subtly adjusting her body, hiding any sign of pain on her face, she tried to sit up. With oxygen to help her breathe now, she barely had the strength to lift and hold herself without support. Exasperated and almost giving up, her daughter affectionately adjusted her pillow and lifted her up so she was sitting more upward.

“Stellina,” Silvia breathed, her voice was raspy, cracked and sounded dry. It was clear Natalia’s mother saved her energy to talk for only times that mattered. “I am… tired,” she answered, while breathing in and out with the portable oxygen. “But… I am… here.” Sluggishly, she reached for her daughter’s hand, giving her a safe place to talk. With serenity in her gaze, the mother nodded, which was quiet instruction for Natalia to tell her what was ailing her mind.

“So you know how I told you I was going up to Blue Hill? The Native American reservation?” she began, waiting for her mother to confirm that she remembered before continuing. “Well, I did end up going… And I met someone. A girl.” Tal admitted, her cheeks blushing pink and her face lighting up as the face of her Dolcezza sprung to the forefront of her mind. “Her name is Mitena, and she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve laid my eyes on. She’s got the silkiest black hair, the smoothest olive skin, the kindest brown eyes, the cutest nose, and the brightest, most heartwarming smile of anyone I've ever met.” Tal trailed off with a small smile, visualizing the woman who had captivated her in such a short period of time in her imagination. “And it’s not just that she’s gorgeous, Ma. I know it’s probably weird to say this when I’ve only known her for a few days, but she's the sweetest girl I’ve ever met in my entire life. She listens to me. She makes me feel like I matter; like she truly cares about how I feel and what I think and my outlook on things. She makes me smile. She makes me hopeful about what the future could look like. Whenever I’m around her or talking to her I just feel… safe. Like it’s the place where I belong and I’m supposed to be.”

There was a momentary silence as the weight of Tal’s words sunk in for both women. “All of my life, I’ve been searching for and failing to find that someone that feels like home. You were there: you know how many times I tried, how you had to console me and tell me exactly what I needed to hear each time I ended up with a broken heart. And knowing how things go for me most times, there’s always a chance that everything will probably end up in catastrophe with Mitena. But I think I’ve finally found my someone, Ma. I really think so. I found the person I'm meant to be with. I feel it in my gut. And as scared as I am to take the leap and fall face-first, I also have this strange feeling in my chest telling me that it's all worth it and that it’s going to work out.”

No verbal response. Within her silence, Silvia gave her Little Star her undivided attention. Their eyes gazed into each other’s and although her’s were heavy, she kept it open. For Natalia. For Danny. For Caterina. For Vivia. For Elisabetta. For Mirabella. For Ninetta. For all her grandbabies. And for her soulmate, her little Devil. Her Taz. Her babies were healing. Her babies were finding love. Her babies were walking their chosen paths, after experiencing burden, tragedy and insurmountable grief. Her babies were growing. They might not see it but she saw it and with His grace and His mercy, she was so grateful. Grateful He allowed her breath to see them pick up their broken pieces and find hope to keep living. Find hope to not give into their own darkness. Find hope to just be. She was grateful.

“When we were growing up, you always told us to be brave and follow our hearts, because they would lead us in the right direction. So that's what I'm going to do today: I'm taking another chance at being happy. I'm going back up to the Blue Hill Reservation to ask Mitena if she’d like us to date and see where things lead. If she says yes I'll bring her back here to introduce her to you.” Natalia declared, her eyes full of conviction and determination. “So just wait for me if you can, Ma. Please. I don't want you to leave without meeting the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me besides being yours and Pappa's daughter. I promise you I'll be back soon.”

Saying the words out loud served to solidify Tal’s resolve to carry out the plan she’d just disclosed to her mother. After so many weeks of seeing her put up a front and probably sensing she was in low spirits, she wanted to make sure Silvia didn’t part this Earth under the assumption that she was leaving a lonely daughter behind. And the best way to erase any lingering preoccupation in the Belmonte matriarch’s heart was to introduce her to the angel sent from heaven to take care of her third-youngest child.

“I am… tired, Stellina,” Silvia tried to speak. She wanted to say more. All what was on her mind, she wanted to shout and be heard. Silvia wished she could tell her children they could love whoever they wanted. Marco was a good boy and her son chose wonderfully. Mirabella was still young but Marcela was such a smart, driven, fiercely loyal girl. If they brightened her children’s lives, putting color to their world, how could she ever be upset about that? She wished she could walk to ReyRey’s house and beg him to not hurt her daughter. She wanted to visit that carefree and hardy Costigan boy and tell him that no matter how many times her daughter tries to run away, push him away, scared, to hold onto her tight. Love her like she’s never been loved before. There were so many things she wanted to say, that she wanted to do but all she could do was pray and wait until the Lord came to her and said it was time to go home.

Suddenly she broke into a coughing fit, her grip on her daughter’s hand tightening. Unable to hide the pain coursing through her body at every slight movement, like when her daughter lifted her up, Silvia began to cry, tears trailing down her cheeks involuntarily. Hurting all over. Deep down, the mother of the Belmonte Seven wanted the suffering to stop. She wanted to rest. She wanted to feel nothing and sleep. Hope, love and perseverance kept her going and with sheer willpower, she knew, it wasn’t her time. Not yet. Soon but not yet.

Gesturing for her daughter to help her lay back down, Silvia went quiet, breathing in and out, inhaling and exhaling, burying the pain so she could focus on being there for her baby with the galaxy in her eyes. So much love to give, so much hope in her soul for a better tomorrow. Natalia always wished upon falling stars, wanting to believe in a love made just for her. Her Stellina.

Life is beautiful. Watch the stars, my baby, and run with them.

With watery eyes, Silvia whispered, “Be brave.” Pushing her daughter to her greatness, whatever that may be, all she could say was be brave and that she will wait. For a little longer, she would stay. Her husband was not okay and she needed to know he would be. For a little longer, her eyes would stay open. “Be happy.”

Overcome with emotion, Natalia wrapped her arms around Silvia and allowed herself to cry from both happiness and a deep sorrow. Watching her mother’s health deteriorate more every day, barely able to speak and feeling pain at even the smallest things, was a heartbreak unlike anything Tal had ever experienced. All of her life, she had watched her mother be the anchor that kept their family steady: their unconditional source of comfort, love and support. In these last days of her life, Tal felt it was time to return the favor. All she could hope for was that seeing her happiness firsthand could bring Silvia some of that comfort and relief she was so great at giving them, even if just for a fleeting moment.

Edenridge

_{TIMESTAMP: Dream Land @ Natalia's Bedroom || Noon | Friday, July 23rd, 2021
A @BrutalBx & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Natalia Belmonte & Charlie Decker}

---

Of course his room was the typical organised mess that it always was. His clothes, which mostly consisted of flannel shirts and dark jeans lay strung across the floor in crumpled heaps of adolescent laziness whereas the things he was the most passionate about, his books and his records were nearly tidied away. On the far wall was his bookcase, filled to the brim, overflowing even with classic literature and modern masterpieces. Whenever anyone was deemed worthy enough to enter his sanctum sanctorum, the one question he was always asked was if he had read them all? Of course he had and more than once.

For him, literature was life. Ancient words in dusty books written by long dead, uneducated men and women were the lifeblood that livened his soul, that set his mind on fire and made everything make sense. He took care of those books like they were his children. The same could be said of the vast collection of vinyl records he had sat in several boxes, alphabetised of course near his window. The amount of noise complaints that he had could fill one of his beloved books but luckily the police had very little care for a teenage boy playing his music too loud on the Southside.

The bed wasn’t made, it never was and the curtains were drawn, which it only ever was when he didn’t want to be disturbed. The rest of the time, he left them open so he could easily make his escape next door to Poppy’s. Though, of course, Natalia knew all that. She had spent enough time in his fortress of solitude to know where everything was without him having to tell her. She knew where he would be before she even opened the door; sat at his desk, head down as he scribbled onto a bit of paper, pouring into his words the thousand and one burning thoughts that ate away at his brain like a wild beast, if he didn’t get them out he would explode. That’s just the way it was.

When she entered the room, he didn’t raise his head, he didn’t turn to look, he remained silent as he scratched away at the sheet filled with his innermost commentary. After a few more quiet moments, Charlie placed his pen down and turned in his chair to face the girl with the galaxy eyes.

“Hey.”

"Hey, Char."

Ever since witnessing Charlie's premature demise, Natalia's nights had hovered between periods of insomnia and periods of lucid dreaming. In the times her body gave way to exhaustion, her dreams were often similar. She'd enter the Southie boy's room to find her friend sitting by his desk with his head down and a pen in his hand, scribbling away about whatever topic had inspired his musings of the day. She'd lay down in his bed, and he'd choose to stay in his desk chair or lay down next to her, allowing them some time to cuddle. No matter where Charlie opted to be, the rest of the dream was always the same: she'd open her heart out to discuss whatever situation was at the time, the young man listened to her and provided her with his wise advice once she was finished expressing herself. She'd wake up from these dreams momentarily at peace with herself, and with a clear head about how she needed to proceed with whatever was bothering her. But reality was as quick to set in as the tears that followed, and she'd spend anywhere between minutes or hours curled up in a ball in a corner of her bedroom, sobbing uncontrollably while wrestling with the guilt, grief, regrets and sadness that often engulfed her when it came to the topic of Charlie Decker.

"What's the topic of the day?" She asked her friend, crossing the room and making herself comfortable by lying on his bed.

“The great duality of man and the importance of finding normalcy in the smallest of things.” Charlie followed the Italian beauty, rotating his chair so that he could face her when she took her place on his bed. She looked tired, worn down but that always seemed to be the case when Natalia strolled through that door. He was the symptom of a greater problem in her life which he could only try to provide a solution for. “Also you’re totally hooking up with my little sister, so that should make for an interesting chapter.” His face was plastered with that goofy smirk that had been seen by so rare a few while he was still alive. Whenever Charlie smiled, it was infectious and freeing, “She’s kinda great, right?”

Natalia couldn't help but grimace at his words. The topic of her involvement with Mitena wasn’t something she had expected to discuss with him so soon. She’d hoped to ease into it, slowly building up to it before putting it all out there. But she should’ve known Charlie better than to think he wouldn’t just want to cut the chit chat and get down to it.

"So you know about that, huh?" she sheepishly asked the dark-haired man in an attempt to stall the conversation, a telling hint of pink on her cheeks. Of course he knew about that. He was a part of her. He went where she went, saw what she saw, felt what she felt.

“I mean, who do you think sent you to her in the first place?” Charlie pushed himself up to his feet, his tall frame nearly hitting the lightbulb above him. In one stride, the once aspiring writer made his way from the desk to his bed and stood over Tal for a second. He could read her like her book, a skill that he never really learned but something that just sort of was. He always knew what Natalia needed. They were connected that way.

Sitting down on the bed next to her, Charlie brushed a loose strand of her dark hair away from her face, her big green eyes meeting his dark ones. “Hi.” He said quietly. “Don’t do your Tal thing where you don’t say shit. You’re here with me. You’re safe.”

The girl next to him shot him a half-smile and nodded, shifting around so her head would be on his lap. "I know. You know I trust you. It's just… I've got a lot of thoughts and feelings about what happened those days… I don't even know where to start."

“Well.” Charlie began as he gently stroked Tal’s soft temple with the tips of his fingers, tracing the freckles that he adored on her alabaster skin. “Let’s try and boil this down to a base, pure form.” The lanky boy adjusted his position on the bed to allow for Natalia to be a little more comfortable as she rested on him. He leaned himself back against the backboard of his bed as his touch moved to a spot just behind her ear. “I already know that you're being eaten alive by your guilt. No need to open that specific can of beans just yet, so why don’t you just tell me how you felt when you were with her?” Charlie used his free hand to scratch the back of his neck. “Forget all the other pieces that were screaming and focus on the one that whispered. Was there a connection?”

"Well, yeah," Natalia confirmed nonchalantly, picking at a strand of frayed fabric on Charlie's dark denim jeans. "She's without a doubt the most beautiful girl I've laid my eyes on. I looked like absolute garbage and could barely string two words together the first time I saw her in the longhouse bathroom. Yet she looked at me like she’d just found a $100 bill on the ground, took me by the hand, snatched me away into the night and made me feel things I never thought I would in the first place. I wouldn't have let it go anywhere if I hadn’t felt there was a genuine connection."

"But it's all really fucking scary too, Char. She was talking about setting my world on fire, wanting me to be her next adventure and how she'd chase me to the ends of the Earth and all that-- and as much as I want to believe she's telling the truth, a part of me just… can't do it…" the girl admitted tearfully, the fear she felt about these emotions ringing clear in her voice. "I want to see where things could go, but I'm fucking terrified of getting disappointed again. Any time I catch feelings for someone, I end up being the one that falls the hardest and getting broken up with. I couldn't get Niles Sinclair to love me. I know that split was on me: that I should've been kinder and more understanding of him. I shouldn't have expected or demanded so much from someone still dealing with the loss of his mother. I understand that now in a way I wish I didn’t. But it doesn't change the fact that I still got hurt. I couldn't get Creed and Jokes to stay with me, even when it was literally the healthiest relationship I've ever been in. I couldn't stop Kylee Grimm from up and ghosting me and then acting as if the time we spent together was worth horse shit. I couldn't even give you enough reasons to give me a chance. Every person I've fallen in love with has just left me and eventually moved on with someone else-- like I'm just a pit stop along the way but never the final destination. I’m never the person they want to be with forever. I guess I’m just that insufferable."

“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance….Oscar Wilde.” Charlie quoted, as he so often did. “Life and love are series of exploits like pages in a book. Every page is a new adventure with its own beginning, middle and end. Every person in your life is a page. Some will make you laugh and some cry. What matters is what you take from those pages.” The indigenous boy drifted his fingers over Natalia’s soft arm as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Every lesson you learn from a failed love is to teach you something about yourself, so that you can love yourself."

"'Love myself'?" Natalia repeated with a disbelieving snort. "Char, honey, I know that to everyone on the outside it might seem like I'm this strong and confident force to be reckoned with, but I don't think there's anyone out there who hates me more than I hate myself. The only thing I've learned from all those pages you're talking about is how terribly flawed I am, to smoke weed and to be bitter at fucking everything."

Charlie sighed a little through his nose. The poor girl that had curled herself up into his lap was truly in a great amount of pain. “In that case, you know where my stash is.” He opened his eyes and looked up towards the ceiling, a specific section which was loose was the focus of his gaze. “Though if you want it, you’re gonna have to go up and get it. Use your rangy ass to stand up there and find some roll ups that are about three years old.” He let out a soft laugh while the girl joined him. Only Charlie could be deadly serious and talk absolute nonsense at the same time.

"I can’t promise that Mitena is the right person for you. I don’t have that power. What I can tell you is that she has the best heart and that she wants to give it to you. Whether you give her yours? That is beyond my spooky ghost powers to predict….so is eating. I’m not allowed to eat anymore. I miss bagels with salmon.” He joked as he wrapped Tal’s hair in ringlets.

Natalia momentarily smiled at his joke, but her face was quick to return to its solemn state. "I just… I don't want to get hurt again. I've spent so much time picking up and putting back the pieces of myself-- which feels impossible most times, because I'm nowhere near whole and I don't think I'll ever be-- that I don't think I have it in me to fail at this again. And it’s not like I’ll be any good for her either, Char. She deserves someone way better than me. I've got nothing to offer the poor girl except a whole lot of baggage and trauma and insecurities. She'll always be too good for me, and I'll probably never be good enough for anyone else, either. It's just… It’s just something I have to get used to."

As he stroked her face and hair, Natalia turned her head slightly so that he could see deep into those beautiful green eyes. As he watched the quasars explode into a million tiny specs of ethereal emerald, with the tip of his thumb he tenderly touched the corner of Tal’s lip. “I mean now you’re just talking silly.” Charlie began. “Do you really think there’s such a thing as a whole person? Cos there’s not. We’re all just puzzle pieces that we mostly stick together ourselves until we find that one missing piece, that one person or persons that makes us complete. There isn’t a whole person until that point.” He leaned down and kissed the top of Natalia’s forehead. “I’ve seen your heart. You’re a lot stronger than you know, Tal. And as far as being good enough and carrying baggage? You literally just described everyone who ever lived. Though not all of them are Stargirls.” He laughed a little as he traced the soft freckles on her face. “Stargirl; just a bit pretentious though isn’t it? She definitely doesn’t get that from me.”

The Belmonte girl laughed right along with him, taking hold of the hand of his that was free and interlocking her fingers with his. "Says the one who can't go two sentences without speaking in metaphors," she teased back. "I think it's cute, though. Unique. I've never heard someone call someone else Stargirl before."

Charlie’s eyes sailed to a book that sat on his shelf: Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon. It was the story of one man’s trip across America, avoiding big cities and interstates, the living world and the pain it causes. “Stars are very important to our people. We have so many legends and stories that we live and learn by. Maybe-- no, I’m sure she’d be happy to tell you about them.”

Natalia was quiet for a moment, pondering her friend’s words and reading between the lines. "So you think I should give her a chance?" she asked Charlie, letting her facial expression show the real, deep-seated anxiety she felt about allowing someone new into her life and potentially giving them the power to further break her. "Even if she ends up breaking my heart by running in the opposite direction when she finds how truly fucked I am? When the novelty and the initial attraction wears off, and she’s left with the mess that I am? Because as much as I want to try again, I don't think I can handle more heartbreak right now, Char. I really can't," she admitted, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

“Okay.” Charlie spoke defiantly. “Come here.” He guided the crying Natalia up to a seated position and pulled her gently into his arms and warm embrace that the woman was quick to return. Looking into her big green eyes, he softly wiped away her tears. “Listen, I can’t promise that she’s the one-- I wish I could. God, I wish I could. But from what I’ve seen and what I know of my sister, she’s a kind, selfless and deeply connected person. She feels so much and feels everything so intensely.” Charlie’s fingers danced across Tal’s neck as he smiled at her. “It is this humble writer's opinion that you give her a chance. Let her take you to places you’ve never been, places you’ve never seen. Magical places that will fill your heart the way you need them to. But first, you have to go to her. Drive that blue highway to that Native reservation in the middle of nowhere and find your Dolcezza.”

The green-eyed girl nodded in between sniffles, wiping away any tears her friend hadn’t managed to catch. From the first conversation they’d had in the outdoor bleachers of the old Edenridge High School, Charlie had proven his ability to see beyond the veil the Belmonte girl used to hide parts of her true self from the world. His words had the power of penetrating her defenses and instilling only positive emotions in her heart. The more she and Charlie spoke about Mitena and the feelings blossoming between the two girls, the better and more confident Natalia felt about everything. She wasn't undeserving of love. She wasn't too flawed. She was a brave woman who deserved to try and find happiness with someone who desired to give it to her.

"So you're not mad about it?" she asked him, mustering up the strength to face him for the answer to one of the questions that haunted her the most. "You're not upset that we’re into each other even after what happened between us?"

“Why would I be upset? Because someone’s making you happy? And that someone happens to be my sister?” Charlie brushed some loose raven hair from Natalia’s face as he let out a light chuckle. “Tal, what happened with us, you’re always going to carry that weight with you. I can’t change that. Allowing yourself to be happy? That will. Allowing yourself to feel what you felt for me for someone else? That will. And I’ll always be here if you need a pep talk. Apparently since my death I’ve mellowed the fuck out.” The native boy held the green eyed girl tightly. “Go be happy, Stargirl.”

The dark-haired girl held Charlie just as tightly, allowing herself to indulge in the solace that only his embrace could give her. That was one of the things Natalia missed the most since he was gone: the warm feeling of his arms around her holding her close after sharing his well-intentioned wisdom. No matter how many times she dreamt of him, it could never replace the real thing. She would’ve given anything to ease his burden and provide Char with the same comfort that he always gave her when he was still alive-- but that was impossible now. Thankfully, she still had a chance to do right by him by bringing happiness to his surviving sister’s life.

“Okay.” Tal mumbled with a sniffle, gently pulling away from Charlie and wiping her teary face again. “I guess I’ll go ahead and get ready so I can head out to the rez and see Mitena.” She told him with a small smile, slowly getting out of the bed and standing up, facing him one last time before she departed. She would never get tired of that tender feeling that filled her chest whenever she looked at her friend. “Got any last words for me, Char?”

Charlie directed a smile at the befreckled beauty, his black bangs hanging over his sleepless brown eyes. His tanned skin was warm and full of life that had never been there whilst he was actually alive. He sat and drank her in: the way she stood in that doorway like she had so many times before. It always hit him in a certain kind of way-- a way in which his heart melted. With his lanky long arm, Charlie reached out and took a hold of Tal’s hand, lightly pressing his lips to her knuckle, only to be interrupted by a thunderous knocking at the bedroom door. “Miss you.” He spoke quietly, his words hushed but not hidden, as if it was fading out and being overcome by the knocks. "I think someone is ready for you.”

Before the young woman could do anything other than squeeze the hand of his that held hers and blow him a kiss, the world around them began to transform at a rapid pace. The piles of flannel shirts and dark jeans disappeared from the floor, which was now a well-preserved dark oak instead of the worn laminate from before. The bookcases that had rested against the walls were replaced by a mandala tapestry, and posters of artists like Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Lil Peep, Halsey, girl in red and others. The bed remained unmade and the curtains remained drawn, but the dark bed sheets and linen drapes were now a beautiful shade of periwinkle that matched the blue, purple and white tie-dye comforter that kept Natalia warm. The thick, battered notebooks on the desk vanished, their place now occupied by a sleek MacBook Pro and empty snack wrappers. Tal continued to watch her dream’s surroundings give way into reality in silence, smiling at Charlie’s figure as it faded away into the void… Until she was the only thing that remained inside the room.

Now fully awake, Natalia lay face up and still in her bed for a long moment after, trying to ease into the feelings that always came rushing after her dreams with Charlie. Eventually, she found the strength to shift her body to lay sideways and grab the nearest pillow resting near her, holding it as tightly as she could against her chest and bracing herself for the incoming impact. And as wave after wave of emotion slowly began to crash into her, Tal buried her face in the pillow and began to sob.

Miss you too, Char. I really miss you too.

Thank you again for everything.

Edenridge

_{TIMESTAMP: FLASHBACK || Afternoon | Monday, July 19th, 2021
After Finding Neverland & Before Ain't No Thing
An @Aces Away & @Venus Collaboration
Featuring Natalia Belmonte & Mordechai Boaz}

---

---

After his talk with Mitena, Mordechai had tagged in Poppy and made his way back up to his room to get his bookbag and various weapons. Weapons that he had never even needed in the first place, much like the night he’d entered Edenridge High’s gym upon his return to town. Strapping up was his first response, creating the option of becoming the weapon to be aimed or the shield to protect, and it wasn’t a habit one easily dropped. Expecting violence had been part of his life for literally longer than he could remember. He took a few minutes to gather the rest of his loose items before dropping both his bag and himself onto his bed. He waited in his room, ready for when Tal came up to say she was ready to go, staring at a picture on the nightstand between the two beds and trying to use the reference to clear up the blurry faces of his past.

The picture was from their second visit, a mere few months from the first, and contained the entire Briteson-Kraeter crew as well as Adora, Danny, and himself. The adults were all standing in the back, Kamilla leaned against Quintel while the man had his arm around Zeti’s shoulder. Tama was leaning down past her husband, whose hand was on Jonie’s head, whispering something into a 17 year-old Adora’s ear from where the girl stood in front of her sister and brother-in-law. The picture captured the exact moment that the young native girl had begun laughing uproariously while her older sister’s smirk peaked out from behind her hand. Sitting cross legged on the ground were Maliq and Jonie, who weren’t even Serpents yet, and between the twin flames sat Mordechai and Danny. While Maliq was sitting with his back leaned against his parents, Jonie was half turned around and grinning widely at his father, mother, and aunt, not even attempting to remove Zeti's hand. The Boaz brothers sat in the middle of a chaos of colorful characters, looking confused but not frantic or scared. They’d never done school photos, or posed for a group picture before, and they were still working on getting used to the rambunctious nature that came from this family when they were whole, a type of relationship they'd never experienced. He wished they had taken more pictures together before half their world was lost forever. He would have to ask Auntie or the boys at some point if they had any other pictures of everyone's time here that he didn't know about.

Upon Tena's return to Adora's home at Mordechai's request, Natalia was quick to return to the house and retreat into the bedroom she had occupied the day before. It didn't take long for Natalia’s belongings to be packed into her gym bag considering she hadn’t spent the night in this room, Jade had apparently left with someone not too long before Tena made her appearance, and Tal didn't want to risk becoming the target of a conversation with Poppy James. That wasn't something she would be prepared to do anytime soon-- if ever. Instead, she settled in the comfort of the mattress and pillow, reflecting on what had transpired during their trip while waiting for Boa’s return to the house so they could depart.

The last day of their journey at the Blue Hill Reservation hadn’t started the way Natalia had expected it to-- much like this surprise trip as a whole. When the four Eden natives had boarded her SUV the day before, her expectations for their visit were to meet Charlie’s secret sister, share a meal or two with some conversation, spend the night at Adora’s and return to their hometown with some questions answered by noon. Having a few public breakdowns, sharing a heart to heart with Jade Taylor, falling head over heels for the woman who turned out to be Charlie’s sister and spending both heated and candid moments with her wasn’t on any of her bingo cards.

As reluctant as she’d been to even embark on the trip in the first place and as uncomfortable as discussing Charlie at the table had made her, Tal couldn’t deny that the trip had been healing in a way. Hearing firsthand how Jade coped with her emotions, how his three closest friends and his sister held guilt in her heart just like she did made Tal feel less alone. She had always forced herself to believe that her deep-seated, mixed emotions surrounding her ties to Charlie were her own personal dilemma: something that was unique to her and would be misunderstood by anyone she would ever try to explain it to. It was a small relief to know that this assumption wasn’t all true. Even if all she felt ready to admit to was a friendship between the infamous deceased Serpent and herself, it was still more than she would’ve a few weeks ago. Progress was progress, right?

The Belmonte girl’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing, followed by the same sound coming from the bedroom she knew Mordechai had occupied. She gave him the courtesy of five minutes of privacy before she left her bedroom, gym bag hanging over her shoulder, and allowed her knuckles to sharply knock on the wooden door of his. “Boa? It’s Natalia. I’m ready to go when you are.”

“Comin’,” Mordechai called back through the door, standing up from where he was sitting on his bed and stretching his arms above his head before slinging his bag over his shoulder. He took one more glance at the faces of the fallen, kept frozen within the simple wooden frame, and opened the door to begin his journey back home with the last person he’d have expected to end up alone with so soon. He pulled out his phone to send Poppy a quick goodbye text so that he didn’t have to interrupt her and looked up to Natalia with a raised eyebrow. “Please choose another playlist than the one we drove up on,” He requested honestly. “Ya got a bad bitch playlist instead’a a sad bitch playlist? My kids’ mom listens ta a lotta Alt-Z music that’s good for that shit.”

Natalia raised her own eyebrow back at Mordechai, before allowing a smirk to cross her lips. She wasn't going to apologize for the playlist she chose on the way to the reservation. It reflected her mood at the time, which made her feel better in some strange way. "My car, my rules," she warned the young man as they both set out in the direction of the car and packed their things in the back seats. Lucky for him, Billie Eilish did not reflect her current mood, so they would indeed be listening to something different. "But because I'm not feeling like being a tyrant today, the best I can do for you is my house party playlist with Post Malone, Migos, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and them. That sound any better to you?"

“Oh thank God,” Mordechai muttered quietly to himself before replying, “Now that’s some shit I can handle.”

______

With the windows rolled down and the bass of the driver's trap, rap, and hip hop playlist making the car vibrate, Natalia and Mordechai set out on their way back home. The two settled into an easy silence rather quickly, content for the time to get lost in the music and give their minds a break. The Belmonte girl seemed totally content with the arrangement: one hand on the steering wheel, the other hand holding the vape she took pulls from for what felt like every few minutes. Mordechai personally made sure to give Natalia some peace before he broke it by leaning back in the passenger seat and closing his eyes for the first ten minutes of the drive. In the lull between one song ending and the other starting up, though, he finally took the opening and asked the woman driving, “So, how long are ya gonna avoid Poppy for?”

The direct, unexpected question took Natalia by surprise. She had assumed that Poppy’s departure from the scene had meant she was safe from any attempts at being interrogated or cornered to discuss things she didn’t want to. Clearly, she should’ve known the ever-observant Mordechai better than that.

Tal’s left hand immediately tightened on the steering wheel, but she kept her face as impassive as ever. "What are you talking about?" she scoffed, keeping her eyes deadlocked on the road ahead.

“D’ya really wanna play this game?” He asked back, still not opening his eyes or returning his seat to the sitting position. “I really don’t wanna play.”

The Belmonte girl could feel her anxiety rising from the response Mordechai had given her. Her whole body tensed up, her heart rate picked up and she began to take more frequent, nervous pulls from her vape. "I'm not playing any games," she said cooly, still refusing to look anywhere in her passenger's direction. "I just want you to tell me what you're talking about so I can know what to say."

“Okay,” Mordechai answered blandly while opening his eyes, staring up at the roof of the car as he pressed the button on the side of the seat that began to slowly adjust him back into the sitting position. Once the seat stopped, eyes maintained on the roof of the car like he was looking to the heavens for help, he clearly stated, “I’m askin’ how long you’re gonna avoid Poppy for just ‘cause you’re scared she’ll find out you an’ Hard Times hooked up. I don’t know why you thought I couldn’t tell-- the only person that’s fucked more Serpents than you back home is probably me. Maybe Rye? Regardless, haven’t ya seen what happens ta secrets in this town already?”

...just cause you’re scared she’ll find out you an’ Hard Times hooked up…

The sheer shock of hearing that factual statement being voiced out loud sent Natalia over the edge and into a panic. She let her vape fall on her lap as the foot of hers that was previously on the accelerator slammed on the brakes, while both shaking hands now held onto the steering wheel as if for dear life. Long, deep, rattling breaths were the only thing keeping her from losing it. Lucky for them, the road they were traveling on was empty, giving Tal enough time to compose herself for the few seconds it took to safely pull to the side of the road and finally turn to face her passenger for the first time since they'd boarded the vehicle.

"Why the fuck would you say that?" she hissed at Mordechai, her eyes blazing with both anger and fear.

Mordechai was gripping both his belt and the grip handle above the door for dear life, heart beating rapidly from the maniac move the Belmonte woman had just made. He spared a moment’s thought for Molotov back home and his car trauma before he snapped out of his surprise. He turned slightly wide eyes towards her and replied in an equally stressed tone, “Because I expected ya ta be sane enough not ta full stop from seventy miles a fuckin’ hour?!”

"How can you expect anyone to be sane if you bring up shit like that up out of nowhere?!" the green-eyed girl spat, unfastening her seat belt so she could fully turn towards Mordechai. "I don't know what you think you know, but I'm not saying anything to anybody. And what you've just said? I don't want you to ever repeat that again. Ever. Got it?"

“No, I don’t ‘got it’,” He snapped back in the face of the Italian’s rage, unfazed by her threatening tone. In fact, if it hadn’t irritated him so much he may have been amused that she was threatening him. Of the two in this car, after all, only one of them had a body count. And he didn’t mean a sexual one. “At first I was gonna say that ya should tell her about it, but I gave up on that while I was packin’ up my bags. But ya can’t just keep avoidin’ it by avoidin’ Poppy. She don’t deserve that,” Mordechai shifted in his seat to glare harshly at Natalia. “Don’t make me break it down for ya,” He warned, crossing his arms. “Don’t forget I grew up watchin’ someone look at him and react ta his influence the way I saw you last night.”

Natalia mentally cursed herself. She had spent a large chunk of her adolescence trying to perfect the art of masking and internalizing her feelings. In her world, public displays of emotion were expositions of weakness. Foes or enemies couldn’t get to you if they didn’t know what hurt you or made you tick. Nothing could be used against you if there wasn’t anything given in the first place. Even when Charlie’s passing had wreaked havoc in her life, masking was easy when you spent most of your time distracting yourself with your sport, a new lover or a new educational stage. But being unexpectedly thrust into the thick of her emotions time and time again these past few weeks had made putting on a face nearly impossible, as evidenced by her 2 breakdowns for the price of one the day before.

"I can't do it," Tal heard herself admitting, shaking her head. "I'm not going to do that to her. You saw how she reacted at the table this morning during the conversation with Mitena. Can you even imagine what'll happen if she finds out Charlie and I didn't just 'know each other'?" she retorted, satisfied in having phrased her and Charlie's involvement in a way that didn't deny or accept Boa's declaration. The avoidance left the man rolling his eyes. "I have been a selfish bitch for most of my life, but this time I'm trying to be a good person and not think of just myself for once. Poppy has gone through enough already. I don't need to be adding fuel onto that fire with anything I say or do."

“But ya are doin’ somethin’,” Mordechai pressed in aggravation, resisting the urge to throw his hands up as well. “Avoidin’ is doin’ somethin’! Trust me, I’ve been doin’ it for years! Me and you knew each other before we all came up to the rez, and ya had your personal talk with Jade, but ya didn’t let yourself be alone with Pops for a second. Poppy’s far from unobservant; she clocked you an’ Tena this mornin’ just like me and Jade did, she knows ya disappeared when Tena started singin’ and came outta the bathroom with her later. We all put that together easy enough, so ya think she didn’t notice how uncomfortable ya were around her the whole time? Come on, Puff.”

"We're not in high school anymore, Boa! I'm not obligated to see Poppy most days of the year anymore, just like I'm not obligated to interact with her or tell her things she and I are both not ready to discuss yet-- if at all!" Natalia argued, still determined that she wasn't going to be telling Poppy anything until she was ready or until she had no choice. "If I don't want to be around someone, I've got a right to remove myself from the situation. I hadn't seen Poppy or Jade in almost a year, anyway, so it's not like I've been purposely avoiding her in the first place. And, by the way, I didn't plan to have any private talks with anyone, just like I didn’t plan for the whole thing with Tena to happen. It just did. Things between her and I just happened. We weren't trying to hide anything."

"And there ain't nothin' wrong with that. I wasn't judgin' ya for Tena. I was just statin' that it was easy ta see, just like every reaction you've given since Charlie's letters were brought up on the car ride in," Mordechai dug in his heels, finally meeting Natalia’s green eyes fully and staring her down, trying to get her to understand this wasn't the attack she was taking it as. "Just like me, ya can barely even hear his name still without flinchin', without the good times flashin’ in your mind for a second before the bad takes over. Ya think that shit ain't obvious?" He took a deep breath and cracked his neck, leveling out his tone so it sounded less aggressive and more tired; tired like they all were. Tired of living in fear of what Charlie had said about them, and how true it could be. "What I'm tryin'a get across is that we still don’t know what’s in the rest’a Charlie’s journal, we don't know everything he’s written. Right? But I know that fucker was one of the best and most descriptive writers I ever read, and his personal journal is gonna have shit he wouldn't share with anyone, yeah? It's gonna fuckin' come out, Puff, and Poppy’s gonna get hurt by the truth one way or the other, but you avoidin’ her like she’s the fuckin’ plague ain’t gonna make shit better for her. When was the last time avoidin' the problem actually worked?"

The weight and truth of Mordechai’s words cut Natalia deep. The threat of her secret being exposed for the entirety of Edenridge to know had been a guillotine looming over her neck since she became aware of the journal having fallen on ill-intentioned hands. She knew Charlie enough to be sure that details of their ties would be written in detail in its pages. And there had been plenty of material for him to write about, too. Because Boa wasn’t wrong when he spoke about the flashes of the good being ripped apart by the bad. A sight, a scent, a sound, a song, a location, a quote… Tal found echoes of Charlie’s existence at the most unexpected times in the most unexpected places. Most times, she was able to play off the way she suddenly tensed up as one or a few fond memories rippled through her. These last two days? The recollections had hit her with a force that had her internally bucking at the knees. Scenario after scenario of better days alongside a friend and a lover, playing over and over in her head in an endless loop, drowning her in convoluted emotions… And the world finding out that Charlie Decker was so much more than just a friend to her--

Before she knew it, the overwhelmed Tal had buried her face in her hands and began to sob-- just like she’d done with Jade and in the longhouse bathroom stall the day before.

Long minutes passed of Natalia crying loudly, the sobs making her whole body shake. It was only after she felt like her heart wasn’t tearing itself up inside her chest that the woman eventually began to soothe herself enough for the crying to start dwindling down. “I’m sorry for just falling apart like this…” she apologized to Decky in between sobs, still struggling to catch her breath. “To be completely honest, I never really came to terms with Char being gone. It’s like I put every moment and memory we ever had together in a box and stuffed it in the furthest, darkest corner inside my brain. Nobody else besides my two best friends knew about how close Charlie and I actually were-- and I wanted to keep it that way. I didn’t want to talk about it, I didn’t want to think about it: I just wanted to forget about what I saw that day and move on. I wanted to just pick up all the pieces of me he left behind and carry on with my life like nothing ever happened. And it worked for a while! I focused on my sport, I got myself a new girlfriend, I graduated and went off to college and things started looking up again... But then these fucking letters started showing up everywhere talking about shit Charlie only knew about, and all I’ve been thinking about is how fucking devastated Poppy’s going to be if she finds out that Charlie and I--” Natalia trailed off with a wail, covering her face with both hands and starting to hyperventilate again as she succumbed to the fear and anxiety trapped inside her chest.

There was a lot to unpack in Natalia’s breakdown, the first of which was filing away the fact that once Natalia let down her wall about him, her first instinct was to call him Char. The next was that other people knew about Charlie and Natalia, so it was an even less secure secret than she thought. Not that he didn’t think Natalia had reason not to trust whoever her best friends in highschool were, it was just that for every two ears there was also a mouth. He felt a sting in his chest as she talked about finishing her senior year, something he never did, and picking her life up, something he’s tried and failed to do multiple times in his life so far. Seeing Natalia break down- seeing another person destroyed by a single moment in time, over and over and over again- Mordechai felt a bit of remorse over bringing it up. The avoidant in him wanted to act like the whole thing never happened while the realist in him knew that it needed to. For everyone’s sake.

“Natalia…” He started, dropping all nickname and finding his tone somewhere between calming a crying Viva and and telling Danny that he can handle whatever life can throw at him next. Low and supportive without sounding patronizing at all. “We have ta accept a lot as Southies. A lot of us accepted young that our first love won’t mean our first time. And even if Pop’s had the idealistic view for her and Charlie, she…she knows enough of us with the realistic experience to keep that in her mind,” He explained evenly, another sigh escaping his lips. He scratched at the back of his head anxiously. “Look, I’m not even sayin’ ya have ta tell her exactly what it is y’all had together, but she can’t keep gettin’ blindsided like this. Just give her a cushion. I…I love Poppy and I’m tryin’a look out for her best interest without keepin’ shit from her like I used ta. I’m not gonna force ya ta unload every detail, I’m not gonna force ya ta do anythin’, but if I see the letters goin’ a certain direction, it will come up again. If ya can’t do it by then, I’m gonna deliver whatever heartbreak you’re fearin’ myself and then I’ll pick her up like she has me, but it’d honestly be real shitty if I had ta do it,” He shrugged, uncomfortable with the severity he himself had left in the air between them. Averting eye contact and slouching. “I’ve broken her heart plenty’a times in the past few years. Take one for the team. Christ.”

Natalia nodded in understanding as she wiped her eyes, albeit not in agreement of the ultimatum she had just been given. She could sympathize with Decky’s desire to want Poppy to stop getting blindsided by new information again and again. If she still had a friend with the same bond as Charlie and Poppy’s and every day you discovered via others that they weren’t who you thought they were, her reactions would probably be the same (if not worse) as the James girl’s. But at the same time, a confession of this magnitude wasn’t something Tal was prepared to face. Her secret liaison with Charlie Decker held an immeasurable guilt that had festered with the years. The feelings surrounding it were raw and complex. Only recently had she been forced to start peeling back the layers of that relationship, labeling the emotions around it, and hopefully make peace with it one day. If she was ever to face Penelope with this bombshell, then Tal wanted to make sure she was strong enough to weather the storm it could bring.

“I just need a little time,” Natalia croaked after a pause, grabbing a napkin from a stash in a compartment nearby and loudly blowing her nose. “I know that with the letters coming out constantly that’s probably asking for a lot, but I need time to sort through it and figure my own things out too. It’s not just Poppy I’ve been ignoring all these years, but what happened between Char and I too. That night at the old high school was the first time I was forced to confront what had been since it happened; this trip was the second one. I’m just… I’m not ready to face her just yet.”

“Time and tide wait for no one,” Mordechai partially quoted, realizing the truth that it probably was going to end up being his job to tell Poppy if- when- the letters began to loom over them again. Poppy was right, this is what he was doing to Rye. Hurting him with his avoidance and claiming mutual benefit. The difference is Rye has an anxiety disorder that whispers in his ear that every bad thing that happens within his realm of influence was somehow his fault. Christ, just add another taxing encounter onto his already rather full dance card. He needed to resolve that soon too before he started the new chapter of his life in full swing. Mood soured, Mordechai rolled his eyes and muttered, “A’ight, you do you, hope it works out,” before reaching into his bag and grabbing Tama’s beanie, leaning the seat back again and pulling the beanie onto his head and over his eyes to block out the light. He crossed his arms and stretched out his legs, body language radiating how done he was with the current conversation. “For all our sakes.”

What Are You Listening To?

Edgebaston Academy - SoL High School RP

Fiamma Giannulli // Senior

_{((Faceclaim: Molly Quinn // Color Code: CA5F95))
Music fills the infinite between two souls. -Rabindranath Tagore}
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Name:

Fiamma Catriona Giannulli

Age & Grade:

17 | Senior

Gender:

Female

Sexuality:

Heterosexual

Label:

Virtuoso Wallflower

Occupation:

Fiamma does not hold a job, as her parents believe her only responsibility should be to stay completely focused on her studies and musical training.

Appearance Details:

🎻Hair: Red or Strawberry Blonde | Naturally Wavy | Usually worn blow-dried straight and down
🎻Eyes: Stormy Blue
🎻Height: 5’7”
🎻Body Type: Ectomorph
🎻Clothing Style: Girly, Preppy & Conservative || Skirts | Short-Heeled Shoes | Short Dresses | Rings | Necklaces | Bracelets | Sweaters | Sweater Vests | Button-down Blouses | Boots
🎻Makeup Wise: Very natural, basic makeup consisting of powder foundation, mascara, a hint of rose blush and strawberry-flavored tinted lip gloss.
🎻Scars, Tattoos and/or Piercings: None

Personality:

🎻 Kind-Hearted 🎻 Caring 🎻 Mild-Mannered 🎻 Polite 🎻 Eloquent 🎻 Gentle 🎻 Dedicated 🎻 Devoted 🎻 Perfectionist 🎻 Passionate 🎻 Faithful 🎻 Guarded 🎻 Introverted Extrovert 🎻 Self-Critical 🎻 Weary 🎻 Insecure 🎻 Hopeless Romantic 🎻 Heart on her sleeve 🎻

Acceptance Status:

Fiamma’s parents paid for her Edgebaston tuition.

History:

When Mariano Giannulli accepted courtesy tickets to the opening night and consequent banquet of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, he’d been expecting to indulge in a lavish meal and simply enjoy the timeless sounds of beautiful classical music. What he hadn’t anticipated was to find himself captivated by the long, flaming red hair and outstanding talent of the orchestra’s star cellist: a 25 year-old Scottish beauty by the name of Catriona McAlister.

To say that it was love at first sight for Mariano was putting it mildly. He took it upon himself to, like the gentleman that he was, court the unsuspecting Catriona, who was both flattered and curious to get to know the man she’d made such a long-lasting impression on. One dinner date later, and it was clear to the both of them that they had found their soulmate. Their engagement was announced by the end of the year, the marriage taking place exactly a year later, and the welcoming of their first and only daughter Fiamma Catriona a year after that.

The red-haired girl was raised in the picture-perfect, exemplary, upper class suburban family: with electronic-free tableside dinners every night, faithfully attending Catholic church every Sunday and partaking in memorable local, national or international vacations a few times a year. Growing up loved, adored and doted on was certainly no hardship for Fiamma. She was grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful family and home life-- and she showed it by keeping up outstanding grades, excelling daily in her talents as a violinist, and overall just being the best well-behaved girl and young lady any parent could ever ask for. But as the years went by, the expectations Catriona and Mariano had for their baby girl and her future skyrocketed. There would be no time for boys, they said, or for anything that could derail the path they had all chosen she would follow. Of course, Fiamma was more than happy to play along. Juilliard and the Orchestra were her dreams. Anything else would arrive later, with time.

All she needed to do was make it through her senior year as a new student at Edgebaston Academy.

Extras:

🎻Luggage: Violin case | Practice sheets | Suitcases with clothing, shoes and accessories | Instax mini polaroid camera with replacement film cartridges.
🎻Extracurricular Activities: TBD
🎻Headcanons:

🎻 Her star sign is Pisces.
🎻 Has been playing the violin since she was three years old, taking two-hour private lessons four times a week.
🎻 Her parents Mariano and Catriona are a stockbroker and the music director of the Duke Symphony Orchestra respectively.
🎻 Her life dream is to travel the globe as part of one of the five top-rated orchestras in the world.
🎻 She was named Fiamma-- the Italian word for flame-- because of her hair color.
🎻 Is fluent in English, Italian and French.
🎻 Adores to listen to and practice violin covers of popular songs, with Daniel Jang being her favorite.
🎻 Drives a white Fiat 500.
🎻 Avoids the use of profanity at all times.
🎻 Encouraged by her very devout Catholic parents, she made the “True Love Waits” abstinence pledge at age thirteen, and is always seen wearing the symbolic purity ring.

Edgebaston Academy - SoL High School RP

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Pacific Royal Collegiate & University - [CLOSED]

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