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 Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2025 6:32 pm
Takes place late October 2024
Summer wasn’t so far behind them that Elliot had to bring a jacket with him but Julian had shown up with an oversized sweater anyway. It wasn’t unlike him; he seemed to like to be swallowed up in his clothes, as if it could help him just disappear from any uncomfortable situation. It just also helped that this time of year it started to get a bit chillier when the sun was setting.
It was happenstance that Elliot and Atticus ran into Julian while they were all headed to meet Énna at the park so it just made sense to walk with each other. They chatted a little on the way over though there wasn’t much to catch up on since they’d last seen each other at school. Outside of that, Julian knew Riker was up on Sessrumnir recuperating, Elliot and Atticus knew that Riker was going to stay with Julian when he came back.
They passed along updates when there were any to be had but this afternoon was the first time any of them were able to actually check in on Énna in person. It had been a few days since the attack and while all three had reached out to him, none were willing to push into his personal space. They waited until he was in a state where he could meet up with them.
On the way to the park they’d stopped at a cafe to pick up drinks and snacks; Julian was carrying four drinks while Elliot held the box of cookies in one hand and swung Atticus’ with his other.
They’d agreed to meet at the table under the biggest tree in the park and, thankfully, it looked like Énna was only just getting there by the time they set eyes on it.
“Énna,” Elliot greeted, though he was certain they’d already been spotted. He hadn’t yelled, he knew Énna didn't like to draw too much attention to himself and even if they were at the park, he didn’t want to get things off to a stressful start.
“We brought some white hot chocolate and fresh lemon cookies. Have you been to IncrediBrew?” The branding was on the packages; Elliot set the cookies down on the table and sat on one side with Atticus while Julian offered Énna a small, friendly smile and sat down the four drinks. He began to pass them out–one for everyone–before he took a seat on the same side as Énna.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:25 am
Énna hadn’t wanted to be seen by anyone until he could pull himself together enough to look somewhat presentable. After what’d happened with Reims and the Negaverse Captain, Énna had spent a few days rotting in bed. He’d even skipped school. He’d cried until he went numb, then stayed in that numb space until it faded away and left him crying again. Then he was too exhausted for either. He slept. He barely ate. Finally he got tired of being cooped up inside. He showered. He sent texts to reassure his friends. He fixed the chipped polish on his nails, painted them teal and orange and maroon for fall and acted like he felt better so Dad wouldn’t worry so much, so he’d think it was nothing but friend drama at school.
At the park, Énna looked a bit like himself. He wore some of his dance leggings and a cozy sweater. He had his long hair loose so he could hide behind it if he felt the need. He didn’t try to smile but that wasn’t completely out of character for him. Neither was his quiet greeting.
“Thanks,” he said, settling at the table next to Julian. His voice was low—not as insubstantial as a whisper, but soft enough that he could’ve been drowned out by louder noises. “I think I might have been, once or twice. Sometimes after my dance classes I’ll explore a coffee shop or a café…”
He paused to pick at his drink cup, then forced himself to stop and took a cautious sip. Avoiding eye contact wasn’t incredibly out of character for him either, but it was probably even more obvious than usual that he was making an effort to keep his gaze averted. He didn’t know what to do, or what to say. He knew his friends were concerned, and he was grateful for it, but it could be overwhelming, too.
Énna was used to being sad by himself. He didn’t know how to be sad around other people.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:44 am
Atticus knew that he had no real right to, but in the days that followed the incident with Reims and Yvoire, he felt like he’d spent nearly all of it in some state of distress. If he wasn’t crying, he was close to it. He held himself together at school, at least while in class, but spent the short breaks in between with Elliot, usually in a tight hug and appreciating the quiet reassurance and encouragement.
He had never used so much of his magic before, in such short periods between his energy regenerating. With the use of Ganymede’s energy giving magic and any items that may have been available to increase the time he had to use that magic, he was exhausted.
And he would have done it again in a heartbeat. For any of them.
He wanted to learn more about his magic, to make it stronger, to be able to help more than with just the current limitations he had.
He did his best to offer Énna a gentle, sad smile when they sat down across from him and Julian. He was dressed in a warm sweater and jeans, and his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail with a bow. He knew Elliot wouldn’t let his hand go unless it was clear that he wanted it released, so he was careful not to knock over his drink as he handled it with just one.
“How are you? You haven’t missed much for classes. I think most are just getting ready for Halloween. Do you still feel like going to Maisie’s party? We could all go together if you’d like.”
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 2:06 pm
Elliot absently stroked the back of Atticus’ hand while they sat at the table. He was quiet, not out of awkwardness but out of respect for the others. He was a social chameleon, adapting easily depending on what group he was in. It wasn’t surprising that he should be the most boisterous and least quiet among the group but there wasn’t really much competition right now.
He made a conscious effort to make sure everyone was as comfortable as possible.
They all had reasons to be in various states of stress or anxiety.
Riker had nearly died. It was scary. Énna and Atticus had watched him–well, watched him die. Watched him come back, too. Julian hadn’t been there at the moment but Elliot supposed he must have spent some time imagining it.
He’d spent the most time with Atticus so he knew how often his boyfriend had wiped away watery eyes. Énna had been so affected that he’d been completely out of school–but then, he’d been there for all of it. He had the extra baggage of being attacked.
Elliot had not wanted to meet for pure altruism, though. Selfishly, he wanted to see them. It felt like a weight off his shoulders just to see Énna now.
If he let his mind wander, it was still too easy to imagine Riker’s lifeless, bloody body.
He was on Sessrumnir now, in good hands with Devyn and healing well. According to Michael, at least. Not that Elliot doubted the authenticity of his words. He trusted Michael. He was just grappling with that image of Riker now permanently seared into his mind.
Elliot took one of the cookies and took a bite, just in case anyone was feeling shy about sharing them.
He wanted to know how Énna was doing. He didn’t want to bombard him with questions so it was probably best that this one came from Atticus, who was soft and shy and patient and understanding. He didn’t say anything but he nodded at Atticus’ suggestion to head to Maisie’s party together.
Julian sipped quietly at his drink and glanced at Énna, also invested in his answer but unwilling to pile on.
They were worried about Énna. He’d been gone for days, and even if he looked like himself now, they were all doing their best to look like they were fine.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 6:27 pm
“Oh…”
Énna deflated somewhat—an extraordinary achievement, considering how deflated he was already.
“Um…”
He swallowed and scraped a nail along the side of his cup.
He’d forgotten all about Maisie’s party. Prior to his ordeal, Énna would have gone even if parties made him uncomfortable at the best of times. He would’ve wanted to spend time with his friends. He might’ve even had fun. Even if he wasn’t the sociable type, he would’ve had Julian and Atticus to be quiet with. All the attention would’ve been on Maisie anyway.
But Maisie was friends with Riker. If Riker was well enough, he’d probably be there. Knowing Maisie, she’d insist on it after what’d happened.
Énna didn’t know if he could face Riker again just yet.
He didn’t know how to admit that to his friends without seeming like an a*****e.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’d probably just—I mean, everyone should be able to have fun and I’d just be… you know.” Moping in a corner somewhere, probably. Trying not to cry. Avoiding Riker if and when he could. “Sorry, things’ve been… kind of terrible lately, so…” Énna paused to swallow when his throat got too tight. “I probably shouldn’t go. I wouldn’t want to ruin her party. I hope you guys have fun.”
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 7:05 pm
Atticus frowned sadly. He took Elliot’s lead in picking up a cookie, but he didn’t eat it. He set it down in front of him and forced himself to take a sip of his drink instead. If only to give Énna a few moments to collect himself or at least get the words he wanted to say out.
He didn’t blame Énna for not wanting to go. He knew there’d been tension between him and Riker. And given the circumstances, he doubted they’d had any chance to figure things out before even worse things happened.
“It’s not your fault things have been terrible,” he said quietly, hoping to reassure Énna even a little bit. He cast a glance over to Julian to make sure he was okay as well.
“I don’t think you’d ruin her party, either. I know she would like you to be there. And we would, too. If you don’t feel like going, what if we met up the day after? We can get some lunch or something. To make up for not seeing you,” he suggested, because the last thing he wanted Énna to think is that he was being abandoned when that was not the case at all. Things were complicated, and he knew Riker had been really mean to Énna in the past. That wasn’t something that could just be brushed under the rug, no matter how many life and death experiences there were.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 9:48 pm
“You wouldn’t ruin her party,” Elliot insisted, but he understood that there were more layers to this than he probably knew. Things were complicated, and Énna kept so much to himself that it was impossible to truly understand where his thoughts or feelings were. Elliot could imagine, but he wasn’t arrogant enough to think it was something easily understood. “We could keep you company if you do show up. But I’m sure she would understand if you weren’t feeling up to going. I still want to spend time with you, too.”
Julian’s brows were perpetually knit, and worry had been etched onto his features with such intensity that he was likely to get wrinkles before he graduated high school.
“Is there anything we can do to help?” he asked. It was no small effort for him to raise his voice so much in a group, even among friends. “To, um. To maybe make things be less terrible, I mean?” He was quiet, a little nervous. He trusted them but he didn’t want to speak over anyone. And he was still afraid of saying the wrong thing. Énna had every right to be upset about things.
Julian felt guilty, but he’d have found a way to shoulder some blame no matter the circumstances. All he wanted to do was make sure Énna was okay and that they were doing all they could for him.
Absently, he tugged at the hem of his sweater and chewed on his cheek. He tried to busy himself with his drink, or any of the cookies, but he couldn’t quite find it in him to actually move.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:01 am
Énna kept scraping at things with his nails, until he decided the quiet sounds it made were probably aggravating. He took one of the cookies once he was no longer the first one to do so, but didn’t eat it right away, picking it into smaller pieces instead.
A tense, awkward smile flickered onto his face at the reassurances of his friends. It fell off seconds later.
“Yeah, we can—After, I mean—If you want to hang out…”
Énna felt guilty for agreeing to it. There was always a part of him that thought maybe they were just being nice, that there were other things they’d rather be doing that didn’t involve spending time with him, but they felt bad for him and obligated to include him even though he had very little to offer. No matter how often he told himself they were too kind to lie like that, the thoughts lingered.
“Um… I don’t know if things—I mean, it’s all just sort of…” Énna ducked his head and let some of his hair swing into his face. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how much he wanted to share, or how much they wanted to hear. “I’ve been… kind of upset about Riker. Not about him being hurt. Or… not just about him being hurt. I didn’t know he was… who he is… but he told me a few weeks ago after I’d—I told him about something. I’ve never talked about it with anyone, but I told him because I thought we were—I thought he was—But then I found out he’s Riker, and… at school he was always kind of an a*****e to me, so…”
Now Riker was hurt, now he’d almost died, and Énna felt like a jerk for still being angry.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:54 am
It was never easy to deal with bullies. It had been a couple years now that everyone had forgotten who he was and he’d taken up a new identity as Atticus. But sometimes he still flinched when he saw someone in the hall that used to harass him. They wouldn’t dare bother him now, even if they knew who he was. Not when he had Elliot or their parents and their other friends.
“He broke your trust,” Atticus gently surmised, frowning sadly down at the drink in his hand. Under the table he held tightly to Elliot’s hand. And even inched a little closer to him, and not just because it was cold, but because he felt safe around him.
Riker had been mean to them as well. He and Julian had been the butt of Riker’s teasing, even if Elliot brushed the intentionally mean words off like a duck in water.
“You thought you were confiding in someone else -- someone you could trust. Not someone who had been a jerk to you.”
Atticus knew Riker regretted it. And he believed that Riker had changed. A lot. After all, he was surprisingly close with Julian now. And Atticus could remember how he lamented his actions while they patched him up on the Moon.
That didn’t make everything that he did go away, though. It didn’t suddenly erase what happened. And no one had the right to tell Énna that he should forgive and forget.
“I wish he hadn’t been like that to you. You deserve better.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:55 am
Elliot ran his thumb over the back of Atticus’ hand under the table in silent encouragement. He would have reassured him with words but this was already a complicated situation that didn’t warrant dialogue when. He could talk to Atticus later. For now, his attention was on Énna.
Riker and Elliot had played on the same team for years so he’d gotten to know many different shades of his personality. Riker had been abrasive and defensive for the most part but it hadn’t been so hard to see what drove him to that. All those games with his mother ranting and screeching from the bleachers, Elliot got the idea.
He gave Riker a lot of leniency when it came to the foulness of his words, at least when it was directed towards himself. Elliot wasn’t naturally easy to rile and while he wasn’t quick to forget, he was to forgive.
It was different when his friends were involved, and complicated because he’d seen how hard Riker was working to make amends for the trouble he caused before.
Énna owed him no forgiveness but it was a difficult situation nonetheless.
“I’m sorry, Énna.” Elliot pressed his lips together and sighed deeply. “Riker…” he glanced at Julian, whose eyes had fallen to the table a moment ago and hadn’t lifted since, “I know he’s gone through a lot. And I definitely don’t agree with any of the trouble he used to make. I know he was working through his own things but it’s not any excuse to lash out at someone else. And I’m sorry he took it out on you.” And everyone else that had been subject to it.
Elliot continued, “I know he’s trying to make up for it now but it doesn’t undo what you had to go through. I can’t imagine the situation that puts you in.” Grappling with figuring that out on top of a life and death situation?
…No wonder Énna looked so stressed.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 7:44 am
Énna shrank in on himself. Though his friends consoled him, and he had no reason to question their sincerity other than his own insecurities whispering falsehoods, he couldn’t help but think of it as empty reassurances. I’m sorry. He was mean to you. You didn’t deserve it. He dealt with things the wrong way.
Maybe they’d forgiven Riker. Maybe Énna should too. Maybe it was unfair of him to be angry. Maybe it was selfish and immature of him to hold a grudge. Maybe he was too sensitive. Maybe he was looking for reasons to distance himself from people before something else took them away.
Like splintered wood shoved through soft flesh, and a pool of blood over the pavement.
Énna inhaled sharply. He swallowed convulsively, then shrugged.
“It’s whatever,” he mumbled, and felt guilty for it. His friends didn’t deserve ambivalence. Énna clutched at his drink, letting the warmth of it seep into his palms. “I’m just… I don’t know…” Irrational, probably. Self-centered. Pathetic. “Anyway, then he got hurt, and now I don’t know what to do or how to feel except… not do or feel anything.”
An impossible task, maybe. Even when he could sink into that numb space, his conflicting feelings lingered beneath the surface, waiting for the energy to burst free.
“So… I’m probably kind of a b***h to be around right now,” he said. “Sorry. Really, I’m—I’ll be fine. I don’t mean to make things awkward.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 8:39 am
“You’re not making things awkward. And we don’t mind you being around. We want you with us,” Atticus insisted in a quiet, sad voice. He was heartbroken to know how deeply all of this had affected Énna. For all they knew, Riker had been worse to him than anyone else. He could have made his life miserable.
And Atticus could once again think back to how distraught Reims had been, talking about how Énna hated him while they did what they could for his injured arm. It had clearly affected him deeply. And maybe that was a small piece of justice for what he’d done.
Énna had no obligation to forgive Riker, and Atticus would never push him to change how he felt, just because others were willing to be more lenient. Not that he blamed Elliot for being kind when others weren’t kind to him, but not everyone had the fortitude to work through that.
He gave Elliot’s hand a squeeze in thanks for the silent encouragement.
“It was really disappointing to find out that he was the same person we relied on so much as Reims,” Atticus admitted quietly, not unsympathetically. He knew how close Julian had become with Riker, and he didn’t want to upset him.
But it was true that he felt surprised and hurt when they discovered Reims was actually Riker. Especially since he knew how much he’d hurt others with his words and actions. Even if it was because he’d gone through a lot. It wasn’t an excuse.
“He did a good job at trying to keep everyone together whenever big things happen. And keeping everyone focused and safe. I wish his protectiveness as Reims had existed before he’d become a knight.” Maybe then he would have tried making sure people like Énna and Julian and himself were safe, instead of harassing them.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 9:59 am
Julian had fallen quiet but that wasn’t uncommon for him. His expression was not entirely unreadable, though the way his brows had slightly knitted together could have been worry as much as it was guilt. He had nothing bad to say about Riker, but also nothing bad to say against those that did.
Riker had apologized to Julian and had been quickly forgiven, but that was easy because Julian hadn’t even been aware of Riker’s bullying. Énna and Atticus had known Riker for longer than Julian had so he could only imagine what deep rooted hurt they carried.
He knew he was quick to forgive, and such a courtesy was not owed to Riker by himself or anyone else. It was just easy for him to sympathize–with Énna and Atticus and Riker. He felt absent in the equation, he just wanted them all to be happy and okay. He knew how hard Riker was working. He knew what more he was dealing with. He knew that it didn’t justify hurting anyone else. He knew a lot of things, so he knew to keep his mouth shut, too.
Elliot was far more confident in his words, and he nodded along with both Énna and Atticus. He was keen to be on friendly terms with everyone, and Riker was no exception, even if he was a pain in the a** to deal with more often than not. Well, he used to be. Things were a little different, now. Finding Reims had been good for Riker and had opened doors for him that he probably couldn’t have ever imagined before.
“You’re not making anything awkward,” Elliot repeated, even as he rubbed Atticus’ back. “You’re allowed to vent, you’ve got a lot going on. Don’t bully yourself. You’re not ‘kind of a b***h to be around’ or any of that, so don’t be sorry. We care about you. We were all really worried about you, especially when we didn’t see you or hear from you much recently. I’m really glad we all got to meet up today. I know you’re going through a lot but we just wanted to make sure you knew that you didn’t have to do it alone. We’ve got your back. And if you want to talk through things–or not talk about any of it–just know that we’re here for you, okay? And I’m really sorry about the way all of this happened. It’s not fair.”
And he knew he played a part in it, even if he’d upheld the expectation of secrecy. He knew who Riker was a while ago. He’d guessed a while ago, and back then a part of him had even hoped he’d been wrong. It would have made things much easier if Reims had been someone else, but Elliot wanted to be fair to Riker, too. He deserved a chance for something better, and he was working hard for it.
But, the secret still hurt others. Énna, especially.
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 4:20 pm
Another small, brief smile twitched onto Énna’s face. He wanted to be happy that his friends were supportive. He wanted to be content with them. He wanted to agree with everything they said, and bask in their kindness, and forget about what an a*****e Riker had been.
Instead he sat and he stewed in his misery. He sipped at his drink and picked at his cookie, taking a bite when he was sure stress and anxiety would actually let him swallow.
“Thank you for—” His lungs felt tight, his head a bit dim and fuzzy. “—for checking up on me. And for this,” he said, making a motion that could indicate the drinks and cookies, or their presence, or all of the above. “I’m—I don’t really know what to do, but I’m… trying.”
He wanted to hate Riker, but he wanted things to go back to the way they’d been with Reims, too. Énna wasn’t sure he’d be able to accomplish either. There was too much guilt and worry and fear, too much anger and disappointment, too. It roiled around his insides, made him sick to his stomach, put awful thoughts in his head, worsened by memory.
“I just… want him to be okay,” he confessed. “Even if I still—” Hate was too strong a word—an overreaction Riker might not deserve. “Sorry. I hope… I hope you’re okay,” Énna said, lifting his gaze to Atticus, who’d used so much of his magic trying to help Reims. And Elliot, who’d done what he could with his bare hands. And Julian, who had to hear about it after the fact, who wasn’t able to be there for his friends. Sometimes that was just as bad—the powerlessness of not knowing until it was already done. “It was… really awful, but… thank you for being there. For being here now. I don’t know how to be forgiving, but… it’s okay for you to be his friends, too. He told me—before, he said sometimes he felt unwanted and… I don’t want that for him.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:57 pm
“Énna…” Atticus frowned, his voice soft but edged with protectiveness. “You don’t have to push yourself because you feel bad for him. He hurt you. That’s real, and it’s not fair for you to feel like you have to… set that aside so he won’t feel unwanted.”
He glanced at Elliot, and then Julian. It wasn’t accusatory, but almost like he was searching, wanting them to know he wasn’t blind to how much they cared for Riker as well. “I know he’s different now. I can see it. And I’m glad he’s been there for us in ways he wasn’t before…”
His hand tightened in Elliot’s under the table, grounding himself before he continued. “But that doesn’t erase what he did. You get to decide how much space you give him, and no one gets to rush you. Not even us.”
Atticus let out a slow breath, his shoulders softening a little as his eyes returned to Énna’s. “You’re not the problem here. You don’t have to feel guilty for how you feel. We want you around because you’re you. Not because of who you’re willing to forgive.”
For a moment, he was quiet, letting his thoughts and the words he spoke settle. The breeze stirred the leaves around them. The cups of hot chocolate still had faint wisps of steam rising in the cool air. Atticus nudged the box of cookies towards the center of the table.
“Why don’t we just stay here a while?” he suggested softly, gently. “You know… eat cookies. Drink our hot chocolate. Forget about parties and who we’re supposed to be okay with. Just us. Maybe that could be enough for today.”
He leaned into Elliot’s side then, looking between Énna and Julian with warm fondness. “We’ll figure the rest out later. Right now, I just want to be here with you.” Fin!
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