Zakir had dressed up, he couldn't help it. He'd gotten himself some black with gold rim cowboy boots, a matching hat, and a one-piece suit that had little golden stars on it. He looked ridiculous, but so did almost everyone who had dressed up, so he didn't feel like he stood out much. "No, don't worry about it! A seat is never taken if no butt occupies it," he said to the stranger asking about the empty part of the bench. It was every day business for Zakir to sit on a bench that could seat three in the hopes of someone joining him. He was an extravert, but despite having been in the city for a while, he'd never made a close group of friends. "If you want to share, gladly. I can offer..." he opened the little bag he'd gotten from another stall. "Half of a cinnamon bun in return," he showed the perfectly glazed baked goods and held it between them.
an ocean of relief rejoiced in wilder's heart as she was given permission to sit. she didn't hesitate when it came to plopping onto the open seat and assuming a ragdoll state. she could feel all her muscles stretched to their limit, all her bones soaked in exhaustion, and her skin torn in places she was certain she needed to patch up when she made it home. hopefully, it wouldn't be too long until then, even though her victory only seemed to spark her friends' enthusiasm for the rest of the festivities and ignite it into something terrifyingβlike staying out after dark. "thank you so much," she said, eyes flickering over whenever she was given the choice of a trade. "ooh, really? i do love cinnamon buns," she perked up on instinct whenever she saw it. gladly passing over her lemon square, she moved so she could slide the cinnamon bun from his hand. "i really need the energyβas you can see, i just got done beating up a pig," the joke came off ever so slightly dry, which she hadn't registered as she stuffed some of the cinnamon bun in her mouth. "you're a good samaritan. have you, uh... been having fun?" wylder never was too skilled at the fine art of conversation, but she tried to hone her quaint abilities whenever she could.
Stepping foot inside the Glitter Gulch Lounge provoked the constant urge to set himself ablaze if it meant he could deter the relic of acrid memories. Try as he might, the vividness of it didn't lessen by the years. He had largely wandered in in search of his aforementioned wife, tall enough to look over the heads of most of the people inside the establishment and do a quick sweep for her, eventually finding her weaving through people, evidently still in search of lemon bars β all things lemon were apparently in popular demand. Satisfied, he looked back to his brother, chiding, "I can't believe you got in the dunk tank after me." The drippage had begun to dry off now from Cyrek's own body, although the sweltering room temperature of the sheer amount of people who had decided that a fake bull was the most fascinating aspect of the event was revitalizing the sweat beading on his honeyed skin, and he massaged a hand against his chest absently. "I'm not plannin' on stickin' inside this buildin' any longer than it takes Stell to swipe me some lemon bars, I'm not stoned enough to wanna stay in here." But his stomach growled at the thought of the dessert. Not half as sweet as his wife's own toothache for the stuff, yet one he could agree to splitting without much fuss. "Don't worry, she popped out the kids. Oh, shit," he belatedly dawned that he hadn't told his brother, a hand clapping against his visage, wondering who else he'd harebrained right out of the loop, "...Yeah, sorry, there's twins. You should stop by. Sorry, I really don't remember the last time I slept more than three hours a pop." Fingernails scathing across his temple, he frowned. "It's kinda makin' me feel a lil' haywire up in the brain but y'know." He'd survived periods of mental splintering at the frayed ends of his borderline personality before, and he would again. "El, you're welcome to come 'round, as long as you don't mind helpin' us change a diaper or somethin'," he clapped a hand against his brother's shoulder, "Can you get me the fuck out of here, though? You can dress this fuckin' place up like the inside of a rodeo ring and it's still a fuckin' lounge. And I really need to piss. I think I chugged way too much lemonade."
while ellie and cyrek shared zero physical similarities, everything else about them made it painstakingly obvious they were brothers. ellie oftentimes considered them quadruplets, even if he hadn't spoken to cyrek's blood siblings as much as he had the other adlers. they mirrored each other in ways no one else could; which also entailed how they could gaze at one another and witness their less refined selves, as they shared many faults between the two of them. but this only helped ellie in his self-awareness. as a teen, he couldn't have been further from understanding his own nature, but now that he had family, brothers and sisters who had equally lasting trauma, he had begun realizing who his true self was. it was mostly a blessing, sometimes a curse. "you die, i die, y'know?" laughter bubbled from his stomach, which was churning from the lack of food occupying the fleshy organ. he was hoping skipping out on lunch would make the drop in the dunk tank a little easier. news flash: it didn't. "let's fuckin' go. i need to find a towel or something. shit, i should've brought some spare clothes," he hissed under his breath. in all fairness, he hadn't expected to volunteer for the dunk tank. oh well. that was just another excuse he had for when he made it to diego's and stole one of his shirts. whenever cyrek revealed the news, ellie's mouth dropped open in shock. "holy shit!" he exclaimed, halting in place as he stared, gobsmacked, right through cyrek. "twins?! dude, how could you not tell me? i wouldn't have blabbed to anyoneβokay, well, i guess i'd have told diego. can i tell diego? he's myβhe's a good friend," he awkwardly shifted his gaze away from cyrek, unsure what he should've revealed about his new relationship. guess they both had things to unburden themselves of. "pfft, please. that's light work. i used to do that shit for say say whenever she had tulip. do you remember? oh, god. does say say know too? am i the last?" he gave a dramatic sigh whenever cyrek requested they bail, then nodded. "yeah, let's go. but you're giving me all the deets while we try and find a bathroom."
ellie + ava : june 2, late evening outside the strip
@sugcrxspice
everything was changing. now more than ever, the adler family was undergoing a drastic metamorphosis; cyrek had welcomed twins, ava and anni were engaged, and ellie had found love in the arms of someone entirely unexpected. as thrilled as he was for all his siblings, in his gut there was seeded a doubt that all the good things would sour in time. still, he tried his damnedest to ignore it, and he thought he was doing a half-decent job at it for the time being. he had ventured to the event alongside diego, but the two had a mutual agreement on parting to enjoy different facets of the festival before reuniting at the end of the night, when they'd likely return home hand-in-hand. while apart, ellie had found company in his beloved baby sister, who he couldn't stop cheesing at the whole time they traversed through each pop-up stand. after acquiring some treats, he led them just outside the crowd so they could rest on a curb and enjoy the food. "let me see it again," he said, holding a hand out so he could admire her engagement ring once more. "i still can't fuckin' believe it. you and anni. when the fuck is it my turn?" he said, in jest, of course. "so, like, when do you think the wedding will be? anni said theirs is gonna be august sometime. are you and dina gonna go for a gothic winter wedding, or are you waiting until next year? ... does this mean we all get family discount at six string now?"
the idea of nadine sitting still long enough for him to sketch her properly feels difficult to imagine, especially with the rag still moving between her hands as she wipes down the guitars. but something softens through his expression at the offer anyway. βonly when itβs not busy,β he says with a small nod, thumb catching briefly against the corner of the page before he folds the journal shut against his lap.
βi donβt know if theyβre good enough to hang up anywhere,β he admits quietly, gaze drifting toward the walls of six strings insteadβthe instruments, handwritten signs, layered flyers. lived-in things. somehow all fitting together despite the clutter of them. and for a brief second, he thinks maybe it wouldnβt be so strange to leave a little piece of himself here too. something small. something quiet for his home away from home.
his attention shifts between them after a moment. βwhich do you think is harder to learn?β he asks. βpiano or guitar?β
and when reina says they should do this more often, something unfamiliar settles quietly beneath his ribs: inclusion. not simply being nearby while other people existed around him, but being wanted there too. it still surprises him every time.
at the mention of the wedding his gaze lifts almost immediately toward her, surprise crossing his face before he can smooth it away. βyou want me there?β the question slips out quieter than intended. almost immediately, embarrassment follows close behind it. βi meanββ his shoulders shift faintly. βof course iβll come. i wouldn't miss it for the world.β
the suggestion of portraits draws another pause from him, softer this time. he pictures it brieflyβsmall moments caught before they disappear. people laughing when they think no oneβs paying attention. hands linked together. motion held still for a second longer than life usually allows. sketching the brides as they bask in their love. his expression eases around the thought.
βi could do that,β he says after a moment, more certain now. βiβd love to.β
"oh, leo. they're more than good," say say hastily assured. there was an everlasting smile on her always pinkened cheeks, something that only the throes of agony could wash away from her face. and, if she were honest, she was enduring more turbulent times than she anticipated. the coming and goings of a new dawn stifled by the darkness of night and the murders that came in onslaughts during them had worn her considerably since the start of the year. but, at least she had friends like leo and family like nadine she could lean on. it's why she scarcely cancelled on their occasional get-togethers. if she had, she likely would've been in a sorer state than before. "they're excellent. i could learn a lot from youβi love art, too, though admittedly i'm much better with glue and glitter."
whenever posed the question, say say's lips pursed in thought while nadine gave her ample time to respond first. "well, they're so different. i don't know if i could stretch my hands the way dina has to sometimesβbut there's a certain finesse with piano that can't be replicated anywhere else. i dunno. what do you think, di?" she asked her sister-in-law, who had adorned a grin as she listened intently to the words exchanged.
"i'd say she's mostly right," nadine confirmed as she continued wiping down one gorgeous gibson hummingbird; something she'd been secretly plotting to purchase for herself at the end of busy season. typically, during the summer, all the kids she taught took time off to enjoy their free time at home. she couldn't blame them, even if she missed having so much work to do. it was a blessing in disguise, considering she had a wedding to plan. "i played some keys when i was making my album, but i left it to the pros when i was touring. i'd say its intricacies exceed my talents. plus, i have zero idea how to read sheet music," she laughed, a warm sound traveling up her throat.
the young guitarist grinned more whenever leo accepted the invitation. "of course i want you there. we're best friends, aren't we?" she tossed aside the cleaning rag and went to join him at his side, offering a gentle nudge. "sweet. i can't wait, personally. i know ava will love having something like that as a keepsake. and don't worry, you'll be paid handsomely. it's the least i can do after you've kept me company all this time."
( dollhouse burlesque club, night ) @boneyardstarters
Fingers clutching an empty shot glass as wide brown eyes surveyed the rowdy crowd, the taste of her liquid courage still burning at the back of her throat, Astrid reached up to fiddle absently with the flower adorning her hairβpart of her uniform for the evening. With her shift drawing to a close, a night of serving customers in her usual place of work behind her, she debated getting out on the dancefloor and joining in on the festivities for once. You'd think for someone that danced for a living (and much more scantily clad than she currently was), Astrid would be a little more comfortable with the idea of dancing to country music with strangers. But that was exactly her issue... they were strangers. And even though the brunette felt a vague sense of comfort, being in the club that she largely considered her home away from home, she was still horribly out of her comfort zone. Though she projected an easy confidence on stage, the picture of grace and charisma during her act, this was different. She didn't have a flashy stage persona to hide behind. There was no space between performer and audience to protect her. No, this was something she had to do as herself, not as Scarlet, a thought almost as horrifying as the recent string of misfortune that had befallen her. Because she didn't want to think about all the things that had gone horribly wrong latelyβher unfortunate run-in with the law, a missing family friend, and a penchant for stumbling across body parts. She wanted a reprieve, even if it was something as trivial as dancing with the locals. So, with a steeling breath, the former ballerina slammed down her shot glass, marching right towards the dance floor, determined to approach the first available dance partner she found. That is, until she bumped into someone crossing her path, she shoulder colliding with them. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I was just hoping to join in. Are you okay?" came her automatic apology, nearly lost among the sound of lively fiddles, a flush of embarrassment creeping over her cheeks.
wherever live music could be found, gwen wasn't far away. while she was aggressively introverted and preferred straying from packed crowds, she would sometimes feel urge uncharacteristic to her own nature to assimilate into society, even if only for one evening. she had adorned her most casual attire for the festivities; a floral-patterned blouse and jean skirt, paired with her trusty doc martens that she hardly ever substituted for anything else. they were scuffed and well-worn, but that just made them all the more easy to dance in. she had summoned the courage thanks to her dance partner at the weiss wedding. this was simply a test to gauge how confident she could be without the assistance of another. so far, she'd downed two drinks, which warmed her blood and kept her heart pumping enough to inspire a small adrenaline rush that flooded her tightly wound veins. the best way to exhaust the built up energy was dancing; so, she was in the middle of the dance floor, disappearing in the crowd of people, swaying like a flower in the breeze, loose and easy. when she did a series of spins as the beat picked up, eventually her head began swimming. definitely tipsy, she made the responsible choice of stepping to the side briefly so she could recompose herself before she looked like a complete idiot. though, one could argue she would go unnoticed, considering most other occupants of the floor were also inebriated to some degree. as her doc martens squeaked beneath her, she stumbled with even less grace than she usually possessed, and this would inevitably send her crashing into the arms of another. "oh, shit," she cursed, a nervous smile written on her pallid features as she used the other's arms as an anchor. "no, it was all me. you're good. um, yeah," glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that the space she once occupied had been filled in by another dancer. "i was justβgoing to get some water. too much lemonade, y'know?" a forced chuckle fell awkwardly from her parched lips. "it's kinda crowded in there right now, though. you might get crushed. or maybe i'm just too small for it."
Theirs was an unlikely friendship and she knew that in the past, befriending someone like Kenny would've put in her at odds with her own family--then again, so would dating Meera and that hadn't stopped her before. Of course, only a few people knew about that and her newfound friend wasn't one of them. Their love affair going public wouldn't hurt Romi--nothing could really hurt her anymore, now that she'd lost everything--at least, image-wise. But it would hurt Meera. She doubted the Vitelli family would just let something like that slide, even if they really did think their love connection had only started after the ex-heiress had been disinherited, which it certainly hadn't. So it was better to keep it all under wraps.
She chuckled when Kenny mentioned her brothers being good contenders for clown school. Of course, she couldn't relate to having brothers and she definitely wouldn't describe either of her sisters as clowns. It would seem that the Vitelli family had a lot more fun than the Weisses did--or at least, that was what it appeared like on the surface. Every family had their secrets. Romi knew that better than anyone.
When the girl put the funnel cake in Romi's hands, she frowned as she looked down at it. Funnel cake wasn't really up her alley, personally. "Girl, I don't want it. Why don't we just throw it away?" God, it was starting to make her hands sticky already. Shrugging at Kenny's suggestions, she figured she probably shouldn't shut down every idea the girl pitched. "Uh, count me out for the spiked lemonade but I'll definitely go dancing with you!"
pain and bliss could coexist in harmony, it seemed, at least in kineret vitelli's world. she had been painfully and blissfully oblivious of the happenings in her family's life for as long as she had the name vitelli to call her own. whatever affairs meera participated in were no concern of hers, which is the way she preferred it. while as of late she was forced into realizing the importance of their social standing and her obedience and servitude to their legacy, this didn't mean she had to necessarily care or pry inside her siblings' lives. god knew what alessandro had up his sleeve for the future of their family; spencer was always fucking off somewhere, stirring up trouble with their rival house whenever given the ripest opportunity; and meera, well, she was the best behaved of them all. it would've come as a great surprise to learn she had been romancing a weiss all this timeβkenny might not have been any better, associating with romi as a friend, but at least she wasn't macking on her.
it was true that the vitellis knew how to have a good time. the weisses always seemed so strict and brooding. honestly, kenny would've put a gun in her mouth if she'd have been adopted by them. it was arduous enough, dealing with her own family, which came with enough strife as it wasβbut being a weiss? it sounded like unending torture. really, she wasn't sure how romi survived it for so long, and she was thoroughly impressed whenever she was cut off, whether or not it was intended.
"i guess we can. i just hate wasting food. usually i eat tons, but i dunno, shit's been weird. my appetite is like, subzero, if that makes any sense," most of what kenny said didn't, but she also couldn't find it within herself to care. "awesome. i need to shake out all this anxiety. not just from the clown, either. but i'm sure you already know how much of a disaster everything is lately." she paused then, her lips pursing as her hazel eyes curiously scrutinized romi. "so, are you like... doing okay? i know it's been a while since everything went down with your fam, butβfrom one liability to another, i still think it's kinda sus they just let you go that easy. or maybe my family's just psychotic enough to believe it's better to keep people's mouths shut rather than letting them run around free."
ellie + diego : june 2, late evening @ the doll house
@thmbheart
in spite of the horrific tragedies that struck his hometown, 1997 was doing markedly better than the previous years. not only had he secured a stable job doing something that helped soothe his aching for adrenaline, but he'd also begun experimenting with the concept of another relationship. he had once believed bandit would be his one and onlyβbut, well, that didn't exactly end how he had manifested it would. the divorce was long behind him, however, and finally, at the age of thirty, he found himself yearning for that kind of unyielding dedication and love again. diego rojas still wasn't planned. in fact, ellie had assumed it'd take a while before he stumbled across another person who was open-minded enough to digest all of him. turns out a few months was all the time he needed to wait until he befriended diego and quickly realized he was falling for him. the two hadn't pressed any labels upon each other, content in navigating their newborn relationship with ease and intention. this was how they ended up dedicating an entire day to the festivities held in town. after witnessing a brutal dismount of a middle-aged man on the mechanical bull and observing the unsettling clown from afar, they'd made their way to the doll house, where ellie discovered flowers being sold. sneaking up behind diego, he already had a few petals pinned in his own hair. "diggy!" he exclaimed, hands reaching out so he could poke at the other man's ribs. "look," he offered a cheesy grin as he held up two blondie bars. "snagged them over at glitter gulch. told you i wouldn't take long. was thinking we could go inside and dance after we eat."
it felt like it'd been eons since ellie had seen his older brother. which was a shame, considering this was the most well-adjusted ellie had ever been in his entire life. no longer were the days of unending suffering and addiction; now, he was almost a normal person, or at least normal-adjacent. he wasn't a liability, or rather, not as much of one. the burden of his presence lifted and he could be welcomed with open arms to family events again. in comparison to the first half of the decade, he was fucking thriving. and it helped, seeing cyrek again for the first time in about a month. "i swear, if i hadn't done that dunk tank and weren't prone to seizures, i'd win that shit," he said in reference to the mechanical bull. regardless of his short stature and spindly, easily fractured limbs, ellie believed he could conquer anything if he was persistent enough. such hubris is what carried him so far through life. "so, how've you been?" he asked in between rounds on the bull. "how're stella and the kids? i've been meaning to stop by, but i don't know if she's nesting or whatever shit pregnant women do. i wouldn't wanna fuck up anything," a chuckle emanated from his lips, cerulean eyes drifting sideways so he could observe his brother's demeanor. "feels like it's been forever since we've talked, and we live in the same fucking neighborhood. but i guess that's what happens when life gets busy. i never thought it'd be that way for me before. i also thought i'd never hold down a normal job, but, here we are..."
ellie + spencer : may 30, early evening @ cupid's arrow
@ofdesertroses
"holy fuck, that's fucking cold!" ellie exclaimed as he ducked and ran away from the dunk tank he had been subjected to as a dare from one of his ne'er-do-well friends. soaked in freezing water, he began wringing out his shirt and watched as the heavy droplets splattered on the dirt below them. "why the hell did i agree to that? i'm gonna get sick now," the whine came out in an irritating cadence, which he was unaware of in the moment while distracted by the bone deep chills he was experiencing. as he came up beside spencer, he shook his hair out, more droplets spinning into the air around them. "someone owes me a drink for that. do you wanna go over to the doll house and grab some lemonade or something? i need something to warm me up. i can't even feel my legs. or my arms. or fucking anything. jesus christ, what is wrong with me?" he almost felt like he was dying. but ellie was always partial to melodrama, as evident in his over-exaggerated body language and raised voice. "do not let anyone convince you to do that shit. unless you wanna shave off a couple years from your lifespan." as if any decently sane individual would willingly subject themselves to such torture. he heaved out a dramatic sigh, his fingers carding through his strawberry blond locks and squeezing out all the remaining wetness. "i can already feel the cold coming on. kill me, please."
Nikitha had her arms crossed, letting the sounds and sensations wash over her as if in doing so she could stretch her awareness to encompass everything within the boxed in space. She counted up to a hundred, sifting through memories and impressions. Then when she had, she let out a long breath. For good measure she breathed in again, held it there for four seconds, and then let it all out, emptying her lungs of anything that could hold her back.
It didn't truly happen, but it felt like her vision cleared, like everything was brought back into hyper focus. She did this once every time she entered a new space, centering her to the present. Because the past was a heavy cloak that needed to be lifted off her shoulders and dropped, only to be donned as soon as she left for a new place.
"Are there bets going on on the bull riders?" she asked, face remaining still as she turned to the hyped up audience. "Or is it over so quickly that nobody has the time." She slipped both hands into the pockets of her bomberjacket and started counting again, a hit for every criminal she saw. Tonight was not the night she found intell, but it was hard to break this new habit. She knew how to bide her time, she'd learned patience from the best. "We could bet between the two of us?"
a seeker of thrill and exhilaration from a dangerously young age, ellie was beyond enthused to look on at the bull riders and witness either triumphant victories or gruesome defeats. either way, he was entertained, which was all he cared about ultimately. he had admittedly indulged too greedily in the vodka cranberries sold at one of the other venues, the plastic cup still clutched in his hand as he watched an older gentleman be throttled around atop the mechanical bull. normally he wouldn't drink, finding it a slippery slope back into old, life-threatening tendencies, but as long as he had a chaperone he considered it a safe enough practice. besides, what's the worst that could happen? it seemed all of life's more unanticipated surprises came earlier in the yearβthough, would it really be las vegas if the chaos wasn't unending?
he was bouncing in his age old converse as he witnessed the older man be flung from his seat. laughing wildly, he took another swig of his drink and almost felt bad as he watched him stumble out of the ring, presumably to where he could find some medical attention. if this were any other phase of his life, ellie probably would've participated in the event. alas, he had not the stomach for it any longer. he was much more content watching from the sidelines and absorbing the chaotic energy from others. which he had thought was an accomplishment; if he were any younger and dumber, he would've gotten himself killed doing half the shit people were volunteering themselves for at the event.
"oh, i'm sure there are," ellie said in return whenever he was spoken to. a shit eating grin was present on his face, and he turned away from the spectacle for a moment so he could dedicate his attention to the stranger. "i'm down. just got paid, so. i'm rolling in dough," more laughter erupted from his throat. "how much are you willing to bet? because i've got a stack waiting to be blown on some stupid shit. might be better if it's out of my pockets, cuz i've been really considering another guitar from six string to match the fender i got for hanukkah."
HEY, i think i just saw LIONEL 'ELLIE' ADLER walking down the strip. stop by to catch up and youβll learn the THIRTY YEAR OLD is working as a RADIO PERSONALITY AT 107.5 KILLER FREQUENCY and lives in CACTUS RIDGE TRAILER PARK. given they are JOCULAR but CAPRICIOUS, itβs likely that they ARE NOT a vampire. i bet you can find them tearing up the dance floor to ZERO BY THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and youβll know why theyβre called THE BURNING STAR.Β βΎ .βΛ austin abrams. demi man + he/they. bisexual biromantic + aquarius.
β° * STATS. β° * PINTEREST.
TW: abandonment, cancer, sexual assault, drug use + overdose mention
FEBRUARY 11TH, 1967: lionel chayse mercer is born in summerlin, nevada. his mother is regretfully disinterested in his existence. so, rather than torture them both by attempting motherhood, she's discharged from the hospital and takes a taxi to his father's house. this is where adrien mercer and his older half-brother, george, reside, and what will be his home for the next fifteen years.
JUNE 2ND, 1972: he's only five years old when his step-mother walks out on their family. it seems his father is cursed by loving emotionally detached womenβso, for the next few years, it's only the three boys that occupy their two bedroom on the outskirts of town. far away from the luxury that encompasses much of summerlin, these years are hazy and uncertain, but they're happy nonetheless.
SEPTEMBER 19TH, 1976: at age nine, lionel receives the worst news of his young life: his father has developed a rare and aggressive cancer, threatening the peace and stability they'd built for themselves ever since his step-mother's leaving. george must protect his younger brother from the brunt of the pain, and as a result, resentment festers.
JANUARY 23RD, 1978: a month before lionel's eleventh birthday, word reaches the two young boys that their father has found an unexpected and miraculous remission from his cancer. life is carefree again, at least for a little while. it seems like george tolerates him once more, mostly by their father's persuasion. his bubbly personality is infectious and garners him unlikely friends at school. things are smooth sailing. no complaints to be had for a long, long time.
MARCH 15TH, 1982: it's when he's a freshman in high school that the symptoms begin surfacing. he's torn between extreme highs and low lows, something he's at a loss trying to control on his own. he finds himself searching for an adrenaline rush if it means ridding himself of this restless feeling deeply rooted in his bonesβas a result, he ends up losing his virginity to a much older man, and when said man rebukes his advances to further the relationship, he experiences his first psychotic break and winds up running his bike off a cliff in a fit of desperation.
JULY 17TH, 1983: he spends a while in the psychiatric unit of summerlin medical center, and while he expects his homecoming to be joyous and healing, he's instead met with the worst possible outcome: his father's cancer has returned, and the prognosis is even more grim than the first time.
DECEMBER 8TH, 1983: adrien mercer passes on the last night of hanukkah. while george is quickly taken into his maternal grandparents' custody, lionel is placed in the foster care system, with no family left to claim him.
FEBRUARY 11TH, 1984: he's placed in the adler's care on his seventeeth birthday. in all honesty, he wishes he were anywhere else, still in the throes of grief and a worsening depression.
AUGUST 22ND, 1984: over time, he warms to the adlers, though it does come with some unexpected tragedies. it seems life is a never ending downwards spiral, no matter what good finds him. he turns to drugs. first it's weed, then it's pills, and finally it's the one that threatens his very life, which is cocaine.
NOVEMBER 3RD, 1986: his addiction stretches over a long period of time, only coming to an abrupt end with his foster sister, say say, finds him overdosing in the bathroom of their family home. he's admitted to rehab shortly after a stint in the hospital recovering, where he suffers a series of seizures that earns him an epilepsy diagnosis, and he doesn't come home for years after.
SUMMERTIME, 1989: time passes by and a steady rhythm replaces all the doubt and sadness that once plagued lionel's everyday life. as things settle and his sobriety strengthens his mental fortitude, he manages to find love with one bandit vaddhana. they marry while both parties are suffering from mania, and he thinks life can't get any better than this.
OCTOBER, 1990: well, that was a fucking bust. turns out his beloved spouse hadn't ever experienced a true attraction to himβaffection and admiration, sure, but it was made clear that their marriage wouldn't be sustainable long-term. so, they divorce, and he's left astray again, unsure what to do with himself in his lonesome.
WINTERTIME 1990 - SPRINGTIME 1993: lionel leaves vegas for the first time in his life. he travels the west coast, trying to find a purpose beyond his addiction and disabilities. he joins a band, tours with them for a year, then witnesses a violent breakup that makes him relapse and eventually forces him back home.
SPRINGTIME, 1997: being sober used to suck, but it's been four years and now it's not so bad. he's found himself a comfortable job as a radio personality, something that helps his extroverted nature be sated. he's on good terms with his siblings for the first time in a while, and he's slowly beginning to figure out his place in the worldβeven if the voices in his head interrupt him occasionally.
tidbits !!
main color is dark neon blue
lives off of 7-11 food and drinks at his big age and looks consistently malnourished because of it
plays guitar very well but mostly does it for fun nowadays instead of for work, though he wouldn't be opposed to starting a band for kicks
still suffers from absence seizures even with medication; this means he spaces out sometimes mid-conversation and snaps back into it within a minute or so
has some hypersexuality issues when manic and tries to remain more selective with his partners nowadays for safety reasons. just don't ask him for his body count
attending community college currently for music education. always got good grades in school and enjoyed learning, wants to teach middle school someday when he feels more stable
wears headphones all the time listening to nirvana, sonic youth, soundgarden, etc.
celebrates jewish holidays and loves the culture ( and food ) but isn't practicing spiritually; way too disillusioned by life so far to believe in any god
in mireya's pragmatic head, she really should have being 'over' the happenings of halloween by now. raised in a loving but matter of fact household, there had never been any room for wallowing in self-pity and that's exactly what it felt like she was doing and she hated it. since then, she had retreated into herself even more, pushed less at work (they'd say her junior spirit was depleting) but had spent more time reading books, becoming accustomed to her own company. she didn't think it scared her, necessarily, just that danger was most likely to follow her if living alone. still, she couldn't think about that. whilst mireya would have stayed by herself entirely on her day off, it was not condusive for her - she needed a real break with company she liked to be around. reina. the woman had been brave and had rung up the other to ask if she was free and if she wanted to do anything; whilst being sat in the other's apartment wasn't peak adventure, it felt like a step in the right direction. the proposed activity was very sweet, fun and somehow relaxed mireya. frowning at the pieces, she let out a light hum at reina's words that broke her concentration. "oh, thanks. never really considered myself good at them and it may look like i'm taking it waaaay too seriously but it's actually pretty relaxing." she chuckled but then a sigh quickly followed. "same old, same old. pretty tough at the moment with work, you know with everything going on and i just... i kind of like to be as far away from that stuff as possible since the incident-" she had a habit of downplaying a lot of things. "- it's a bit difficult to do well... and my secret type a personality hates that." another chuckle was given before her brow furrowed "what about you?"
always a deeply empathetic person, say say fully understood the downcast mood mireya was exhibiting. this was precisely why she thought it would help nudge her in the correct direction to spend some time unwinding in a new environment rather than remaining in her own space where deep contemplation and, by extension, spiraling, was all she could think of to do. say say knew the feeling very wellβthankfully, she'd had a relatively calm and uneventful year thus far, though the happenings around town had frightened her at times. still, she didn't let it dampen her spark, instead finding more reasons to shine brighter in such dark times. as she moved back to the kitchen so she could begin preparing the sun tea, she still tuned in intently to the words leaving mireya's lips. "oh, don't worry. i can get way too into that kind of stuff. but you're right, it's just as relaxing. i always try and occupy myself with a craft whenever things get too heavy. helps me detach. the same for my daughter, if she has a tantrum or a bad day i always have her sit and do some painting. art therapy has been super helpful for us," she began refilling the kettle for her second round of tea, glancing up occasionally to make certain mireya knew her attention was still devoted to her. "i understand that, i'm sure it's been super stressful. but there's always a place for you here whenever things get too bad," she said with a soft smile, tilting her head as she thought about how things had actually been recently. "i think i'm doing okay, all things considering. tully and sol keep me busy most days, plus work. but i can't lie and say i haven't been worried. it seems we just can't catch a break, can we? all the reason to make more art." her lips pursed while in thought, moving the kettle from the counter to the already warmed stove top. "are you considering switching jobs, by chance? because we have some availability at twice sold. it's super chill, since my job requires the most effort. not that i mind, i like keeping busy."
jibril stares at the mechanical bull in front of him, watching as other patrons try and fail to stay on it. they've never seen this sort of ride in person, only ever heard of it, so this was new to them. from what they could tell, the objective was staying on for a certain period of time. jibril had never considered himself one to back down from a challenge, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity.
he looks at one of the people in the crowd, making sure he understands the purpose of the ride. "so...is there some kind of prize for if you don't get thrown off?" they ask, voice soft with a little hesitance. "have you ever ridden one of these before? is it hard?"
while mechanical bull riding wasn't on lainey's agenda, she was delighted to witness others take on the challenge. with a vodka soda in hand, she leaned in closer so she could observe the latest victim as they thrashed around on the steel beast. she was thoroughly entertained, laughing wildly in between sips of her drink. she couldn't remember the last time she had such funβhonestly, things around town lately had been bleak, and she was glad to find some reprieve. whenever a foreign voice spoke up from beside her, she perked up and swallowed another swig of soda. "i think it's a cash prize or something. it better be, i certainly wouldn't risk breaking my bones over something stupid like a t-shirt," she gave a snort as she returned to watching the disastrous sight of a frail looking man being violently thrown about the ring. "absolutely not. i'm not that eager for a bruising, but it does look fun, at least at first. how quickly do you think he'll lose his stomach after he's tossed off? i'm betting ten seconds tops. i've even got twenty bucks on me to spare for it."
