A Crack in the Mask

Defining Boundaries

Ben blinks. "Sounds like that happened often."

"You have no idea." Jay half groans.

Mal rolls her eyes, "And neither do we."

"Um, can I get an example?"

Jay thinks for a moment rubbing his chin, "Well, with herbs for one."

"Herbs?" Ben asks in confusion.

"Yeah, a good rule on the isle is that if it grows on the isle don't fucking touch it. Most of the shit was like poisonous and the rest worse."

"Facilier had secret gardens all over the place. It wasn't all bad." Evie points out.

"Uh-huh." Jay agrees, "But that's not the shit T usually uses is it?"

Evie bites her bottom lip before she goes back to the pile in front of her, "I guess not."

"Some of it was so dangerous Deez had to pick it. I mean, he showed me some of the burns he got from them." Jay sighs as he grimaces.

"Yet he managed to make medicine from them." Carlos excitedly adds.

"Medicines?" Ben's eyes widen.

"Well," Jay rubs the back of his neck, "he made this like, weird-smelling ointment that numbed pain."

"How?" Ben blurts out.

"That's what we always asked too." Carlos chuckles. "And he always gave the same answer-"

"Trial and error." Jay rolls his eyes.

Ben nods slowly. He had heard them argue about T's methods last time they were all here together. "So, trial and error is like his go-to then?"

"Yeah, pretty much for everything too." Jay agrees with a shake of his head.

"Do you guys know much about him?" Ben asks curiously. Either Deez wasn't as comfortable writing about T, or she didn't know much about him. With the others sometimes the way she said something revealed a lot more than simply what she was talking about. But whenever she wrote about 'the shadow' it seemed more removed than usual. Like she was more heavy-handed with her edits when it came to him.

"Um..." Carlos looks around the room, his eyes narrowed in thought. "I think collectively yes, but individually not so much. Not that it mattered much. I mean, I think we can all agree when push came to shove, you could count on T to always have your back."

Jay smiles, "No kidding." He sighs before he claps his hands, "But what are you looking for Ben?"

Ben frowns, "I'm not sure. I guess, well, I do need who his parent is so I can fill out the forms properly."

Jay lifts his brow when Carlos shoots him a look of apology, "Frollo."

"How the hell did you know that pup?"

Carlos shuffles his feet as he looks away, "context clues. I figured it out back when Mal was trying to-"

"Shhh." Evie holds a finger to her lips, "Our fearless leader is sleeping."

Ben smiles as he looks over to the couch Mal had been lounging on to find her curled around one of the plush pillows.

"Got it," Carlos whispers before he continues, "Back when she was trying to get dirt on him."

Jay's jaw drops slightly as he stares at Carlos dumbly before he shakes his head. "Huh." He reaches behind him to grab the blanket folded over the back, "You're just as bad as Deez, sometimes." He accuses gently before he flicks the blanket out and covers Mal.