Laced & Leather Chaos

On the Other Side

{So...I don't know how it works myself, obviously, and ever since this idea have been wondering on if everyone is squished into the part of the Land of the Dead that seems very localized and working off ofrenda tradition etc. That and the novel mentions pyramids. I'm going with yes and no. Some space and gaps to travel but not the entire size of the world! Sorry, making up stuff.}

Miguel's pan dulce dropped to the ground, unable to be brought with him since he wasn't actually dead and it was stolen, just like the one his friend had picked up. He glanced about and then found Trent, on the ground of the ofrenda room, eyes wide, expected frightened expression, especially as he faced the entire rest of the Rivera clan from the Land of the Dead. They'd formed a circle, Miguel now more or less in the middle too, with varying degree of expressions of concern, confusion and shock. Victoria stood close to center, hands on her hips and frowning at the neighbor boy.

"Miguel! I tried to tell you not to do that! Not that you would have heard before...", the boy glanced sharply to the side to notice Papá Julio gripping his hat and staring in further concern at his great-grandson. This brought the rest of the Rivera's attention on him. Mamá Coco smiled and hugged him, and despite it all, Miguel couldn't help hugging back briefly. As if it were another reason to dislike him, trapping Miguel also, Victoria turned her stern glare back to Trent. The boy backed up a bit even from his sitting position.

"Oh Mijo!", Rosita rushed forward to hug Miguel next, who glanced to everyone else from his squished position, next wiggling free of his aunt's embrace, "H-hola...everyone...but con permiso, I...", he walked over, past Tía Victoria, and offering a hand, helped Trent up.

"What did you think you were doing?", Victoria demanded, Miguel wasn't sure of which, but Trent stammered, "I...huh?".

"Mija...", Julio tried to cut in, but Victoria ignored her father.

Miguel sighed, trying to explain her ire and the situation as he turned to his friend. "It was the pan dulce. When...when you took it, you, uh...kinda...broke through the barrier...of spirits and Dia de los Muertos". This seemed to make some sense to Trent, as he frowned, processing.

"Yes, we stood here and watched you do it!", Victoria added, "March right in where you're not...".

"He, he didn't know! He doesn't know how ofrendas work", Miguel defended.

"Oh the poor thing", Rosita walked up, as if to hug the child, with minimal greetings. Trent scrambled away from her and bumped into Julio, knocking his head off. Trent screamed, Julio's made more a sound of protest, turning to try to find his head. Coco picked it up and helped him right his skull, patting his back when she was done.

Trent scrambled back to the center of the room.

Héctor smiled and walked forward finally, after just taking in the scene a bit. "This isn't exactly the way to go about reunions, Mijo", he told Miguel, just jesting, and placing a hand to the boy's shoulder before he turned towards Trent, determined to try to help the kid. He'd taken pretty quickly to Miguel even before knowing they were related, and wasn't just going to leave a kid in confused fear, especially if he and Miguel were amigos.

The green eyes were still wide.

"Alright, it's alright there Niño, hey settle", none of this was said harshly, more the opposite and as if...it were no big deal. For some odd reason it worked, and though Trent looked no less ill-at ease, he paused and got a full sentence out. "What...s-so I'm...where? Miguel?!", he turned to his friend.

Miguel sighed, "I...made this mistake last year, when you...bit Tía Victoria's pan dulce...it was stealing from the dead and so...you...are stuck on the spirit side...". To his credit, Trent seemed to just wide-eyed take this in. He even turned, and began a crude estimating of comparing pictures until his gaze landed on Victoria's still scowling countenance.