Chapter Text
In the wake of gray naval ships on the Pacific horizon, sandy beaches were at the peak of their unpopularity. Can’t really build shit on top of sand, or rocks, for that matter. Son after son set sail only to never return. Maintenance done for the sake of maintenance, because you’re damned if a California beach is any less than pristine. After years of war, what are you supposed to do with a beach that only serves to tear a hole in the municipal wallet?
You build the Faerghus Beach Boardwalk, of course.
The first! The greatest! The harbinger of many shallow imitations! The Faerghus Beach Boardwalk was the home of California’s very first rollercoaster, The Immaculate One. It was rickety in all the right places for structural integrity, and in all the wrong places for general enjoyment. Most natives had never seen a rollercoaster before, and even a century after it was built, The Immaculate One stood the test of time as many people’s first rollercoaster ride.
In 1987, Felix stared out the window of his brother’s truck at the spindly silhouette of The Immaculate One in the distance, and remembered throwing up at the top of it eight years ago.
Glenn darted his eyes from the road for a brief moment, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “Hey, Fe, remember when you—”
“No.” Felix grunted.
The lump sum of collateral damage caused by Glenn’s divorce resulted in a less-than-ideal move back to Faerghus. Mom and Dad sent Glenn to college, hoping he’d come back an anti-imperialist, but instead they got a banker. He landed a high-brow investment job on Wall Street, told Felix he’d buy him a car if he came with, and they never looked back.
Felix got the car. He failed his driver's test thirteen times. He crashed the car in New York City, and New York City crashed the stock market in 1987. Glenn was out of a job, and his wife jumped ship. The second Felix walked the stage in June, they demurely hauled ass back to Faerghus, California.
Mom and Dad were thrilled. On the phone the night prior, they said Felix’s lola had predicted this in a dream she had a few months ago. Felix asked if she had predicted Glenn’s wife leaving him too, and that earned him a limp bonk on the head from Glenn’s newspaper.
Felix didn’t hate his parents, he just hated Faerghus. Sure, he’d only been around for elementary school, but he had always been the odd one out amongst his peers. He hated the beach, he hated the sun. Everyone his age was so weird, and…loose. Not to mention the bone-chilling folktales his mother used to tell him about when she’d first set foot in California.
Now, as he and Glenn rolled up the winding driveway to their parents’ eclectic home, Felix wished nothing more than to turn around and head right back to New York.
They hadn’t even brought the first moving box to the doorstep when their mother rushed out and pulled them into a crushing hug.
“Oh, my boys! Home at last!” She exclaimed, ushering them into the house, lest they catch a cold in the 72-degree summertime air. She balked once she got a good look at them. “Oh, you’re both so skinny. Come to the kitchen and eat!”
“Yeah, yeah, nanay. Let us put everything away first,” Glenn said. He nodded back towards the doorway. “Fe, go put those boxes upstairs.”
“Fuck you, old man,” Felix replied, picking up the boxes anyways.
“Hey! Do not talk to your brother that way,” Mom hissed. She rounded onto Glenn. “Is this how you raised him up there?”
“No, Ma, you made him like that,” Glenn responded.
As Felix climbed the wooden stairway, he took stock of the place he was being forced to call ‘home’. If he remembered correctly (likely not), his parents bought this place about a year after he and Glenn left.
It was, quite literally, a nightmare. Everything was made of old, musty wood. Gaudy tapestries lined the walls, and throw rugs plagued the floor. There wasn’t a single corner of the house that didn’t smell like incense.
He heard his mother shout something about the room on the left at the end of the hallway, so Felix creaked his way over there. When he saw the interior, he immediately pivoted, and sprinted back down the stairs.
“Yo, Ma, are you serious?!” Felix exclaimed, pointing back up the stairs. “That’s a fucking closet!”
“It’s not a closet, there’s a window! Plenty of room for you and your bed,” She replied nonchalantly.
Felix paced. “Then where is Glenn gonna stay?”
“Master bedroom.”
“What?!” Felix yelled.
His mother sighed. “When Glenn gets a new wife, they will need it!”
Glenn’s head popped out from behind the kitchen doorway. “What?!” he exclaimed.
“You’re both so picky,” Mom muttered. “And don’t give me that look!”
Felix snapped his mouth closed, but continued to pout as he stomped back up the stairs. Upon reaching his new room, he faceplanted onto the bare mattress that lay there, and proceeded to be dead to the world for three hours.
A knock on his door. “Feeeeeelix. It’s seven. I know you’re hungry,” Glenn crooned from the other side.
He was, and if there’s one thing Felix missed about his home, it’s his grandmother’s cooking. He sighed, rolled off of his mattress, and reluctantly opened the door. He was met with the sight of his brother, grinning mischievously, with two tickets in his hand.
“You know where we’re going after dinner?” Glenn asked lowly.
Felix slammed the door shut. “No. No fucking boardwalk.”
“C’mon, Fe! What better way to spend our first night back?”
“You want to go with your younger brother to the Faerghus Beach Boardwalk.”
“You make it sound like it’s bad.”
Felix swung the door back open, wringing his hands. “It is bad!”
Glenn crossed his arms. “Felix. We live here now. If you want to insist on being a no-fun little bitch, then fine, I’ll go by myself.”
Felix crossed his arms in retaliation. “Go, then.”
Glenn shrugged, smiling smugly. He turned away to head down the stairs. “Suit yourself, lil’ bro!” He called over his shoulder. “If you really wanna get questioned by lola all by yourself, tonight, sure…”
That sent a jolt up Felix’s spine. Goddammit. If Glenn wasn’t there to take the brunt of their grandmother’s admonishing, then she was definitely moving onto Felix next. He was not ready for the barrage of questions about his appearance, grades, and love life.
Felix sauntered down the stairs after him.
In the kitchen, Felix greeted his lola with a kiss on the cheek, and received a plate stacked with his favorite foods in return. He plopped into a chair, and was about to dig in, when his mother addressed him.
“You watch your kuya, tonight,” she warned. “Don’t leave him alone with any girls. They could be—“
Both Felix and Glenn knew exactly where this conversation was going. Glenn groaned, holding his head in his hands. “Ma. Walang aswang sa Faerghus!”
Felix hadn’t heard Glenn say that in years. There are no aswang in Faerghus. He used to say it almost every night, back when they were kids, and their mother would warn them of the bloodsucking creatures, called aswang, that disguised themselves as beautiful women. Instead of teaching them night safety, Mom told the boys that if they were out too late, they would surely die at the claws of some beast.
Glenn never bought into her tales, not even as a child. His combative nature was born from her bedside, constantly questioning her claims, demanding facts. In high school, he was a night creature himself, always out with his friends, returning no earlier than midnight each day.
Felix was a different story. Felix, at his core, was wary of things he didn’t completely understand.
“You don’t still believe in that, Nanay?” Felix probed, mouthful of oxtail stew.
Mom raised a penciled brow. “What do you mean, ‘believe?’ I know. I’ve faced an aswang myself!”
Glenn scoffed. “Oh, that’s new. So you’re telling us you’ve actually met one, now? Shoulda said that years ago!”
“You were children,” she said, shrugging. “Some tales aren’t meant to be told at that age. Now, you are young men.”
“Yeah, okay. Tell us when we get back,” Glenn laughed, picking up his plate, and standing from his chair. “Let’s head out, Fe.”
The brothers each gave their mother a smooch on the cheek as she berated them for their ignorance, and they were out the door. The second they were under the vast night sky, Glenn was shoving shit into Felix’s arms.
“Wear this,” he ordered, climbing behind the wheel of the car. “Also, you’re gonna need to get your ear pierced. We can do that tonight.”
Felix didn’t have time to unpack that statement, because in his hands was Glenn’s leather jacket from high school, and a white tank top.
“I’m not wearing this crap,” Felix spat, throwing the clothes to the floor of the car. “Thought you threw all this greasy shit away years ago.”
Glenn looked him up and down, sighed, and revved up the car. “Felix. You can’t wear that.”
Aghast, Felix looked down at what he was wearing. There was literally nothing wrong with his bright teal windbreaker. It was his favorite jacket. It was in style. It had a pouch to hold his snacks in the front.
“No. Not here. Not at the Faerghus Beach Boardwalk, buddy,” Glenn stated, shaking his head as he turned onto the freeway. “You’re cramping my style.”
Oh, now that’s a sentence. Felix counted on his fingers. “You are a 26-year old divorcee who worked at Goldman Sachs. You are cramping my style.”
“You don’t have style, Felix.”
They argued the entire drive, short as it was. Felix was determined to leave the leather jacket on the floor.
But that changed when they pulled into the parking lot, and Felix got his first glimpse of the Boardwalk dwellers in eight years. It is then that Felix knew he had lost the argument.
A billowing cloud of smoke swirled over the windshield of their car, forcing Glenn to a stop. As he sat back from the wheel, mumbling impatiently, Felix leaned forward into the dash, squinting. As the smoke slowly dissipated, he could make out a handful of eerie, indistinguishable silhouettes. They seemed to grow, and shrink, and even separate from their sources, like shadows waning in the daylight.
The haze parted.
There, stark against the carnival lights in the distance, stood four individuals, each flanked by their own motorcycle. Felix couldn’t tell which of them were men, and which were women; their frames were swallowed by leather and patchwork, their faces obscured behind shaggy haircuts, black eyeliner, and the wisps of smoke that curled from their forefingers.
As Felix stared them down, their eyes seemed to pierce through the glass between them. However, their gaze wasn’t hostile, but…amused. They were the absolute epitome of the trashy people Felix expected to encounter, but what he was feeling in this moment wasn’t revulsion. It was something else, something entirely new.
Before he could pitch that feeling off the tip of his tongue, the gang swung their legs over their bikes, and disappeared into the night. Felix immediately felt like something had been unlocked from inside of him, as if the moment had been clutching at his throat.
Glenn swerved into a parking spot, hopped out of the car, and immediately set off toward the boardwalk. Felix pulled his jacket and shirt off in one swift pull, reached down to grab Glenn’s old clothes, and jogged after him.
Nothing about the Faerghus Beach Boardwalk had changed in the years of Felix’s absence. Gaudy carnival rides spun screaming passengers around in the sky. Music blared from crackling speakers that hung from prize booths. Unsettling clown paraphernalia could be found every which way he looked.
Walking alongside Glenn, Felix found himself skimming the crowds for the bikers. There were seedy punks and drunks, sure, but nobody he could truly pinpoint as one of the four he’d encountered earlier.
A flick to his forehead snapped him out of his search. Glenn was pointing up at a ride that looked downright illegal.
“No way,” Felix scoffed. Glenn shrugged, and went to go stand in line anyways.
Good riddance. Felix was free to mope as he pleased. He walked into the first storefront he encountered.
Rows upon rows of shelves greeted him, each packed to the gills with records. Hanging above each row was a sign depicting a music genre. The walls were lined with posters of famous musicians, young and old.
As Felix walked slowly down the center walkway, scanning to see which row to peruse first, he had the strange feeling of eyes boring into the back of his neck. He turned his head as nonchalantly as he could manage, and saw two teens staring at him from the cash register, whispering behind open hands.
Felix was determined to ignore them, so he turned away. So what if they were talking about him? It didn’t mean anything in the end. But…why would they be talking about him? Did he stick out that much from the regular crowd? Was he doing something wrong? Was he walking funny?
Felix didn’t care! He did not care in the slightest. But the second he turned into the pop section, he heard a raucous fit of giggles behind him, and spun around.
The two teens had started following him from a distance, and were peering at him through a display two aisles away. When they noticed he’d turned around, they ducked and disappeared, but Felix wasn’t having it.
“What?” Felix challenged, stomping in their direction. “What’s so funny?”
He reached their aisle, and was met with the sight of a girl and boy rolling on the dirty concrete, laughing. Felix was fuming, opening and closing his fists at his sides; he wasn’t one to pick fights, but…okay, yes he was. He approached them, and the boy held out his hands.
“W-wait!” He exclaimed through his giggling fit. “We don’t want any trouble, bro!”
The girl crawled onto her knees. “We were just betting on which section you were going to walk into. We do it for all the new guys.”
Felix crossed his arms. “How did you know I was new?”
The teens looked at each other, and started wheezing again, doubling over. Felix was about to walk straight out of the store, when they both pointed at his head.
“Dude, your hair!” They shouted in tandem.
Felix’s shoulders rose to his ears. He felt strangely vulnerable. “What’s wrong with my hair?” He asked defensively.
“You look like a founding father,” the girl smirked. “Can’t be wearing that jacket with that cut!”
Man, fuck these guys. Felix gave them each a once-over. The girl had bright auburn hair that was deep fried to perfection, and the boy’s mousy hair looked oilier than the funnel cake next door.
Felix crossed his arms. “You guys look like possums.”
The boy elbowed the girl. He smiled. “I like this guy. What’s your name?”
To lie, or not to lie? Felix didn’t know how to lie. “I’m Felix. I just moved here.”
“Well, welcome to Faerghus, Felix!” The girl said. “I’m Annette, and that’s Ashe. Record store cashiers by day…”
She struck a pose. “Vampire hunters by night!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Felix scoffed.
Ashe raised his eyebrows. “Wait. You moved here without researching the vampires?”
“Why would I research that? Ever?”
Annie and Ashe exchanged looks. Annie placed a hand on her hip. “Boy, you better be glad we found you first. You wouldn’t have survived a week!”
They had to be fucking with him, right? Felix rolled his eyes. “Dude, vampires aren’t real.”
A shrill gasp. Before he knew it, Felix was flat on his back, laying on the floor. Annette and Ashe squatted above him, wide eyed.
“Are you crazy?” Ashe whispered harshly. He looked back over his shoulder, and Felix followed his gaze. “You see that guy in the jazz aisle? That guy’s brother was the vampire king.”
Felix couldn’t help but stare at the back of the guy’s head, covered in bright red curls that stuck every which way. He was turning an album over in his hands, a ring glinting from each finger.
Annette spoke up. “Nobody knows what happened to his brother, but rumor has it that he turned Sylvain into a half-vampire before he disappeared. How terrible is that?”
Once she’d said his name, Felix’s heart stopped.
“Did you say ‘Sylvain?’”
Annette nodded solemnly, and Felix was pushing himself up and off of the floor. The two teens clamored after him, panicked, but Felix was many strides ahead.
“Sylvain!” He called.
The redhead turned around, and upon spitting Felix, he dropped the record to the floor, his mouth agape. Felix heard cursing from behind him.
“Holy shit. Felix?” Sylvain exclaimed, jogging over to meet him. “Is that you?”
“Heh. Uh, yeah, it’s me,” Felix said, trying for a smile. He wasn’t really sure what to do after that. “So…yeah. How’ve you been?”
Sylvain ran a hand through his hair, his eyes wide and bright. “Great! Been great! You, uh…haven’t seen you in…yeah,” he said, waving his hand aimlessly. “You just…disappeared! Poof!”
That was a way to put it. When Glenn asked Felix if he wanted to skip town, through the crackle of the phone, Felix didn’t think twice before hopping on the train. He loved his brother, and he hated Faerghus, and he really really wanted that car.
He and Sylvain had been pretty good friends, all those years ago. Perhaps even best friends, now that he thought about it, but Felix never really knew what that term meant. Either way, Felix had been sure that Sylvain would’ve forgotten about him after he’d left; he’d always seemed pretty detached, even as a twelve year old.
“Yeah. I moved in with my brother in New York. Sorry about not saying bye,” he said quietly.
Sylvain smiled. It was familiar, yet new. Handsome. “Eh, all water under the boardwalk, huh? Glad you’re back in town!” He said, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder. He nodded his chin upward. “Those guys over there giving you the kooky vampire talk, yeah?”
“Don’t call us kooky, you wretch!” Annette shouted, who had backed herself into the wall. Ashe was making a cross with his fingers.
Sylvain coolly strutted toward them, his arms stretched. “Look. Just because my brother was an ass doesn’t mean he was a vampire.” He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “You both know real well who the vampires are in this town.”
Felix turned to look at him, a brow raised. “Wait, you believe this crap, too?”
“I just know who to keep my eye on,” Sylvain said nonchalantly. “Let’s get out of here. We have so much to catch up on!”
Sylvain began walking to the exit of the store. Before Felix could follow, Ashe had appeared at his side; he stuffed a wad of paper into Felix’s hand.
“In case things go awry…you know who to call,” Ashe explained solemnly.
Felix unfurled the paper to reveal a phone number. He rolled his eyes, and followed Sylvain out the door.