Danger Poison sat alone, his back leaned against the tree's bark, hugging his knees, watching with envy as kids his age playing on the flat-grass field leaving him out. Danger Poison never got invited to play with the other kids since he was deemed an ‘outcast’ to the others. Danger Poison just thought he was left out because of his poisonous powers that he couldn't control as well as his brother, Vicious Poison.
His brother was always invited to play with the other kids. ‘Why am I not allowed to play with the others?’ ‘Am I that of an outcast?’ The words he had repeated over and over in his head to this day. ‘I just want to have fun like the others.’ He sighed at his dense thoughts.
He looked up to his brother a lot. Vicious Poison was everything that Danger Poison wasn't. Vicious Poison was great at socializing and making new friends everywhere he went, always staying positive no matter what.
Danger Poison watched as his brother laughed with the other kids, running across the field like nothing could ever go wrong. For a moment, he wondered what that felt like.
To be included.
A small memory crept into Danger Poison’s mind, one he wished he could forget. It had been an accident. He didn’t mean to do it. The kids had been playing tag, and for once… one of them had called his name. He remembered the surprise. The small spark of happiness. Danger had reached out to tag them but then, a sharp, poisonous spark. Just a small one. But that alone was just enough.
Then the look on their faces.
Everything went quiet after that. The kid cried out, clutching their arm as everything went silent. After that incident, no one looked at him the same.
Danger Poison lowered his head, staring at his hands. “…I didn’t mean to…”, the words came out in a whisper, barely audible even to himself.
A burst of laughter snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up again. Vicious Poison was still there, surrounded by others, smiling like always. For a second, the two brothers' eyes met. Danger Poison looked away with a sigh. He didn’t want his brother to see him like this. Pathetic and alone.
Footsteps approached.
A familiar voice broke through his thoughts. “Hey.” Danger Poison flinched slightly, looking up. Vicious Poison stood in front of him, a little out of breath, a bright grin still on his face from playing. “Why are you sitting all the way over here again?” Danger Poison looked away. “…just didn’t feel like it.” Vicious tilted his head, clearly not convinced.
He glanced back at the field, then at Danger Poison. For a moment, his smile softened. Without saying anything, he untied the scarf from around his neck, the one tied neatly into a bow and gently dropped it over Danger Poison’s head. Danger Poison blinked, startled. The fabric was warm. “…what are you doing?” Vicious Poison shrugged, sitting down beside him like it was nothing.
Danger held the scarf in his hands, unsure. From the field, a voice called out: "Vicious! C’mon!" Vicious Poison glanced back… then turned away from them.
“They can wait,” he said with a smile. Danger Poison looked at him, a little surprised. “…you don’t wanna go play?” Vicious Poison leaned back against the tree, hands behind his head. “I’d rather hang out with you.”
Danger Poison’s grip on the scarf tightened slightly.
The words felt… warm. Like something he wanted to keep forever. After a moment, Vicious Poison nudged him lightly. “C’mon, don’t look so down. You’re not an outcast.” Danger Poison frowned a little. “…they think I am.”
Vicious Poison shook his head immediately. “Well, they’re wrong.” He smiled, bright and confident, like he always did.
“You’re just… a little different. That’s not a bad thing.”
Danger Poison didn’t respond right away.
That memory would stay with him.
Even long after the laughter faded.
Even after the field grew quiet.