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bisexualsmallishbeans · 1 year

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Hi everyone!!

Lots of people asked for the pattern I used for my Joel and Lizzie dolls, but due to my mental unwellness, my "pattern" was actually a chaotic blend of multiple patterns, as well as my own spontaneity.

Nonetheless, I am going to attempt to explain the method to my madness in this post! (Fair warning, it will get long.)

(If you actually want to try to recreate this please PLEASE reach out to me!!! I can go into way more detail and do diagrams and whatnot if you really wanna see the full idea!!!)

I'm gonna do my best to divide this up into sections based on how I made them, but because I modified a lot of things and Joel and Lizzie are clearly not the same, it may get a little muddled along the way, but here goes!

The Bodies

First thing's first, this is the link to the tutorial I used for the basic body shape. Super great video, easy to understand, fantastic starting point for any doll!! :D

For Joel, I followed the tutorial pretty exactly, minus that middle seam for a belt. I changed colors for the boots, pants, and coat and kept all the measurements the same.

For Lizzie, I modified her pattern to be a little bit bigger bc haha funny tall wife. On parts of the pattern where the stitch count stayed the same, I added a few more rows to make them longer. I added 4 rows to the legs, 3 rows to the chest, and two rows to the arms.

Like this!

listen I had to visualize it somehow-

I also did a gradient for Lizzie's arms/legs/tail! Here is the video I used to figure out how to do it (I don't have the measurements for where I changed colors I'm sorry I'm goofy </3)

Also, here is a link to a post where I half-heartedly liveblogged the early stages of making them. You can kinda get a rough idea of where I changed colors for different parts of their outfits, etc. but I only got two steps, really- oops.

The Clothes

Now, this is the part where I documented virtually nothing, but honestly, it still turned out just fine!

For Joel, I made boot and sleeve cuffs by just single crocheting a chain to fit around his arm/leg and adding a couple of sc (single crochet) rows. Then I sewed the ends together with a long yarn tail, used thinner gold yarn to add some detailing (look up backstitching! it works really well!!), and sewed the edges on.

His coat ends were made in the same way, but bigger, and instead of sewing the edges fully together, I only connected the top stitches when I was attaching it. And because I'm a messy sewer, I easily hid the seam with a black sc-chain belt :)

The gold details of his coat is also a sc-chain just sewed on. The edges at the bottom... were sorta a sc-hemming type deal-? I don't know, I winged it and I don't like how it turned out </3

The shoulder pads I actually can tell you! It's 5 sc in a magic circle, sc around, and then I picot stitched around in each stitch. Then I tied off a long tail and sewed it onto the top of the arms before I attached them. The badge/flower is the same pattern, but without the sc round in between the mc and the picots.

The sash was a little wonky doing it as a full loop the whole time, so it was basically a long rectangle and when I was attaching the ends together I did it under the shoulder things so it wouldn't be bulky and ugly on top. I think it's decently easy to understand from the pictures in the original post, but if not lmk! (if any of this is coming across at all then bless you tbh.)

The collar is just two rectangles I sewed side by side, they don't continue to the back at all bc they were ugly /lh

And this is the tutorial I used for the crown! I threaded a little piece of green yarn through to make the jewel and tied a knot in the back :)

For Lizzie, I literally made the skirt up as I went along, but it was roughly based on this video. I started with a sc chain to get the right size, then made it a rectangle for a couple of rows (maybe like four?) before joining it together. (That way, I could make the skirt separately and still be able to get it back on her when I was done without being too tight!)

At some point, I picked a stitch as my "center point" and started going back and forth from about that point instead of completing the full circle, doing half double crochets close to it, then double crochets, then triple crochets, then back to dc and hdc as I got close to it again. I think I did about 6-8 for each stitch type section? The GOAL was to make the skirt's hem asymmetrical, which worked, but it's hard to explain bc I literally made it up.

Then I made another sc chain for the belt thing after I attached it :)

The top detailing is also a sc chain, but with some joined yarn above the arms for extra color. There's also bits of yarn that are supposed to be straps, but you can't really see them in any of the pictures, so that's optional rip.

For the frilly hem, I joined the yarn at the "center point" and basically just worked around the whole hem repeating (1 dc, 2dc inc) to make it all wavy and fun!

The Hair

The pattern I based the hair off of was from this kpop star doll that I was originally going to base my entire Joel doll off of.

The difference is I changed the lengths of the strands (I did it based off looks, so all of them are slightly different in length to look more natural) and also color changed the very front few strands of Joel's hair to be green. I also put two strands in a few of the back stitches instead of just one so they completely covered the back of the head (so there are 15-16 strands instead of 14.)

To attach the hair, I used pins to mark out where I wanted to place each strand. Here's a quick progress shot I sent to my friends:

Now, I wasn't smart, and used long pieces of thread from tying off the "hair mop" to sew all the strands onto the head individually. It took forever and make it kinda messy in the back because of weird overlapping. If I could redo it now, I'd use fabric glue or something to glue each strand so it lays flat, although if you don't have it or want to avoid the potential mess, sewing it does in fact work just fine.

Extra Bits (mostly for Lizzie)

Lizzie's tail is more or less the same as her arm, but it starts thinner and goes for longer at the end. For the frilly edge, I remember using a crochet beta fish fin design, but I can't for the life of me find it in my history now?? But it was essentially joining the yarn a few stitches from the point and crocheting (hdc, dc 2x, tr, dc 2x, hdc, dc 2x, tr) and mirroring it on the other side so it looked like this:

Here's a closer view of both the tail and the skirt's hem.

Lizzie's fins were made by making a magic circle, chaining 4 and sc-ing back, and slip stitching back into the circle three times to make the three points. Then I joined onto one point with the lighter color and sc-ed along to the other point to make it more detailed.

Here's a cursed image I sent to my friends of bald Lizzie and her fins.

Lizzie's space buns were a fever dream to me because I made them at 1 am, but I did something that looks similar to this puff stitch flower with only three "petals." I attached it to the head and then used a short chain of another color to add some color and detail.

Here's a view of a bun from the top.

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I think that's just about it! If I missed anything or want to know how I did something better, please please PLEASE reach out to me!!

I'd love to go into more depth on things, but I predict this post will top off at 5 notes so I don't really want to spend hours explaining something that'll go completely unseen /lh

Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this little insight into the inner workings of my brain! Feel free to share and tag me in anything if you decide to try to do this yourself.

Cheers!! <3

#WOO I DID IT.#hope you enjoy this it took forever AHSJDSA #pho.posts #pho.doodles #<- bc it's from my project haha #when i eventually make a dl pearl i'll document it better so you can see it in action haha #empiresblr #empires smp #esmp s1 #smallishbeans #joel smallishbeans #ldshadowlady #lizzie ldshadowlady #jizzie #crochet #amigurumi #amigurumi doll #pho.crochets

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jumbledpages · 4 months

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more or less something for myself but uhh heres a simple explaination for the designs

"Only the coolest characters can wear a rope around their waist." this line was taken from the dev comment on the true form card and i agree. shes the coolest guys.

the capes her dress from the original (remind me to fix the colors in the final :P)

her hairs supposed to mimic aristris front hair (im drawing... eventually guys trust me)

the diamond shaped accessories are supposed to be based off of chapter 8s portal hopping (those diamond obstacles)

i gave her pants because i dont think it would reasonably make sense for her to wear a loose fitting skirt if she was teleporting from place to place and jumping everywhere

with scriptliss it was supposed to kinda be like those "knight in shining armor" kind of armor. fairly sure i made this when i was sick so thats why it looks scuffed

the white parts are supposed to be a reference to his true form, and the diamonds are cogen, ofc .w.

hes wearing his original clothing from spr under his armor, just for fun :3 (fun fact! protagonists shirt is green to be a direct opposite. not sure when i decided that but! yep!)

also that helmet canonically dosent fit scriptliss properly

tucker was the first one i did when i first got this tablet so he looks a little wonky (sorry tucker!) i wanted to mimic the those like british waistcoats and sleves (or maybe its a different era... ill search that up later) the blue undercoat is supposed to be i direct reference to dussekar and yes he is wearing a rolex

im not sure what i was doing with sphara, i think it was a mix of egyptian and greek? i do like the sleves though

cogens in the image too, if you can spot them.

aaaannddd heres a cute little wip!

#jumbled rambles #no one asked for this but i just wanted to talk :3 #also i use emojis way too often i apologise

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rollingaroundin-bread · 4 years

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Oh boy it’s the start of @ducktober2020 !! :D

I wanted to start big but I still had school today so I played to (what I consider to be) my strengths which is character design so I made the kiddos fall outfits!!! :D

And as per usual I have an explanation for each outfit under the cut!

Huey

I like giving Huey sweaters/sweater vests in a slightly different red so I did exactly that!!

I gave my age up design for Huey a sweater vest so I didn’t want to be too close to that so sweater!!

If I could do it again I’d make the sweater more pink but I'm fine with how it turned out!!

Let Huey wear more pink cowards

also didn’t know what to do for a pose so random bag??

Dewey

Dewey is kinda already suited for colder weather so I didn’t want to change much

changed his undershirt to a turtleneck because that’s what I do when it gets colder

His color scheme is kinda wintery so I gave him halloween socks to counter that!

Also earmuffs because I feel like thats 100% in character no I will not explain

oh right and I wanted to give everybody something for their legs so that was either pants or shoes & socks so that’s a thing!

Louie

gave him pants

Legally speaking, Louie is lazy so therefore I get to be lazier with my character designs

Also I feel like he wouldn’t change much he’s already set for colder weather!!

I have Huey and Dewey socks & shoes so Louie gets pants

thats how it goes

Webby

This outfit is based off of one of mine!

I have this really cool long skirt that’s black with green and blue plaid accents so I tried to kinda recreate that but with a more Webby color scheme!

Thought about giving her her usual sweater vest but thought that would be too close to the original

I really like how she turned out though!! :D

Lena

I’ve been thinking about the movie Knives Out recently (idk why either thats just how the brain goes)

Anyways in the movie one of Ana’s outfits includes this really really long scarf draped like so!

Anyways I thought it was really cool and gave it to lena In her original sweater’s color scheme!!

The rest of her outfit is just simple long sleeves and such ‘cause I wanted the scarf to be the main draw =)

Violet

Violet’s outfit is already suited for fall

So I was like let's just add to it!

I like cardigans a lot so violet get’s a cardigan!!

I also gave her age up design a cardigan so I felt it made sense!

I also gave her age up a long pleated skirt so to not make it too similar I made it a short pleated skirt!!

Boyd

Whoops made Boyd really tall in comparison for some reason but let’s not worry about that!!

I literally just gave him long sleeve versions of his actual outfit

0 other changes

I’m not sure it seems practical since it’s getting a little cooler!!

Boyd already has a nice fall color scheme so I didn’t really need to change much!

Gosalyn

I’m still getting a hang of drawing Gosalyn

Sorry this one’s so wonky I just didn’t have time to do another

Gosalyn also falls under the “this outfit is already perfect for fall” category

So I was thinking and her original jacket’s green right? What else is green? Leaves. What color do leaves turn in fall? Orange.

Hence the orange flannel!!

Flannel is also very fall so I needed it somewhere!

So I changed her jacket to orange flannel and her shoes to match!

Purple and orange is also a halloweeny color scheme so there’s that too!

Okay that’s all I have! Thanks for reading if you made it this far!! See y’all tomorrow!! :D

#ducktober2020 #ducktober #huey duck #dewey duck #louie duck #webby vanderquack #lena sabrewing #violet sabrewing #boyd gearloose #gosalyn mallard #my art stuff #Webby's my favorite dont @ me #im saying it again but this time in the tags #LET HUEY WEAR MORE PINK YALL #read the post you'll see when I said that :)#okie dokie I'll go now

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silvernmoonshipping-is-love · 3 years

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DrownedSilver Week Day 7: What If

WARNING: Hints of child abuse/physical abuse. Which should obvious, given the character(s) in question, but still. Stay safe once again.

‘How could you?! We gave you what you wanted! And you betray everyone?!’

‘I-I...-’

‘Try running, we will find you!’

‘Everything you have will be for nothing!’

The hand tightened around his throat.

‘You don’t deserve anything… And we’ll make sure of that.’

Ben shot up, panting from the nightmare, regaining his breathing. He puts his face in his hands, kinda tugging at his slightly too long bangs.

‘I thought I was getting better with this…’

How come that now that everything has been fine for so long, memories of his childhood; if you can call it that; reemerged stronger than ever.

Ben sighed as he calmed down, but still feeling uneasy.

He recalls his therapist having mentioned that anxiety may cause unpleasant thoughts like these to come more frequently. Guess they were right. That was an especially horrific nightmare this time.

So Ben stayed silent and brought his knees up to his chest, trying to tell himself how it wasn’t real. He kept staring ahead, the room being engulfed in darkness, so Ben instead turned to watch the sleeping figure next to him.

Because he was still there, alive and well as he slept peacefully, back turned to his husband. So was their bedroom with their figurines and games, Hibiki’s books and glasses still on the night table, his prosthetic legs besides them, even the box with cat toys. Though their two companions haven’t joined them for the night, resting in the living room or so Ben presumed.

It was calming him, no matter how much the words still lingered in his mind and he can’t help but smile as he kinda drifted back into the past.

“Um… Hey. What’s your name?”

Ben looked up, his hood and messy wavy hair covering most of his face, a pathetic attempt to hide the bruises, other than band-aids. He saw a boy around his age standing in front of him, eyes and hair a very dark brown, almost black, his legs being the most noticeable part as they seemed fake and like he had trouble standing upright. The boy looked nervous, but still polite.

While not showing so in his expression, Ben was surprised somebody even talked to him, considering he’s just the quiet kid hanging around by himself near the swings like everyday. There are many, surely more interesting, children around them.

The boy started again, going a bit slower: “What’s your na-”

“I heard you the first time.”, Ben cut him off, the boy taken aback, but gaining a wonky smile.

“Oh, sorry. But you gave no answer and some kids say I talk weird sometimes. Or too much and fast, so they don’t know what I meant. ...So you wanna tell me?”

Well, the kids were at least right when it came to the talking too much, but he continued to stay apprehensive, the grip on the swing tightening just slightly. “What do you want from me?”

The boy blinked: “Your name? As I said.”

“Why?”

“Because I keep seeing you around school and wanna meet you?”, the boy answered, moving aside to lean against the swing set instead of just standing around, “You always seem so sad.”

Ben was shocked, he didn’t even think anyone noticed him, or even would talk to him. Most of his classmates ignore him, calling him rude or even creepy.

“I’m fine by myself though”, Ben said, believing it to be true. He wasn’t friendless after all, and he didn’t wish for any more friends.

But he still lied about one thing: “And I’m not sad by the way.”

“Oh… I misunderstood then.”, the boy frowned a little and stopped leaning at the set, maybe now he’ll leave.

But instead he held out his hand to Ben: “Then I’ll just start. I’m Hibiki.”

Ben didn’t return the gesture, still too shocked and confused why this boy hasn’t left him alone yet. A part probably wanting to yell at him to do so, but another stopping him from doing so, yearning for this kind of bond with anyone.

“I’m… Benjamin.”

“Can I call you ‘Ben’ then?”

“No.”

Hibiki pouted, but then accepted it.

They started a; more or less one-sided; conversation. Ben learning way too much about one person just today than he wanted or expected. Like how Hibiki’s family moved here from Japan, some hobbies of his, how invested he is towards animals and how he dreams of having an own bakery or cafe one day.

Most of the time Ben only gave half-assed answers, yet Hibiki never seemed to have minded, while his classmates would have told him off for being arrogant already by this point. It felt… nice.

At one point Hibiki noticed Ben’s Triforce necklace, asking him about it, Ben too ashamed to say too much like usual. So instead Hibiki just pulled out his key-chain of a pink fairy looking thing, the left side missing an arm and wing, as well as the color fading away. He explained it being a Celebi from the Pokemon franchise, but Ben knowing way too little about it to understand a single thing being told to him.

And while it was a strange first encounter, Ben started seeing Hibiki at school or so more and more; Hibiki being just one grade under him; and slowly but surely warming up to him, spending away the days. As long as his parents and… ‘father’ didn’t interfere.

Then again… Ben wasn’t sure if eventually Hibiki would catch on, maybe he’d even join. For him surely. And then it happened sooner than expected.

“Ben… Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Silver.” A nickname Ben picked up after allowing Hibiki to call him just ‘Ben’ finally. Even if more often than not it annoyed Hibiki, because ‘The protagonist is named Gold, the rival is Silver’, but he refused to listen.

“Why are you bruised so often?”

Ben froze and sat up from having laid in the grass, staring at his friend’s worried expression.

“Do you get into fights that often? Do they hurt you badly-”

“No, I don’t get into fights!”, Ben said, a bit too loud as Hibiki flinched, “I-I mean… I get them… I… it’s from baseball practice, remember?”

“I never once saw you play baseball, you never tell anything… And I don’t think that baseball can leave such bad wounds…”

“I get hit in the face A LOT.”, Ben tried, looking around, trying to find any lie or explanation, not noticing how his hands started to shake, “It’s really okay, Hibiki.”

“Somebody keeps on hurting you, don’t they?”

Ben fell silent.

Hibki huffed, attempting to look brave: “Who are they? If they keep doing that-”

“It’s nothing… I deserve it anyways…”, Ben muttered. He couldn’t find anything anymore, too tired for it.

So instead he braced himself and told Hibiki. About his home life and… even the cult.

But he insisted Hibiki never told anyone about it, and he was sure it would be that way.

However just a few weeks later the police scanned the entire city, ending up at Ben’s home, arresting his parents, as others looked for any trace of the leaders and any still missing children. The officers tried to assure Ben that everything was fine now, but also tell them everything he knows that can help them. It scared him, everything fell apart, what if it had consequences? He could feel tears welling up, ready to spill out, but then felt a squeeze at his hand.

Since Hibiki told his parents and the police about it, he also insisted on coming to Ben and comfort him. And he held his word, as he gave a reassuring nod, holding his hand the whole way through as Ben gave in and explained everything.

And since then Hibiki never strayed from Ben’s side. Even when he was sent into an orphanage, far away out of safety with the cult. It was more difficult now of course, states away from each other, but they kept contact up as much and as long as possible.

They met again in a cafe, both grown up, having needed a moment to recognize each other. But once they did, it ending in a heartfelt reunion and looots of catching up. While Ben still had his mostly green clothes; as well as his now even longer wavy brown hair, securely tied in a pony tail now most of the times, due to it no longer having to hide his face; Hibiki changed remarkably.

He’s grown way taller, having been slightly shorter to around the same height as Ben as a child, his hair being dyed a warm reddish brown, Hibiki mentioning he thinks of getting a new hair style as well, and deep red glasses on top of his nose. He became a real adult as Ben would joke, while he remained looking like a teen almost.

It was a joyous moment to find out that Hibiki had moved to a town nearby, meaning it was now easier to uphold contact for them.

The few years after that were messy, Ben’s study in IT leaving him stressed out, while Hibiki never gave up his dream of opening his cafe, so as they got closer started to live together in a nice little apartment. And from there it all came naturally. Confessions, dates, adopting their cats and finally Marriage.

Ben returned from memory lane back into their bedroom, realizing he started embracing Hibiki from behind, a content smile having stretched across his lips. Hibiki was always by his side, even through the troubles and fights and annoyances, mostly towards him.

Like how Ben still never gave up on his nickname ‘Silver’, or how he can’t cook to save their lives or him having refused to go seek a therapist the first few years.

“You worrying about tomorrow?”, a voice asked, catching Ben off guard as Hibiki moved to lay on his back, returning the embrace with one arm, showing him to be awake. Ben remembering that even Hibiki’s voice changed to a low warm tone.

“...No… Just a nightmare…”, Ben muttered as an answer, nuzzling his face into his lover’s chest, closing his eyes; wishing to no longer think about those words and pictures. “About back then…”

Hibiki looked stern: “Just to let you know, I never once regretted it.”

“I know.”

Ben sighs, finally looking back up, smiling: “But I’m better now… I just… started to reminiscence of the past a little…”

“Oh, really now?”, Hibiki chuckled, turning fully on his side instead to look into Ben’s eyes, them sparkling with curiosity to listen. “Like what?”

At least one thing from his child self remained within him.

“Oh, you know, just… back when we were just stupid kids, and how much had changed or not changed when we met again. ...Maybe I should change myself a little like you.”

Ben looked up, smirking: “You think colored contacts would work? And hazel or grey ones? Oh, do you think blond dyed hair would suit me?”

Hibki placed a hand on his husband’s cheek, caressing it with his thumb, cutting him off from his ramblings. “I think you’re beautiful regardless. Especially your eyes. I love your heterochromia, don’t hide it.”

Ben blushed for a second, but then rolled his eyes: “I know that, you sap. But just speaking.”

“Well then. In my opinion, I think blonde hair wouldn’t suit you at all. I can’t force you otherwise though of course.”

Ben giggled: “What, why?”

“I just can’t see it. You and blonde hair? Ugh.”

Ben playfully punched Hibiki in the arm, who didn’t even react to it, still smiling lovingly: “Much better now?”

“I suppose… I’m not… thinking of the nightmare anymore at least.”, Ben trailed off, “But I’m still nervous…”

“What if I fail the interview or… or the cycle continues? I’ll be like them, I-”

“Ben-”

“I can barely take care of myself, I’m not the kindest or so like you, what if I’m gonna ruin everything-”

“Ben!”, Hibiki finally got through as Ben looked back up, still in his arms.

“You’re going to be a wonderful dad. You wanted this for so long, didn’t you?”

Ben hesitated, but nodded.

“See? I know you’re going to love and care for the child the best you can. And if you’re nervous of being bad: Remember that you knowledge it and worry about it being the case. So you can’t be all that bad.” Hibiki pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “Because only bad people don’t care about the wrong they’re causing.”

“...How many times am I going to hear that sentence from you or Steven in my life?”, Ben joked.

“Well, until it is finally ingrained in your brain.”

Hibiki snuggled into his lover’s soft hair as he brings him closer.

“It’s late, let’s try and sleep. We’ll have more restless nights afterwards.”

Ben nodded once more, trying to fall back into slumber.

He does so, hoping the best for tomorrow.

#drownedsilver week 2021 #drownedsilver week #ship week #drownedsilver #fanfic writing #fanfic #fanfiction #creepypasta #gamepasta #gamingpasta #gaming creepypasta #pokepasta #tw child abuse #tw past child abuse #tw bruises #ben drowned #lost silver

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stranger-who-writes-fiction · 4 years

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Alright 5x19 let’s DO THIS.

(Warning: This will probably be long.)

WE BEGIN...by visiting Leviathan’s underground speakeasy.

The shot of Lex in the glow of the Kryptonite is great, 15/10 iconic Kryptonian Killer.

But SPEAKING of things that are green and bad...Gemma’s outfit is stage magician meets Mera from Aquaman and WAIT, WAIT, I’m just now remembering that the character in the comics was linked to Atlantis. Is that why they’ve gone with a green motif for her all season?

Probably not. Either way, still gives me knockoff Mera vibes. (*whispers quietly* I don’t like Mera’s outfit either.)

(I’m reading the Wikipedia entry for Gamemnae and did you know: she was exiled from Atlantis for being blonde?)

Anyways!

That’s just a very long-winded way of saying that the costume is kind of a weird choice.

Then we’re back in Kara’s loft and finally, FINALLY...someone tells Lena that there are BIGGER FISH, STOP REMINISCING.

And then the Superfriends arrive on the scene and they are ready to throw down.

Honestly same bro, same.

Also M’GANN IS ON THE TEAM I love it please, SG, please, hire Sharon Leal full-time.

What is the current door-kicking tally--how many front entrances have the Danvers girls destroyed?

“Well the joke’s on Rama Khan and his big dumb gladiator outfit because I already defeated him once.” THIS. IS. WHAT. I. HAVE. BEEN. SAYING.

THE COSTUME IS SILLY AND NOT IN A FUN WAY.

Leviathan just has terrible fashion sense, is basically the theme of this season.

Oh my gosh M’gann being the one to suggest the multiple Karas and the WINK I love her, I love her so much.

PLEASE NOTE: That J’onn was like ‘the skirt is surprisingly comfortable’ but his response to the pants is, ‘they’re gonna chafe.’

J’onn J’onzz, Skirt Supporter.

Then the Alex suit reveal and ooof, ooooof, probably the wonkiest of the scenes, unfortunately. (Can’t decide if I appreciate the effort of the CGI Alex or if it’s simply too uncanny valley.)

Also, put a pin in the Alex suit reveal. We’ll circle back to it.

(Oh wait and also: Kara’s scream and J’onn’s reaction all A+.)

Breaking chronological order here to just touch on the highlights and maybe discuss particular chunks in detail SO...let’s get right toooooooo....

Rooftop scene with Alex and M’Gann! Nice! But also I was like, ‘Alex just...has a bazooka? ...Yeah that tracks.’ And then I remembered that she has the martian weapon...honestly kinda prefer my accidental headcanon that she just owns one.

Then back to Lena and Kara and we’ve come full circle because folks...they figuratively flew to Luthor-Corp...on a bus.

Oh if only that was the actual goal of this entire plot. I would applaud it.

SG writers, always: REAL threats come in groups of THREE.

I actually don’t mind it. They aren’t given a big introduction and amount of screen time, so it’s pretty unobtrusive.

Then we get a Luthor-Corp lab scene AND a good look at Alex’s suit so LET’S CHAT.

Okay first and foremost: not opposed to vigilante Alex! Especially if it means she can work with Kara a bit more directly.

Love the color scheme! Love the hood! Love that the boots are no longer the stealth wedge heel but are just...heels. Good, yes, good! Also love that you can see it’s basically built on top of her DEO suit which totally makes sense, as...I guess Alex is building the suit mentally, not physically, technically, but she’d still be using stuff she’s familiar with to put it together in...her...mind?

I also think the top portion sits better than the DEO suit, which had that awkward...square-ish portion that covered the front of the torso.

But hmmmmmm the eye makeup is...a statement.

Confused as to why they didn’t go with a domino mask...maybe it was an actor comfort thing but HMMMMM not my personal favorite, admittedly. (Also don’t love the lace up look on the front portion but that’s because it’s reminding me of some of the terrible costumes from Arrow.)

And then the hair clip, which. Okay. As someone who has been struggling to find a way to pull back short hair during this time of no haircuts...can’t be mad about it.

In fact, catch me over here, taking notes.

Alright, costume rambling OVER sorry for the tangent but, you know. New super suit, it’s always exciting.

I like that Kara had to deal with not being able to be out fighting the threat! That’s a good bit of character stuff there.

“William went after Eve ALONE?!?!?” “No super hearing!”

“Please, be careful.” “You know me.” “Yeah, exactly, that’s what I’m worried about.” And then a HUG and they’re just the best.

Dunno if I’ve mentioned it yet but I love the effects they use for Gemma’s ‘true form.’ Very cool and creepy.

Does Andrea just...not question Gemma’s evil villain outfit...or...?

Much like Alex’s super suit we’re puttin’ a PIN in the Brainy plot we’ll get there but FIRST...

THE KARA AND LENA CONVERSATION.

Do I think it should’ve come earlier in the season? Yes! Do I care at this point? ...Okay, still yes! But that’s another pinned point I’ll get back to, right now let us just bask in the beauty that is specifically, verbally laying out all the CRAP Lena put Kara through, and Kara making sure Lena understands THAT is what hurt her, not ‘working with Lex.’

“You never understood.” BINGO. “I know I hurt you by waiting so long to tell you my truth but what about all the ways you hurt me?” EXACTLY.

“I made one mistake, one mistake that was only ever meant to protect you and in return, all you did was hurt me in every way imaginable.”

Then Lena finally apologizes. For, you know, the stuff that was actually upsetting Kara. So. We got there. ...Eventually.

Then it’s off to save William and he’s talking down Eve! We love a noble journalist.

Kara cauterizing the bullet wound and William being like ‘DO IT no wait DON’T DO IT’ and Kara’s just like, ‘TOO LATE, IT’S DONE.’

RETURN OF THE POWER RANGERS SUIT NICE.

And theeeeen a lot of scenes that are fine but it’s mostly just legwork to get us to the bigger parts of the episode sooooo we’re jumping to...

Andrea! Pleasantly surprised with her part in the action of this episode. Had that nice moral conflict we saw in the front half of the season. It’s a little crammed in here, at the last minute, but. Still enjoyed seeing it.

A personal quibble on the visuals: I prefer the simple elegance of the season one hope speech, (Just a lone camera, in a rundown radio station XD) but I understand they had to convey ‘scale.’ Still think it’s a little much.

Oh man, totally forgot to mention, loved Nicole’s line read for, “Maybe you should’ve been meaner.” It was GREAT.

So there’s the fight against Rama Khan and his buddies, and Kara’s trying to talk people out of a MMORPG, AND Andrea shows up ready to kill somebody.

The drama! The suspense!

THE SCORE.

I have another quibble with the cutting back and forth on the hope speech and it’s largely to do with perhaps inadvertent implications regarding who has to grow from pain and what pain in particular, but that might just be a ‘me’ thing, reading the scene a particular way, so I’m just gonna move on and say LOVE TO SEE A HOPE SPEECH.

Also:

Supergirl: “I believe in you.”

The VR peeps and us, the audience:

Alright time to talk about BRAINY.

Admittedly haven’t loved double agent Brainy, which felt more like a, ‘let’s add some drama’ move than anything else.

I do still stand by my assessment that Brainy being a few steps behind Lex made sense given his distress re: Nia and the Superfriends.

But also...was a little wild, IMO, that he didn’t have...some way to at least circumnavigate the radiation shield? Or at the very least limit it.

But again. DRAMA.

All that said...wow. Loved the two Brainys at the end, there. Genuinely touching.

“Will you stay with me?” “Till the very end.”

BRAAAAAAAIIIINNNNNNNNY.

How do you make another Luthor reveal work when you ALREADY pulled the, ‘It was Lex all along!’ like, twice before?

You MAKE IT LILLIAN.

Like, dang it, I enjoyed it. How dare you, SG.

But THAT’S IT. NO MORE SECRET LUTHOR REVEALS.

The terminator look and death shriek for Gemma was fittingly creepy very nice.

But also WOW, she never interacted with Kara. I am DISAPPOINTED.

So anyways, that second Lena and Kara conversation!

It was fine. It’s fine. This is fine. It’s...it’s fine.

(Except that it highlights a problem with the way this whole thing was set up and it’s not something unique to SG! It’s a problem I’ve noticed with a lot of redemption arcs--which seem to be all the rage, as of late--and that is a disproportionate amount of bad things done by the one character, and putting off the turn until like, the last possible minute to increase the drama factor and thaaaaat...is not a super satisfying conclusion because it’s a HUGE amount of build up for a relatively small pay off. Like, as Kara is listing the stuff that Lena’s done, it’s kind of a stark reminder that Lena physically and emotionally hurt Kara on purpose which. Is a glaring red flag. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be unpacked, maybe! Given some space!

Which isn’t to say that characters should never be forgiven, or that they need to be excessively punished. It just needs time. So saving the ‘redemption’ part for the very end where the characters NEED TO BE HEROES RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO HELP OUT it’s...hmmmmmm. Too rushed.)

AND SO, SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS, THE SEASON FINALE, AND THE SEASON AS A WHOLE:

Wow but I did not like the focus on Lena. Not fun. No thanks.

Which is only made worse by the trashfire that is the SG fandom.

Loved the moments of growth and agency for Kara, though.

Loved the big crossover! It kinda made for a wonky set up of Earth-38 plot vs. Earth Prime plot but honestly anything the writers set up in the front portion of the season was going to be at the very least interrupted, if not completely derailed simply given the nature of what they intended to do with the merging of the earths.

Like give me SG’s approach to handling the front half of the season over Flash’s any day.

Still too many characters! Still too much plot! Still weird pacing issues! XD

Forget it, Jake, it’s Supergirl.

Oh, honorable mention: The handling of Kelly! She was integrated so well into a nice intersection of plot points and characters that when she’s there to hack into the Obsidian stuff in the finale it’s like, ‘well naturally she’d be here.’ EXCELLENT WORK.

William and Andrea win ‘most improved over their intensely unlikable introductions.’

To be clear: I liked this season finale! And the fact that it all came together as well as it did is a testament to the skill of all the folks involved, considering the awful extenuating circumstances.

Though, upon further introspection, I think I really do dislike the CGI Alex. Too far into the uncanny valley, sorry.

IN CONCLUSION: Very, very sad that it’s gonna be a whole year, or possibly longer, before we get new SG content but, glad that the actors will have a little more time off than they usually might, and I’m all for holding off the production as long as possible, in order to keep folks safe.

WHAT are Lex and Lillian up to, like, specifically, and WHAT is Alex’s superhero name??? WILL the folks in charge of the new Superman show remember that it’s a Supergirl spinoff?!??! Find out NEXT YEAR only on SUPERGIRL! (And Superman & Lois!)

EDIT: I used the word ‘quibble’ twice which feels like one time too many, but also it IS a fun word to say. ‘Quibble.’ Ha. XD

#SG post #long post #supergirl spoilers #5x19 spoilers

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cuddliestbear · 5 years

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Okay, so kinda rant-y, scroll if you don't wanna read.

So, when I was 16, I was promised a sweet sixteen b day party at a roller skating rink. My step beast and sperm donor were going to send rsvp stuff via facebook to my friends' parents. Make sense, organization, figuring out who would need a ride who could or couldn't make it.

My b day was on a thursday so unfortunately i did have school. (Im in florida, no feb vacay 😞) but, the guardians in question said i could have the party after school and that they would tell all the parents such. I said cool and went to school on my b day. I was understandably excited.

I mean you only have one sweet sixteen. I had gotten a dress from Bealls that looked really cute for the day. (I was still genderfluid back then, but I wasn't allowed to wear a binder or even identify to anyone other than my real mom and fam and my friends. Otherwise I would totally have worn wicked cute suspenders and a button up, dress pants and a bow tie to be snazzy.) I had been good with my chores and not giving attitude. (For the most part) so, I was ready.

The day goes by, a few people wish me a happy birthday, but not one of my friends mentions seeing me later at my party. So I asked them if their parents told them about it. They looked confused and concerned, because they know how my 'rentals be. They texted/called their parents and none of the parents received rsvps or messages from the people who house me. So, now I am upset, angry and furious with myself for thinking I could rely on those people to be normal fucking parents for once.

You know, the ones that care about the kid? Not the ones who get your hopes up and even that morning swear up and down that they were going through with something and then not doing it. It's one thing if we couldn't afford it. They usually told me when they couldn't afford something. That's one of the only things they did right. Here's the thing. Idc if we were poor. Oh, well, I don't get a skating rink, but I could still have had a smaller party at my house or a local park.

That is not what happened though.

What ended up happening was me going home, and asking them what was going on and saying that none of my friends' parents got their rsvp. Or even heard about the party from their parents. They simply said they decided not to do the party because they weren't sure I deserved it. Pardon? I don't deserve to be with people who actually give a shit about me on my birthday? Really?

Anyways, so I go to my room, all upset and such, because come on. I am a sixteen year old who simply just wants a party, doesn't have to be big or expensive just SOMETHING. (I am 20 now and still not fucking over this bs, luckily I am no longer in their home and haven't been since 2017, sooooo.)

A little while later, my step beast knocks on my door then opens it without waiting for an answer, like usual. Rude bitch. Anyways, she comes in and tells me to put on the nice dress I got and do my hair because we have company over.

A last glimmer of hope that will be shortly crushed ran through me and I got ready, thinking that she invited my friends to my house last minute and a few were able to come.

Nope.

What happened was that I walked out of my room and saw my two male younger cousins sitting at the dinings table with little birthday crowns on their heads. Not party hats, crowns with plastic and fake jewels and "Birthday Boy" molded into the plastic with the color blue. Confused I asked what was happening and she said that my cousins love me so much they wanted to share THEIR birthday with me.

For one, it is february 19th, MY birthday, theirs are later in the month. So, she's wrong. It is not THEIR birthday today, it is MY birthday. And this may sound whiny and everything and sort of selfish, but tbh Idc.

Second, they love me so much? They are fucking terrible gremlins to kick and bite my little sisters and constantly break or damage things of mine with no repercussions. So, no. They do not LOVE me so much, they enjoy seeing me and my sisters miserable, thats what they LOVE so much.

I didn't say all of this, but merely pointed out that their birthdays weren't even for another week or two. Of course, as per usual, I was seen as the instigator. So, I was the one reprimanded for trying to make my cousins feel bad on THEIR special day.

What the ACTUAL fuck?

Seriously, she's going to keep going on this?

So, as I usually did, I sat quietly, stewing in my steadily increasing upset. They hadn't even gotten a cake meant for me or a cupcake or anything. No presents at all. Not that i give a shit about presents but no cake?

They said that it was because the boys wanted to share their cakes with me. Yes, cakes. The fuckers bought a 6 and 7 year old individual large fancy cakes and not the person who was actually born on this day. Let that sink in, okay got it?

What the fuck?!?!

I aam so furious and betrayed and upset at this point that I am trying tooth and nail not to cry.

Then, my angel comes to save me.

Great Tante/Aunt. (Tante is french for Aunt, this fam was REALLY into the whole calling grandparents and aunts the equivalents in french even though they knew no other words in french than those) she walked in with a pretty ice cream cake with pink roses and creamy white frosting with my name written in beautiful caligraphy icing in the center. It was beautiful.

Immediately, my step beast and step aunt started a fight with Great Tante. Evidently, Aunt T had texted Great Tante and told her about what my horrible family members were trying to do and came to the rescue with a present and cake.

Basically it went something like this.

The aunt who bore the two heathens starts off on my savior.

"How dare you disrespect this household by insinuating these things!?" Because Great Tante had pointed out that they've always been unecessarily cruel to me and the least they could do was throw me a halfway decent birthday party.

"Watch your tone, young lady." was all my saint of a great aunt-by-marriage said to this cow of a woman. The aunt gasped and turned red in the face.

Then my step beats stepped in again.

"That's because she's a spoiled brat who was so used to getting away with everything with her mom. That's why she has to share her birthday and a cake with the boys." She insisted, trying to prevent Great Tante from giving me the present and placing my cake in front of me. Then, my lil sister, we'll call her E, bless her heart walks into the room with the wonky looking stuffed bear I made for her and asks why everyone is yelling so much.

She runs right up to me and hugs me. Even if she's seen me all day, if she ends up in a separate room from me, she'll eventually find me to hug me again. I love her and miss her so much, I haven't seen her in over three years.

"Why is everyone being mean to my Jazz?" She told everyone sternly, stamping her little four year old feet and putting her hands on her hips. Now, because her baby, her precious darling has seen her show her ugly side, the Step Beast backs away and allows Great Tante to place the cake and give me the present.

So, I got to have my cake and eat it, too. Lol sorry bad joke.

Anyways, moral of the story is if you are a parent and you do THIS SHIT to your kid, you shouldn't fucking reproduce. I have years of mental abuse to account for several things like ptsd, anxiety and depression.

This is a relatively minor story compared to the multitudes of bs that they have done to me or to my mom over the nearly seven years I lived with them.

I may post more of the major stuff at some other point, but venting like this helps. Even if its been years since the incident. I know I am right to be angry and hate the way I was treated, but sometimes you have to hear youself say it or have others validate it.

#mental abuse #fucked up birthday #birthday #worst birthday ever #step parents suck

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tyranttortoise · 6 years

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Happy Birthday, Whisper!

Heeeeeyyy, today is @with-a-whisper‘s birthday, and I love her. <3 So enjoy a quick drabble. Most of it’s under a cut. I know mobile’s kinda been wonky with those lately.

Swapfell Papyrus / Reader ( SFW )

"hey darlin'. what'll it be tonight? another rum and coke, hold the rum?"

You can't help but grin as you slide onto the bar seat of you new favorite restaurant and prop your arms on the bar. You had stumbled across this place by accident one day, when you were lost on the monster side of the city and ducked inside to both get your bearings and satisfy your growling stomach.

You never expected it to be run entirely by skeleton monsters.

It had been an interesting evening, with enough excitement to bring you back on a weekly basis. Of course, besides the entertainment that came from their strong personalities both clashing yet somehow seamlessly working together, one skeleton in particular had caught your eye.

Rus.

"Not tonight," you smugly claim and pull out your ID between two fingers. Leaning over the bar in excitement, you inform him, "It's my birthday."

He plucks the ID from your fingers and studies it for a moment -- giving you a chance to study him. He wore a crisp, black dress shirt and slacks, though the top button of his shirt has been left undone and his sleeves are rolled to expose his forearms.. Both his suspenders and his loose tie are a dark orange, the same color as the bright embers glowing within his eyesockets.

His eyes flick up from your ID just in time to catch you staring, and his lazy smirk quirks up. "finally old enough by human standards to see my magic at work. congrats on another year of livin'." He hand the plastic card back to you, and you quirk a brow. That's a strange way to put it.

"Is that the monster way of saying happy birthday?"

"it is where i'm from," he replies simply, already in the process of gathering supplies behind the bar. "ok, i'm gonna go easy on ya the first drink, see what you like."

"I can handle whatever you can dish out," you reply in challenge, which causes him to chuckle.

"sure, but it's no fun if you're sloppy drunk off the first one."

You watch him mix the drink, his fingers deftly moving. He's wearing fingerless gloves, but from what you've been able to tell, the palms have a special grip to them to give him better grip on the glasses. It allowed him to do his tricks with ease; he tosses a bottle behind his back with one hand, and then catches it with the other, all without ever taking his eyes off the task at hand.

"Show-off," you mutter fondly, and he winks.

"whatever gets me tips."

On more than one occasion, you've come in to find money stuffed into the waistband of his pants or down the collar of his shirt. You didn't realize so many people would be attracted to a skeleton monster, but he draws quite the crowd -- especially on ladies' night.

As he directs that killer, carefree grin your way, slides the glass toward you, and leans in close over the bar, you realize that you're lopped right in there with them with wanting to jump his literal bones. A warm flush creeps to your cheeks before you've even had a single sip.

"it's a magic mojito."

"What's in it?" you question, picking up the glass and giving it a quick sniff. It's minty in a subtle kind of way. Upon closer inspection, you also realize that the drink is faintly glowing; at first, you had thought it was just a trick of the low lighting at the bar.

"rum, syrup, mint, lime, and sea tea. give it a sip."

Sea tea? You've never heard of it, so maybe that explains the glow. Holding his gaze, you lift the glass and take a long sip. You can't taste the alcohol, but if you had to describe the drink, it would be cool and refreshing.

"It's not what I expected," you admit as you lower the glass. "But it's tasty."

"not much alcohol in that one, but don't worry, we're just gettin' started." He smirks, turning to grab another bottle and then reach beneath the bar for more supplies. You sip on your drink, enjoying the taste.

He mixes two liquids together, pours them into another canister, and then tosses it into the air. It doesn't fall, instead levitating with a soft blue glow around it, turning end-over-end while he waves his finger in a lazy circle. Your eyes light up at the display; you've seen him use magic plenty since you've started coming here and watching him work, but it never ceases to impress you.

With a cocky smirk, he snaps his fingers and the shaker cracks open over the glass. The concoction inside is a swirl of blue and green. "murky waters," he clarifies as he pushes the drink in front of you. As an afterthought, he garnishes it with a little umbrella that doesn't quite go with the glass but makes you laugh.

You've finished your mojito, so you exchange your empty glass for the new one. "Yeah, because drinking murky water is really appealing," you quip before you take a sip. Something pops into your mouth from the drink and your eyes widen in surprise. Your teeth sink into it, and you realize that it seems to be a blueberry with quite the strong taste.

"you never know what's lurkin' in murky waters," Rus comments with an amused chuckle, watching your expression carefully. "in this case, it was a vodka-infused blueberry. that one's got echoflower wine and crabapple beer, mixed with sours."

You could definitely taste the alcohol in this one. Well, you did tell him to bring it on and step up his game. "Now you're just trying to get me drunk," you teasingly accuse, while he just grins and shrugs a shoulder.

"just doin' my job, darlin'."

"How long have you been bartending?" you ask, while you sip this drink at a slower pace than the mojito. You hadn't eaten much today, so your head is already starting to feel pleasantly buzzed.

"not long. jus' since m'lord wanted to open this place up." You quirk a brow at the term m'lord. You've met the owner of the establishment; he's a short skeleton with a loud mouth and an eye for perfectionism.

"A relative, right?" you ask for clarification. From what the friendliest of the waiters, Papyrus, told you, their skeleton crew consisted entirely of family.

"my bro, yeah," Rus nods.

"And you hadn't bartended before that?" You're surprised; he's a natural.

"nope. completely self-taught. guess it helps that i used to spend a lot of time at a bar. heh, only then i was watchin' a spider monster sling drinks. talk about a sleight of hand--she had six."

You'd like to see that, as much as the idea of a giant spider monster kinda-sorta creeps you out. "Do they still bartend?"

"nah, not here. they're a baker, i think. it's not far from here actually, so if you ever see muffet's bakery, head inside. though... maybe don't mention the bartending thing." Before you can press him as to why you shouldn't, he leans in on the bar again, and you find yourself leaning forward. Your second drink is half-gone, and you're feeling pretty damn good right about now. Why, you're not even embarrassed to be looking him directly in the eyes. His smirk widens, and your gaze drops to the eye-catching gold fang. Somehow, that glimmer of gold just makes him seem more appealing.

"I like your gold tooth," you blurt suddenly, catching him by surprise.

Woah, are you drunk? You're grinning like you're well on your way. You face feels hot, but you're not completely mortified.

Rus nudges your glass closer to your hand. "i'll make you all the cocktails ya want if you keep the flattery comin'. but i'm about to go on a smoke break before m'lord does his rounds. wanna come?"

One-on-one time with him without a bar between the two of you? He doesn't have to ask you twice. Nodding, you knock back the last of your drink and step off the barstool. The world lurches slightly, and your face tingles a little; alcohol always seems to catch up with people when they first stand up, you've heard. Rus gestures for you to follow him through the back, which leads through the kitchen, where an chef in a blue uniform is excitedly making entrees. Another skeleton, about the same build as Rus but clad in an orange chef's jacket. They both seem surprised to see you walking through with Rus--especially since you've snagged the crook of his elbow in your hand as he guides you through.

"RUS! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BRING CUSTOMERS THROUGH HERE!" the one in blue admonishes, though there's no real scold to his tone.

"sorry, it's a birthday tour. i've been mixin' birthday drinks, so i'm gonna take a smoke break real quick. didn't want my little human to get lonely."

The chef gasps. "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUMAN! WELL, SINCE IT'S A SPECIAL DAY, I CAN MAKE AN EXCEPTION!!"

"Thanks!" you call back with a wave; Rus hasn't stopped moving through, so by the time you turn back around, he's guiding you out the back door and into the alley between buildings. The air is chilly, so you find yourself pressing against his side for warmth. Thankfully, he doesn't move away. Instead, he just guides you to the wall and leans against it, fishing a cigarette and lighter from his pockets.

"I think you're the one that wanted the company," you tease, curling your fingers into the fabric of his shirt to warm them.

He lights the tip of his cigarette and it burns a dim purple. It must be magic, you realize; you've never seen any other cigarette like it. "caught me. i gotta admit, it's been nice havin' you come around so much. gives me somethin' to look forward to."

He's got a lop-sided smirk with smoke curling between his fangs that makes your heart race. You're not sure if he's just teasing you or not, but you take it as encouragement to rest your cheek on his shoulder while you watch the cigarette burn between his sharp teeth. It doesn't smell like normal smoke, either; it has an undercurrent of spice, which is pleasant in the crisp air.

"Do you smoke a lot?" you wonder aloud.

Papyrus glances over at you, the cigarette dangling from his teeth. He shrugs, though his expression morphs into a sharp-toothed smirk. "nah, that's you. smokin' hot."

You watch as smoke curls from between his teeth as he speaks, coming out in little tiny wisps. The designs it creates are mesmerizing.

"Yeah, right," you snort, though that flush is back to your cheeks. "What kind of cigarette is that?"

"it's not like the human ones up here. it's infused with magic," he explains. "it's not harmful like the human kind... though it's not like those hurt me, either. i don't exactly have lungs. doesn't mean you don't take my breath away, though." He tosses in a casual wink that has you blushing even harder and trying to bury your face in his shoulder. He only chuckles.

"...I'd like to try it."

His eyesockets widen at your announcement, and he cranes his head to get a better look at your face. "didn't take you for a smoker."

"I'm not, but... you said it's not harmful like a human cigarette, right? So what does it do?"

"hmm... it's just infused with magic," he claims, his index and third fingers coming up to cradle the cigarette between his teeth. He inhales deeply, then exhales a purple cloud through his fangs. "i dunno what kind of effect it'd have on a human. it's mostly just energy to monsters, but this kind is a calming energy."

"Well? Can I try it?" you repeat your request, undaunted, and unwind one of your hands from his arm to hold it out to him. He seems to mull it over for a moment, before he smirks and takes you hand in his, lacing your fingers together.

"ok. but let's make it interesting... and remember to try not to swallow the smoke."

You quirk an eyebrow as he takes in a deep inhale, then pulls the cigarette away from his teeth. He bends down, and his hand moves from yours to cup your cheek and draw your face to his. You can feel your heart hammering in your chest as your lips touch his teeth-- and he coaxes them apart with his fangs.

The world spins in a way that has nothing to do with the alcohol.

You feel him blow the smoke directly into your mouth, and you have to remind yourself not to inhale too deeply and swallow. Instead, you hold the smoke in--which tastes strangely sweet and a little tangy, your gaze half-lidded.

"now blow it out."

You comply, slowly forcing out a breath and watching purple smoke curl around Papyrus's features. He smirks, still so close that you can feel the heat of his breath fanning against your face. "well?"

You pause to assess yourself. "I don't feel any different, but it tasted nice."

"might be the alcohol." H e shrugs a shoulder, nonplussed. "wanna see if i taste any better?"

"Wha--" You barely have time to process the question before he drops the cigarette and grinds it out beneath his shoe, and then moves to slide one hand into your hair and the other around your waist, pulling your body against his. His teeth press back to your lips, which you instantly part in a surprised gasp, letting his tongue invade. The coalesced magic that comprises it tastes like sweet, smoky barbeque sauce, and it tingles against your tongue.

Your hands come up to steady yourself, gripping onto his tie. You've been longing for a chance to kiss him for over a month now -- but even with all the teasing and flirting that's gone on between the two of you, you never realized you'd be making out with the charismatic bartender in the back alley.

You're just drunk enough that you don't care; you're going to take advantage of the situation. So, you kiss him back with abandon, tangling tongues and pressing your body flat against his. You even stand on your tip-toes in an effort to get a better angle on the kiss.

Just as you've moved, pushing him so his back hits the wall behind you in a surprisingly daring maneuver (sober you is either going to be proud of that or mortified), you hear someone clear their throat from the back door.

You jump away, guilty, but Rus's arms don't move. He tilts his head while you hide your face in his chest.

"could you maybe not take advantage of people in dark alleys, rus?” a low voice drawls, and you peek to spot the orange-clad chef standing there with a sucker stem bobbing between his teeth. From his smirk, he seems more amused by the situation than scolding.

“where’s the fun in that, stretch?”

“i hear you, but blue said to bring the human inside. he’s got a surprise cooked up.”

Your mortification began to drain at the mention of a surprise. You pull back, and attempt to straighten Rus’s tie to no avail. Oh well. He looks sexier that way.

“thanks darlin’.”

Shit, you said that out loud. You’ll never apologize for speaking the truth, so you just grin while he ushers you back into the door Stretch is holding open. The other skeleton’s eyelights flick over you, and you feel like you’re being Judged, but Birthday You doesn’t give a fuck.

Inside, the blue-clad chef, turns to you with a broad grin. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUMAN!!” There’s cake and puppydough ice cream on the counter. The delirious grin that’s been on your face since Rus kissed you widens to the point that your cheeks hurt, and you thank the friendly skeleton and take a bite. Rus grabs another spoon and helps himself, too.

He elbows you to get your attention, and when you glance up, he’s leaned over, ice cream smeared across his fangs.

“want some, darlin’?”

You elbow him lightly in the ribs and keep eating, while Blueberry exchanges a confused look with Stretch and Rus gives you a shit-eating grin.

#undertale drabble #swapfell papyrus #rus/reader #birthday drabble #happy birthday whisper!#so i'm weak for bartender rus #and i remembered the cigarette shotgun kink -wink wink-#drinking age based on united states standards of the legal age being 21

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foolishly-fond · 7 years

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I was tagged by the amazing @smoljoly

1. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER SOMEONE?

Nope, but my middle name Eline is after both my grandma’s names

2. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

At my Highschool gratuation

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

Not really, it’s kinda wonky and irregular.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Lunch meat?? I usually eat a grilled cheese, is that okay too?

5. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

Yes I definitely think I would. That would give me to yell at myself when I get annoying. I also believe I am a pretty good friend :)

6. DO YOU USE SARCASM?

Either sarcasm or over-excited yelling

7. DO YOU HAVE YOUR TONSILS?

NOPE. It was my first time in a hospital. That’s when I realised I wanted to be a doctor.

8. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

Fuck no

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF CEREAL?

Honey thingies or cruesli

10. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES?

Depends on the shoe

11. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE A STRONG PERSON? Yes I do. Not physically though.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?

After Eight, Monchou pie and Cookie dough

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Hmm I never thought of this before. I have no idea

14. RED OR PINK?

Pink if I wanna feel cute, Red if I wanna feel confident.

15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE PHYSICAL THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?

The fat in my arms and legs

16. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING NOW?

I’m wearing a dress and no shoes, sorry..

17. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

A peach

18. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

The Wicked soundtrack

19. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Blue, idk why

20. FAVORITE SMELL?

Popcorn

21. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE?

My best friend to ask if she’d come to a party with me, so I wouldn’t be alone.

22. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?

Does reading about exy count? otherwise Handball

23. HAIR COLOR?

Blonde

24. EYE COLOR?

Green

25. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

Nope, but apparently I need glasses..

26. FAVORITE FOOD TO EAT?

Quiche or Pizza

27. SCARY MOVIE OR COMEDY?

Comedy, unless it’s an amazing horrorfilm

28. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

Jongens again

29. WHAT COLOR OF SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Still wearing a dress..

30. SUMMER OR WINTER

Summer

31. HUGS OR KISSES

never had a kiss but hugs a great

32. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

TFC again, also Les Mis still

33. WHO DO YOU MISS RIGHT NOW?

Thomas, João and some fictional characters I’ve never met.

34. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Do not have one

35. WHAT IS THE LAST PROGRAM YOU WATCHED?

Rewatching Parks & Rec myself and showing my mom B99

36. WHAT IS THE BEST SOUND?

In les mis when the yellow paper gets ripped and the timejump is made, you know the one

37. ROLLING STONES OR THE BEATLES?

Beatles

38. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE EVER TRAVELED?

Greece I guess?

39. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

I can put my leg behind my head??

40. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? The Netherlands

So @beatlemaniacinthetardis, @backseatofthetourbus, @icecream-in-a-bowl, @fandomsareaddictions, @sleepwalkwith-me if you wanna do this as wel you can! Don’t feel obligated.

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ryderdolittle-blog · 7 years

Text

A Turtle, a Hare, and a Lioness

Who: Mason McCarthy and Ryder Lynn, with Margaret McCarthy

Where: The McCarthy Compound

When: Morning in the Pacific timezone

Why: Mason takes Ryder out to his family’s Compound to receive an apology from Margaret McCarthy on behalf of her husband. Mason gets a surprise from his mother, while Ryder mainly tries to act normal and not nervous.

Mason had rolled out of bed at seven A.M, his time, just to try and get finish getting ready for Ryder's arrival. With everything else - new year's, Sebastian's visit to the Compound, preparation for the McCarthy Yule Ball - he'd hardly had time to overanalyze. After a quick breakfast and a quick double-check of the satellite house his mother has insisted on him preparing for Ryder 'just in case', it was nearly time. He knelt down to Sabia as he approached the family portal, scratching behind her ears. "Now, Ryder understands you, Sabia Ríoghnach McCarthy." She flicked an ear and yawned. "So please be nice. Today will be hard enough without having to explain that my familiar is still holding a grudge." Mason rested his head against hers for a moment, let her nose at his cheek, and then stood, smoothed his shirt and his jeans, and stepped through the portal back to school. He glanced at his watch - he was right on time, for once in his life...

Ryder As soon as Ryder woke up, he went back to listening to articles about the McCarthy parents. His nerves were evident, especially to his empath roommate. After changing into a button up shirt and a nice pair of pants, Ryder grabbed his coat and headed out to meet Mason at the portals. “Don’t be nervous. This’ll be fine. Mason will be there. They might even be nice and not totally intimidating like every picture makes them look,” Ryder muttered to himself along the way. When he reached the portals, he saw Mason waiting and waved his hand. “Hey,” he greeted. “Sorry I’m a little late, I couldn’t decide if I needed to wear a tie or not,” he admitted, fixing his hair with his hand.

Mason smiled, shaking his head. "Nah, man, you look fine. Great, even. No tie necessary. My mom's not a big fan of unnecessary formality," he explained. He took a breath, battled down the urge to try and get Ryder to just forget the whole thing, and plastered a smile to his face. "It's gonna be fine." He was trying to convince himself as much as he was Ryder. There was no use lollygagging, though, it would just make them more nervous, so he turned and reactivated the portal. He stepped through and rejoined Sabia, a stern behave sent her way as Ryder followed him. "Welcome to The Compound."

Ryder took in Mason’s body language, noting the fake smile and the way he lied with his reassurance. “Right, it’ll be fine,” he repeated. He stepped through the portal after Mason, inhaling the forest air with a deep breath. “Woah,” he breathed out as he took it all in. It was like its own mini campus. Ryder looked to Sabia and cocked his head curiously like a canine would. “Hello,” he said, rolling his shoulders back to stand up straight.

Mason Sabia flicked her ear - she has never spoken to a witch other than her own. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, but her pup had told her to be nice. 'Hello.' she answered evenly, a soft little growl of a noise. She stood up and approached him, sniffing him cautiously. He smelled like many other animals, which confused her, but he smelled nervous, too, so she decided to simply circle him once and return to Mason's side. "This is Sabia," Mason said, absently scratching behind her ear. "C'mon. We can take the long way." Mason smiled, a realer smile now that he was home. It was happening, and there was nothing he could do to stop it, so he might as well enjoy it. "If you have stuff," Mason said as they began walking on a wooded path. "We can drop it off on the way," Mason said, nodding to one of the tiny satellite houses tucked into the woods. "Yours is up a ways," he said, "and you don't have to use it at all if you don't want to." Mason tucked his hands in his pockets and tried to calm his erratic heartbeat - Ryder Lynn was here, at the Compound, and his brain couldn't quite comprehend it, even with him standing right next to him. "The portal's the most direct way in and out," Mason said, "'cause we have wardwalls at our property line. That's how we had to bring Quinn in."

Ryder “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sabia,” he said before focusing back on Mason. “The long way sounds good to me,” he chuckled. He moved so that he could walk side by side with Mason. As he listened closely, he could hear the birds calling to each other and singing. “I’ve just brought myself,” he shrugged, hoping that was fine. Shit, maybe he should’ve brought a gift or something. But no, he was here for an apology. “Quinn was here too?” he asked, surprised.

Mason "Yeah," Mason said, smile turning a little softer. "Three whole days. Can you believe that?" He could tell so few people about his relationship with Quinn - he couldn't help it. "It was kinda the best Yulemas gift ever, honestly." He shook his head, refocusing, though his smile was still in place. "The house might be kinda chaotic. More chaotic than usual," Mason warned, "'Cause we're getting ready for this end of Yule party we have? So don't be freaked if it's kinda loud, but once you're--we're--in with Margaret that won't hardly matter." Mason shrugged one shoulder. He came to a stop at the crest of a hill - he could see the main house from here, but it was still quiet enough that he could pretend they were in the middle of nowhere. He looked from the house to Ryder; he hesitated for only a moment before he nudged Ryder's arm with his. "It really is gonna be fine, Ry. I promise."

Ryder “That’s great, Mase. I’m glad you were able to bring her out here,” he said. When he looked around, it was hard to imagine Quinn here but he had a feeling that she had loved the trip. “I can handle a little chaos,” he nodded. As they reached the crest, Ryder looked out over the expanse of the compound before them. He wasn’t in New York anymore, that was for damn sure. In the back of his mind, he wished that Marley was able to see this. She would love it. At Mason’s nudge, Ryder brought his thoughts down from the cloud and looked to his friend. “I know,” he said. “You’ll be there to kick me if I say anything stupid,” he chuckled. “Or maybe Sabia would be so kind as to lend a helping hand.”

Mason "Hear that, Sabi? He thinks you're kind." Sabia chuffed at him. 'I do not have hands,' she pointed out to the both of them with a light huff. Mason laughed. "I'm not gonna kick you, but I'll try to...guide the conversation when I can." He started walking again, smiling to himself when Sabia darted out in front of them, chasing a chipmunk off the path. "Anything you for sure want to say? Or not say?"

Ryder “A helping paw then,” Ryder amended. “I haven’t really planned anything out,” he admitted. “All I know is that I’m going to accept the apology and thank them for inviting me out here. Is there anything that I for sure should not say?”

Mason shrugged one shoulder. "I guess the stuff you normally wouldn't say," Mason said, half-teasing and half-serious. He really hoped he didn't need to give Ryder a crash course in how to talk to adults. "Um, don't bring up the Puckerman clan, probably. You don't wanna get into Guild politics with her." Mason chuckled, then paused and looked back at him. "Unless you do. In which case...well, still avoid the Puckermans, but don't be afraid to ask questions, I guess? Don't get mad if she doesn't answer them, or doesn't answer them directly. My parents--they're big fans of the 'figure it out yourself' approach to just about everything." Mason smiled wryly; they were passing the training ring, the smith, the crafting center. In the distance, to the north, Mason could hear the horses whinnying - he almost asked what they were saying, but decided against the distraction, for the moment. The main building was closer now - Mason could see family members hanging extra lights from the tall trees that surrounded it, laughing and joking and cursing when they tripped or miscast something. "Don't let them pull you in," Mason advised lowly, a mischievous smile on his face. He moved his arm around Ryder's shoulders, a signal to the family to leave them alone, and continued, "Or else next thing you know you'll be placing bets on Kelley and Kyle's mud wrestling."

Ryder nodded as he walked alongside Mason. He really didn’t want to get into politics with her, but it seemed inevitable. Did Margaret know about Lynn’s Emporium? It seemed likely. His head popped up when he heard horses calling to each other, making him smile. When they reached other people, Ryder sent a friendly wave. “I’ll keep that in mind. I can only stay until about 2 your time,” he warned. “Then I’ve got to get back to campus."

Mason smiled as the hoarde of McCarthys waved back, though the blush colored his cheeks as they began heckling him - at least until Hal tried to whistle and dropped the log he was carrying on Ethan's foot. He shook his head, though a fond smile was on his face. "I'll let her know. I wouldn't--I can't imagine it taking that long," Mason added, opening the door to let Ryder in. He led him through the back hall - they had to pass the Great Hall to get to Margaret's office on the second floor, but Mason knew that the instant someone saw them inside, they'd either be tasked to do something or interrogated within an inch of their lives. The house itself was tall and warm, with a combination of flame and electric lights along the walls - for when the technology went wonky, they said, but Mason figured it was probably more for the aesthetic than anything. Along the wall behind the great staircase were portraits of McCarthys past - matriarchs all. Sometimes with their husbands. There was a place ready for Madison, but Mason didn't see himself on that wall - no place for the extra twin. The house was covered with bright Yule decorations, about half illusioned by Margaret herself, and the rest painstakingly hung by the family. Mason's fingers brushed along a trail of evergreen that someone had wound around the banisters, trying to calm his nerves. They were close now. Please, please, let this go well. "Mine and Madi's rooms are up further," Mason explained, mostly to fill the silence he'd accidentally let drag on. "The library's downstairs, past the hall and the kitchens." Ryder didn't need to know any of this, he realized dimly as they approached the closed office door. Shut up, Mason. "Y'don't have to call her Director," Mason added, glancing at the door. "Mrs. McCarthy should be fine. Ready?"

Ryder didn’t bother to hold back his awe once they entered the house. (Could it even be called a house?) But he remembered to close his mouth after a minute of gaping like a fish. Giant portraits showed all the strong women of the past who had lead the family and the Guild. Suddenly, Ryder felt foolish in his Walmart button down and pants. Still, he held his shoulders back and stood tall so that his body language would only read as confident. While humans didn’t always notice it, they talked through body language just as much as animals did. “I can’t even imagine growing up in a place like this,” he admitted. “I mean I literally grew up in a hut.” Something Mason didn’t need to know but Ryder had said it anyways. When they reached the door, Ryder quickly brushed his hands off on his legs before nodding. “Ready.”

Mason smiled a little wryly. "Yeah, well, sometimes I think I woulda traded anything for a hut." Mason ducked his head and didn't let the conversation continue - if it was a conversation Ryder wanted to have, they could have it somewhere other than in front of his mother's study. He raised his hand to knock just as her voice called -- Come in and Mason bit back a curse. Every single time. He opened the door and smiled a little hesitantly, letting Ryder fall in line with him. He automatically fell into the at-rest position, hands folded at the base of his spine, automatically stood a little straighter, a little taller. "This is Ryder Lynn," Mason introduced, without gesturing or moving much at all. "Ryder, this is Margaret Willow McCarthy." Mason swallowed and willed himself not to bend beneath the look his mother was giving him - he never knew what it meant, never knew how her mind was working.

Margaret studied her son for a long moment - his poker face was terrible - and then moved her gaze to the other boy in front of her. This was not a meeting with the Fabray girl; by all accounts, it was a meeting beneath her pay grade, and she was sure that most Bloodlines would have brushed it off, if indeed they'd cared at all. But this was different; it was personal. "So we finally meet, Mr. Lynn," Margaret said, standing easily. She didn't offer to shake his hand - instead, she moved over to her drink cabinet, looking over her shoulder at him. "Would you care for tea? Or perhaps something stronger? Whiskey helps the nerves."

Mason kept his mouth shut only through force of will; he had never been offered whiskey for his nerves...

Ryder saw the change in Mason as soon as it happened. His entire demeanor changed, making Ryder’s brow furrow. But he did what he could to fix his expression before walking in. “Thank you for inviting me out here, Mrs. McCarthy,” he said with a nod of his head. When he looked at her, all he could think was that she looked exactly like so many of the photos that high-profile magic magazines had published of her. When she offered him tea, Ryder smiled politely. “Tea would be fine, thanks,” he answered. “And sugar if you have any.” He knew from various cultures how rude it would’ve been to decline a show of hospitality. Hell, even animals knew that.

Margaret nodded and fixed it quickly, handing him the cup and saucer before gesturing for him to take a seat; she fixed herself a cup and briefly considered simply leaning against her desk - about as casual as she was willing to get in front of her son - but she decided that was probably too close for comfort for the poor boy, who looked like he'd been shoved onto stage without a script. Margaret took her place behind the desk, expression changing as her eyes flicked to Mason for the briefest moment. He kept his eyes fixed somewhere above her head, and he'd scarcely moved since introducing them. Good. She didn't want him in the room, but the boy did; how Mason could ever be something like a comfort was beyond her. "So." Margaret began, looking back at Ryder after a moment. "I don't know what my son told you, nor how he convinced you to join me today, but please know I do appreciate this, Mr. Lynn. I hope it doesn't cut into your winter holiday plans too terribly." Margaret stirred her tea, carefully considering her words. There were benefits to making it quick, to getting it over with, but...well, perhaps there was more to be gained than simply clearing her familial conscious. "Although I can't understand why you would develop feelings for my son," Margaret began, "the fact of the matter is that you did, at least until we made your feelings our business." Margaret sighed. "You must understand, Mr. Lynn, when it comes to my children, I believe that the best way for them to learn is to make their own mistakes. If they wished to touch the stove, I did not stop them - they would touch it anyway." Margaret's eyes flicked to Mason again. "As evidenced by my son's later indiscretion with the Fae--"

Mason "Marley," Mason finally ground out, reflexively, voice as hard as nails. "Her name is Marley Rose."

Margaret The look Margaret gave him could have cut diamonds. "As I was saying. We never should have influenced your relationship with my son. It should have been his decision to stand by, or not." Mason shifted slightly. Tense. Margaret rolled her eyes. "Oh for the love of the Aether, Mason Larch, relax, would you?"

Mason let out a breath and did relax, just slightly. "Yes, Mother. I apologize."

Margaret refocused on Ryder. "The fact of the matter is, Mr. Lynn, we apologize, for whatever...hurt feelings, for lack of a better term, our influence may have caused."

Ryder “Thanks,” he said, taking the cup and moving to take one of the offered seats. He really hoped that was fake leather beneath his butt. He doubted it though. Taking all the lessons he had learned from Grunkle John about how to deal with people, he did his best to appear at ease. He just raised the glass to his lips and mimicked taking a drink before putting it back down on the saucer. Ryder sat forward to place it on her desk then just as she began to speak. “Well, I gave up half of my last real day of break, but it was worth it to be out here in Oregon. And to see Mason,” he added, looking over his shoulder and wishing Mason would come sit with him instead of looking so uncomfortable. Ryder turned his attention back to Margaret. “Marley Rose,” he corrected at just about the same time as Mason. If she was going to talk about her, then Margaret was going to use her name. With the end of her apology, Ryder sat forward. “Thank you for your apology, Mrs. McCarthy,” he said seriously. “And for making the time to see me. But it was my understanding that your husband was the one who.. ‘influenced’ Mason against going on a date with me, not you. So I’m sorry, but I’m confused why you’re the one speaking to me.”

Margaret quirked her brow slightly - so he knew the Fae as well. Interesting. The name was scribbled in a book somewhere; she made a mental note to revisit the information she had. There had to be more to this girl. "I am speaking to you, Mr. Lynn, because my husband does not speak for this family. I do. Eventually, my daughter will, and her daughters, and so on, until we are all but dust returned to this earth beneath us. My husband, while a fine Slayer, and a fine father," was that a snort from Mason, or just a slightly louder breath? "is not a McCarthy, save for in name. He is unfamiliar with how we raise our children." Margaret paused for the briefest of moments. "And anyway. As a bisexual woman myself, the matter felt altogether more important than a meeting with my husband to discuss his failings, no?"

Mason gaped at his mother. Absolutely gaped. "As--what?"

Margaret quirked an eyebrow, a sly smile on her face as she leaned back in her seat. She crossed her fingers over her stomach. "I believe you were listening, Mason Larch."

Mason "I, no, I was, but--" Mason looked at Ryder, like he could somehow explain what was going on. "You--why didn't--"

Margaret shrugged languidly. "You never asked." She said simply. "Did you not think it strange I raised no questions when you called me about this one?" Margaret nodded to Ryder, still bemused. "Truly, I had hoped you would have figured it out by now. Perhaps that was a misplaced hope." As it so often was when it came to her son. "Please, excuse my son, Mr. Lynn. I'm sure, by now, you know...how he can be."

Mason was too surprised to even be insulted.

Margaret "Furthermore, I wanted to inform you--however moot the point may be by now--should you wish to..." Margaret gestured vaguely. "Have a relationship, with either of my children, we will not stop you. At least, not immediately." She added, with a wry chuckle. "You are all so young. The fun that can be had in one's youth can be the very thing that gives one strength in the later years, and while I'm...sure that my son has learned something from this...ordeal," Margaret said with a shake of her head. "I am not so sure that he couldn't have learned something from the opposite result as well." Margaret shrugged one shoulder and looked back at Ryder. "Tell me about yourself, Mr. Lynn. It is not common I have an unknown quantity sitting on the other side of this desk. My son managed to stutter out that you are an animal witch, no?"

Ryder “That’s something I’m familiar with,” Ryder said, actually smiling. “There were a few tribes led by matriarchs in Kenya. And they seemed to live in greater peace than the others.” When she spoke of her husband, Ryder came to think that their marriage had been arranged. “I suppose so,” he nodded, picking up his tea and actually taking a drink now that he’d seen her do the same. Please don’t be poisoned, he thought. From Mason’s reaction, it became clear that he hadn’t known about his mother’s sexuality. Huh. He turned back to Margaret and his jaw clenched at her insult to her son. No wonder Mason hadn’t wanted Ryder to meet them. He wasn’t getting any warm and fuzzy vibes from this woman. And then she was offering him permission to date her children?? WHAT EVEN WAS THIS?! He cleared his throat and set down his tea again. “Thank you, I guess, but I’m already dating someone,” he said, sitting back once more. “I am an animal witch. You already know I’m a New Age. Like Mason, this is my first year at NYADA. The first time that I’ve been in school for witchcraft. But it’s been a productive time so far. My friend, Elliott Gilbert, and me started a club for L. Naturae rights that Mason and Madison are part of. It’s called the LN Witch Alliance.”

Margaret nodded matter of factly as Ryder spoke - of course the tribeswomen were more capable leaders than the men. "It's no matter to me," Margaret said, waving off his thanks. Who Madison chose to spend her time with was a great deal more of her concern than where Mason was concerned, but even so - it wasn't as though this boy was seeking either of her children's hand or something equally absurd. Relieved to be off the subject of romance, Margaret nodded and took another sip of her tea, studying him. "I have heard of Elliott Gilbert." Had she. "Save me the soundbite, Mr. Lynn; what do you see this club accomplishing? Truly. Do you seek a position on the L. Naturae Protection Committee?" Margaret paused for a moment, tilting her head at him just slightly. "Or do you see yourself taking over the family business?"

Mason tensed slightly. Family business? What? Even if he wanted to stop whatever game his mother was about to play, he couldn't - his mind was still reeling, and he was a thousand miles away. "Ryder wants to be a Cryptozoologist, Mother," Mason offered, voice soft and hesitant.

Margaret "I don't recall asking you, Mason Larch. Mr. Lynn, I've gathered, is entirely capable of speech. Consider this your last warning before I remove you from my sight."

Mason "Yes, Mother." Mason's fingers curled on themselves behind his back, jaw clenched. Why, why, why did he have to open his mouth? Get a grip, McCarthy...

Ryder couldn’t help the smile that came to his lips, another thing he’d gotten from Quinn, when Margaret moved right over the LNWA. “I’m afraid I’ll have to cut our meeting short if Mason is no longer in the room with us,” he said. “But as for your question, I’ve got a few plans for my future. I like to keep my options open. For the club, I want to help increase the amount of freedoms the LN students have at NYADA. I’m only thinking about the school at the moment,” he explained. “And as for the family business, you must be aware that I’m the only… ‘heir’ who could take over. But my great uncle is in great health and his mind is sharp as one of your whetstones.” He looked over his shoulder at Mason, then back to her. “Mason’s right though. I have a passion for Cryptozoology thanks to experiences I’ve had at NYADA. I spent time with the chimera in the forest. And now in their new settlement,” he said. “Were you the one in charge of killing some of them?” he asked plainly.

Mason thought, for just a moment, that he read surprise on his mother's face - but it was gone a moment later. "Mr. Lynn, I should hope that after a semester at as prestigious a school as the New York Academy of Divine Arcanum, one does not have to leave the room to <<vanish from my sight>>."

Margaret As she spoke, a sigil emblazoned itself on the floor beneath Mason's feet, glowing with the bright color of Margaret's sigil. Mason let out a startled squeak - he was gone. Invisible. "Mother!" he exclaimed - he could still make noise, that he could see, so he closed his eyes; looking through himself was too bizarre, and he needed to focus. "<<I banish this illusion.>>" he said, imagining himself real and solid and visible, heard. It wasn't so hard - after all, being seen was all he'd ever wanted. When he opened his eyes, his body was exactly where it should be. Margaret seemed unperturbed; maybe even bemused. He took a few steps forward, resting his hands on the empty seat next to Ryder. He couldn't sit down, she hadn't invited him to - hadn't given him any indication that he could enter the conversation. Had in fact made it very clear that the opposite was expected. But he'd promised Ryder he'd help when he could. His hands tightened on the chair, and he didn't look away from his mother's gaze.

Mason "What Ryder meant to ask, Mother," Mason said slowly, "is for clarification on the Guild's definition of 'monster'," he said carefully. "Especially given that--that chimera don't come from the--"

Margaret "You do not need to educate me on chimera, Mason," Margaret interrupted, though without the level of venom her voice had previously held. She returned her gaze to Ryder, eyes glinting. "For the moment, I will look past your..." Margaret considered, a slight smile on her face. "bluntness. What freedoms would you grant the L. Naturae, Mr. Lynn? What protections for them and Witchkind would you have in place? NYADA has already become a great deal more...progressive, than it was in my day. It is out on a limb, and if it steps wrong, it may break. Are you aware that your club may be adding to the weight of an already fragile bough?"

Ryder clenched his jaw as he looked to Mason and then saw only invisibility. There were so many things he wanted to say at that moment, but knew it wouldn’t help at all. He had poked at a nerve. Turning back to her, Ryder crossed his legs and rested his left ankle on top of his right knee. “Should I do my own invisibility spell?” he smiled. “Or are we going to move on?” He inwardly relaxed when Mason moved closer and spoke, making himself heard once more. His smile grew at her avoiding his question, apparently that was another nerve. Then he fixed his expression once more. “You don’t need to tell me that as if I don’t know,” Ryder said, sitting forward. “Both me and Elliott were attacked on campus, and it would be stupid of us not to see the connection to the LNWA. But we both are going to move forward with it. And the first thing that we want to see is the freedom for L. Naturae to choose the classes they take and not be closed off to only the Naturalization program. Mason came up with the idea.”

Mason 'Mason came up with the idea.' It echoed dully - credit wasn't something he'd been wired to even think about, least of all to his mother. He swallowed back his surprise and nodded. "They're not talking about eliminating the Naturalization Program," Mason added, "just...expanding it. So that it's actually effective, instead of something to make Witches feel better about themselves. A Shedim learning how to do taxes doesn't have anything to do with helping them be a naturalized, effective member of society. It makes them angry, Mother."

Margaret studied the boys thoughtfully; it was perhaps the most she'd heard her son say about much of anything; furthermore, the suggestion that Mason not only supported but originated that sort of expansion was...both surprising and slightly concerning. She hadn't ever known him to have his own ideas about much of anything. "I was not simply speaking of the potential harm to your person, or that of Mr. Gilbert's person," Margaret explained, absolutely ignoring Mason's explanation - she wasn't the one they needed to convince in the slightest, but she supposed it was somewhat beneficial to have a lead on what may or may not shape their future. "I was referring to the harm to NYADA's person. But that is neither here nor there, I suppose - if you think you know what you are doing, far be it from me to stop you." There was a wry smile on her face as she leaned forward in her seat. "Has there been any progress made on your assault, Mr. Lynn? My son told me he was helping you, but was...purposefully vague about the details."

Ryder “I promise to keep that in mind as we move forward with the club, Mrs. McCarthy,” he said with a nod to her. Ryder relaxed a little and moved a hand through his hair. “On one of the attackers, yes. But not on the students that helped him. Then again, I’ve got the impression that they were working under the student who attacked me, Josh Coleman.” He briefly wondered if there was any danger in her knowing the name, but figured there wasn’t. “Thanks for your concern, by the way.”

Margaret "Quite." Margaret affixed him with a sharp gaze. Why children were handling this she was unsure, but the Director of the Slayer's Guild couldn't meddle in NYADA's affairs. Probably. "I'm sure the Security Office is working to find those who attacked you and hold them responsible for their reprehensible actions, Mr. Lynn." She was not at all sure of that; if this was tied to the LNWA, it was bigger than it appeared. "Do pass my greetings on to your great-uncle, will you? While, officially, I have never heard of Lynn's Emporium and Oddities..." Margaret trailed off with a faint smile. "Unofficially, it has provided several of my Slayers with unexpectedly valuable advantages in the past. Perhaps you will turn out similarly." Margaret shrugged. Perhaps, more likely, he would not - but she allowed the hesitant smile to remain on Mason's face all the same. "I must say, Mr. Lynn, I'm not sure what I expected to come from this introduction of ours, but...you may return to NYADA knowing that you've certainly...made an impression." Margaret stood and Mason straightened back up, folding his arms behind his back. "My son has prepared one of our satellite houses for you, Mr. Lynn, if you wish to stay at The Compound this evening. Good afternoon, Mr. Lynn."

Mason "Thank you, Mother," Mason said, vaguely amazed. Lynn's Emporium and Oddities? Just another thing on the long list of sentences that didn't make any sense, that made his head feel like it was going to explode. His mother wasn't straight. Ryder had told his mother Coleman's name. His mother gave him and Ryder permission to date--but Ryder was already seeing someone. Ryder was already seeing someone. Was that true or was he just saying that as a handy excuse to get Margaret to stop meddling? Mason moved back to the door and stood by it, waiting for Ryder to lead the way out.

Ryder shook his head and let out a quiet chuckle at that. “I doubt that, but we can hope they’ll get better at doing their jobs,” he said. He nodded at her request. “I’ll be sure to let him know. He’s got a fondness for loyal customers.” Not that Ryder had known about this but the discovery didn’t surprise him. Once she stood, Ryder did the same and didn’t bother to offer his hand. “I won’t be able to stay, but thank you for the invitation. I hope you and your family enjoy your Yule,” he said, “Good afternoon, Mrs. McCarthy.” With a smile, he stepped around his chair and turned to walk out of the room ahead of Mason. He didn’t stop walking until he was halfway down the stairs, waiting for Mason to catch up to him. “Dude, I almost pissed myself,” he whispered as soon as Mason was close enough.

Mason lingered in the room for a moment after Ryder left, half awaiting instruction or scolding; Margaret was already returning to her papers in front of her, like she'd forgotten he was there. When she looked up at him, her gaze was hard, though her voice was detached. "Well? Go." Mason nodded quickly and jogged to catch up to Ryder. He shoved his hands in his pockets to hide their shaking, but as Ryder spoke he couldn't help the half-strangled laugh. "You and me both, Ry," he promised weakly, shoving open the back door. He took a deep breath of the fresh air and instantly made a bee-line for Sabia, who was sitting beneath one of the huge pine trees, waiting. He knelt and hugged her to his chest, explaining to her in flashes what had happened. His voice was muffled by her fur when he spoke. "I'm sorry I couldn't--help more. I thought you did amazing."

Ryder moved to stay near Mason, walking out and back into the forest that surrounded the house. While he was trying to think of what to say, he watched Mason go right to his familiar. Ryder hung back and buttoned his coat back up around him. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m sorry for how she treats you,” he said honestly. “I mean - shit, Mase, that was just so rude of her. No offense."

Mason shrugged one shoulder, even as Sabia woofed her emphatic agreement. "Yeah," he said noncommittally, a slight frown on his face. He knew, he did, that his family wasn't like other people's. Rude wasn't how he'd describe it, but it seemed as good a word as any. "It's okay, though," he said, a little more resolutely, looking back at Ryder now. "It's not like how she treats me was--was the point of that." He rests his head against Sabia's for another moment, then stands again, shaking his head. "I don't...I don't even know where to start." Mason swallowed. It felt like his brain was on overload. "Do you still wanna wander in the forest or d'you just wanna get outta here? I wouldn't blame you," he added quickly. Sabia whined lowly, leaning heavily against him. "But--but things tend to make more sense when...when there's some distance."

Ryder While he wanted to protest that it definitely wasn’t okay, it was clear that that wasn’t what Mason wanted to talk about. He checked his watch and made sure he still had time to spare. “Just take me to see some animals,” he said, sending a friendly smile to Sabia.

Mason "Okay," Mason smiled a little, glad for the company; he started walking down a path in the woods. "The horses are this way, 'n' I figure some of the others will find us on the way." He stayed quiet for a little while, mind going back over the conversation. "You did really well, Ry." He finally said, voice still soft. "I'm--I was impressed. I think she was too. I could barely tell at all you wanted to pee your pants." Mason smiled a little.

Ryder followed along beside Mason with his hands in his pockets. His thoughts were back on the conversation he’d just had and all the questions that had come from it. It still confused him why she had asked certain things. But now it made sense why Grunkle John had been okay with him going. “Really? That’s a relief,” he said with a laugh.

Mason chuckled and nodded. Relief was one of the many things he was feeling. "I can't believe....Well, I can't believe a lot of things that just happened." Mason ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. After a moment of hesitation, Mason decided any attempt to be subtle was just not going to work. "Are you really seeing someone or was that just to make her drop it?" He kept himself from asking if it was a certain fae they had in common; if it was, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Ryder “I’m just happy I got through it without making her hate me. Or maybe I did and didn’t notice,” he said, brow furrowing as he thought about that. He looked over at Mason’s question. “Yeah, I am. I’ve got a date with him tonight.”

Mason "Oh," Mason said, nodding. "Cool. Congrats, dude. Have fun." He didn't say who it was and Mason decided to respect that; turtles and rabbits and the pack of sparrows flying over their heads, twittering to each other. Whoever he was it wasn't Marley, and after this weekend, that was relieving if only because it was one less thing for him to worry about dealing with. Any reason it might be relieving beyond that was...not the point. "As for her hating you or not..." Mason shrugged one shoulder. "Try not to worry about it too much, either way. If nothing else, she's got her...y'know, her hands-off policy. And better things to worry about. It's not like you have to worry about the Director targeting you personally for vengeance over a tense meeting that was about an apology anyway." Mason shrugged. "Or if you do, you know you have me and Mads on your side about it." They finally approached the paddock and Mason leaned against the fence - it was a ginormous, grassy enclosure, and Mason could see a few of the other horses grazing in the distance. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled long and high and sure enough, a few moments later, a black stallion came trotting over the hill toward them. "His name's Dubhán," Mason said, a smile on his face. "It means black in Celtic. I was not the most imaginative kid." Mason chuckled and brushed a hand down Dubhán's neck. "I might not know how to drive a car without crashing or getting all the way off the road, but at least I can ride a horse."

Ryder “Thanks, Mase,” he said, deciding to leave off who it was. Besides, he knew that Mason only wanted to know that it wasn’t Marley. “I don’t really care if she does hate me or not. I just figure it would’ve been a lot tenser in that room if she had.” And he didn’t like it when people hated him while barely knowing him. When they reached the horses, Ryder rested his hands on the fence. He’d always liked horses, how intuitive they were. He held his hand out and let Dubhán get used to his scent. “Hello,” he greeted in horse, moving his head. After a short conversation that was mainly done through small movements and huffs of breath, Ryder turned back to Mason. “He’s a great horse,” he complimented with a smile. “And a happy one."

Mason rested his head on his hand as Ryder talked--was that the right word?--with his horse. Man, that was so cool. "Well, good. If I could bring him to school with me I would, but Spence had enough trouble handling Sabia. I don't think he'd be too wild about a horse bunking up." Mason laughed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks," Mason said after letting out a breath. "I mean. For, like." Mason brushed his fingers along the woodgrain of the fence, cleared his throat, and tried again. "I don't know if my mother cares about whether or not I'm in the LNWA or whether or not I have ideas that make sense to other people or...if she has other more important things to worry about," Mason said, still mostly addressing the fence. "But. It was nice. It was nice of you to--say that stuff. About me, to her." Mason glanced up at him and offered a little smile. "So. Thanks."

Ryder climbed up onto the first wrung of the fence and reached his hand out to stroke along Dubhán’s neck. When he looked out at the other horses, he felt at peace again despite the stress of the conversation. Once Mason explained what he meant, Ryder smiled back at him. “You’re welcome,” he said. He stepped back down and dusted off his hands. “I’m actually glad I came out here. I wasn’t sure if I would be, but it was worth the trip,” he nodded. “And hey, maybe it won’t be my last time out here. Who knows?”

Mason couldn't help but smile as he spoke - he had no idea what was waiting for him back at the main house, how his mother was actually feeling, but he had to admire Ryder's optimism. "I'm glad you came too." Mason's smile grew, finding himself nodded. "Yeah, maybe," he agreed. "And maybe then you won't be rushing off for a daaate," he teased, stepping back from the fence. "C'mon. Whoever's lucky enough to date you'll be pissed if I hold you captive out there. The time difference doesn't include post-Margaret decompression time, and trust me, once you're back on campus, you'll need it." Mason chuckled and tucked his hands in his pockets. "Let's get you home."

#para #solarmason #p: A Turtle a Hare and a Lioness

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