#b.musings

[containatrocity]

Earth Shatterin!

(Or, What the ContainAtrocity muses are up to post Event.)

DUCK has been restricted to bedrest and is doing his level best to recover, with his kids, Claire, Z, and Lucy visiting and sticking around to keep him company, he's gotten in touch with his hobbies a little more than he was willing to over the last while, working on a DND campaign, playing music, and getting back into his favorite video games on his dusty old playstation, to name a few. He misses work, and feels like a burden- but slowing down has done him some good. He can walk short distances, but this has to be supplemented with a cane and his knee brace.

RUSTY has similarly been forced to stay home, largely looked after by Sissy and Cyan, he's agitated with his inability to function as he normally does, making him more snippy/argumentative than he'd like to be. He spends his free time practicing his marksmanship now, much to the chagrin of his niece and Cyan, and has a tendency to push his luck, trying to go back to work, or make his way to help with Reggie's injuries.

ABSINTHE has found himself at a crossroads, untrusting of Raziel and his intentions for the commune he convinced Ondine to take Joei and leave for town, after coming clean about his true nature: He's Abel Fulci, an exorcist, a priest- a weapon, not an unfortunate wanderer. Temptation and anger paint his hours at home, and he's spending a notably larger amount of time at the chapel and the site of his fellow priests' deaths to try and organize thoughts- and avoid the ghost from their past.

CYAN Has been doing his best to restore the intranet around the town between looking after the Boone house and keeping Rusty from running off, and helping Sissy ready up for the winter. He has similarly been working on convincing G to calm down about the earthquake, when Unnamed Garage Band gets back together for a few hours of normalcy.

KB Has once again retreated into the safety of the radio station, but this fact is largely because his home was damaged, some structural issue inside causing the rune to be dysfunctional. As he tries to puzzle out what's going on there, he's thrown himself back into trying to integrate into town- terrified instead that he might die alone, instead of at all. He's returned to doing children's puppet shows and book readings at the libraries on specific weekends.

GABE has retreated into one of his his more harmful beliefs, that he is physically incapable of suffering any harm. He is regularly scratched, bruised, or banged up in various regards, largely from spills and foolishness he could have avoided. Despite this minor backslide, he's doing his best to help with rebuilding efforts, keeping in touch with the weirdlings, Unnamed Garage Band, and Declan between attending to the apartment he shares with Edgar and assisting his roommate with his recovery and looking after the rats, as his hands are still recovering.

MERCY Having a terribly out of character change of heart, he's thrown himself into assisting with the construction efforts around town, and has proven particularly knowledgeable about making the best of minimal, or damaged supplies. While his attitude seems to remain largely self-serving, the earthquake seems to have shaken something less cold loose within him- though navigating his grandiose demeanor and cruel tongue to find it remains difficult.

WREN has stepped into the Deputy Game Warden position to pick up the slack from her father's absence, and has placed her cashier position at the food market on a temporary hold- unless asked to fill in for a coworker. Still prone to overworking herself, she's managed to find a balance, though this is likely due to the constant presence of people in and out of the Romero house lightening her load enough that she feels comfortable enough to actually take some time to herself with her friends- or get some well-needed sleep.

ZIGGY has been assisting with efforts to rebuild, doing his best to attend to the minor issues of the townspeople that mean a lot- damaged belongings that can be fixed with a little care and attention. In the spaces between work, he's been visiting Bri and gathering the courage to ask Nattie to speak with him in private- rather certain he's worked out exactly who she is after their encounter at the festival.

OCTOBER has made himself comfortable at the Commune, using his stature and personality as a cudgel against people foolish enough to ask him to mind his manners or pull his weight. While he's playing along for now, picking up chores as required, he's grown to treat the common areas like his space- simply because no one in the commune is going to stop him. He continues to hover around Quinn- who's association with Raziel means the trio are often seen together- Much to October's general chagrin.

BUTTONS has resumed the roles she's always served, a quiet place to rest, a listening ear, and a problem solver. She has busied herself with providing care packages to the injured of food, sweets, and various other home remedies she can provide, and making certain that the mischief around the people trying to get better is kept at a general minimum. She continues to offer childcare services to those who need them around town, especially those with young children now working to help care for townsfolk, or putting town back in order.

LEX continues to be the town's cold, silent observer, judging and watching those around him operate. He has made it clear that his services are available to any suffering trauma in the aftermath of the earthquake or people possibly recovering from head injuries, and his touch is notedly gentler in the wake of something fresh. He continues to drink a coffee with a splash of milk and two sugars every morning like clockwork at the diner, and being a general miser.

ROBIN Romero has been tossing things into the big ol' hole in the middle of town. He's pretty sure he's worked out where the bottom is through science. While he stays a good several feet from the edge, his fixation on it seems to be to avoid his upset about his father's 'near-death' experience.

#d.musings #r.musings #a.musings #c.musings #k.musings #g.musings #m.musings #w.musings #v.musings #o.musings #b.musings #l.musings

[containatrocity]

THE DOLLMAKER: SIDNEE "BUTTONS" O'GRADY

She called me up at a quarter past three; "Big Sister, he hit me." Enough is enough, said, "Give me 15." 'Cause blood's thicker than whiskey...

"Hello there angel baby! I'm Sidnee O'Grady, but you can just call me Miss Buttons, everybody in Huntsville has since you were about a dandelion tall! Why, I'm 65 years old and as spry as ever! Been here my whole life long, I have. I used to own and operate the local toy store before the paradox hit, but that's been about a lifetime now, hasn't it? These days, I busy myself taking care of the young children around town. I'm a maternal type, that much you probably gathered, but I have a distinct lack of patience with stupid adults. My vices are simple- Beautiful women, and a vested belief that if Karma won't get you, Something- or somebody else will."

Name: Sidnee Lenora O'Grady

Aliases: Miss Buttons, Buttons, Sid

Age: 65 (July 9th)

Sexuality/Gender: Cis Lesbian, She/Her

Personality: A warm, maternal woman, Miss Buttons has built her reputation on the back of the archetypal kind southern grandma- an aging belle settling gracefully into her sixties, she carries herself with an overwhelming confidence in herself, well aware she's beautiful and brilliant and unwilling to compromise these facts for anyone else. It's her unwavering love for the most innocent among the people of Huntsville, the young, the abused, the 'odd' that has made her a fixture of the community- when blood fails, it's Buttons who's quick to offer those around her a home, no matter how temporary it may be. Always at the ready with tea, tarts, and a soft blanket, her home's walls hold hundreds of secrets tight- words whispered in confidence never passing cherry-painted lips to another soul. In a way, Buttons has earned her reputation as a witch, among those who take issue with her staunch sense of justice and loyalty to providing a voice to the voiceless. In others- she's just a sweet old lady, and the murmured stories of her knowing just the right way to make somebody's problems disappear are surely just that... Stories.

Occupation: Childcare provider, Seamstress, former toy store owner

Affiliations: She seems particularly close to Auntie G- But appears to be a free agent, beyond her general loyalty to the townsfolk.

Scent Profile: Sweet honey and natural sugars, dyes from plants and the homey, comforting smell of fresh baked pastries. Florals and turned earth, the sharp, cutting smell of various herbs and natural soaps. Light and comforting in a way that's almost performative- hot tea, bubble bath, and clean linen.

Aesthetic: Two pretty, shiny button eyes, 1950s perfection and red-lipped grins even a decade into captivity. She is not trapped here with them, they are trapped here with her. Gentle, pretty hands soothing scrapes and bruises, a piece of sweet candy to chase away tears, a stuffed animal well-loved mended with sure fingers and strong stitching. A gentle voice reading bedtime stories with a jeweled dagger tucked under her pillow, the nightmares don't come into her room when you run to her for solace- they fear her, as you fear them. Spiders and mantises in little glass containers across shelves, living, breathing decor, beautiful and deadly- women with a hunger for blood, and foolish men who push boundaries oft their quarry.

I don't claim to be a saint- But, no, it didn't feel like a sin. It felt like he got what was comin' to him.

CHAPTER ONE: LIFE IN HUNTSVILLE POST PARADOX

Calamity may rule the town she calls home, but it's done little to shake Buttons. She continues as she always has, attending kindly to the children around town and providing a listening ear and leaning shoulder to the young people who might need it. In the wake of murders, natural disasters, and the splintering of extremists, she's continued as she always has, a comfortable, constant presence with an unwavering will, and a lifestyle hinging on no small sense of personal mystery. This too, will pass, and even lying in a heap of rubble, it's likely that Huntsville will always have the heart-print dress clad presence of Sidnee O'Grady. Stepping up her care for the youth in town after the Halloween festival disaster if anything to give injured parents and grief stricken friends a little space to breathe, it's her vested interest in ensuring the safety and comfort of the children that's led her to start teaching other townspeople how to rear the plants she grows in pretty, perfect gardens year-round.

Salves and home remedies made from crushed, cooked, and blended plants, stuffed animals filled with dried aromatics to soothe away nightmares. It is the little bit she can do for the people trapped in town, beyond tea and a listening ear, and she remains willing as ever to take secrets to the grave. Though rumors remain about who's grave certain secrets may eventually lead to. In a way, she's thankful for her lack of employment, these days- the freedom to come, go, and do as she pleases has given her a number of interesting opportunities, after all.

#b.threads #b.aesthetic #b.musings #b.headcanons #b.music #Rip the Stitch; #huntsvilleintro