|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:51 pm
Dolls lined the turquoise shelves of the antique shop--each with flowing hair or threaded smiles, made of porcelain or plush. The bell tinkered as Ruthie entered, eager to add another stuffed kitten or bear or rabbit to her collection, sprawled across her pillows. She loved how they smelled of daisy and primrose after washing them, and the softness of their fabric against her skin. She often pressed her head against four or five of them at once before falling asleep, imaging drifting off into their imaginary animal kingdom, where no captain could hurt her. Her imagination became her only safe place, where she could block out the world, and pretend no one hunted for her blood or their vengeance.
She lifted a stuffed zebra from the shelf and ran a finger across where its right eye should have been. How sad. Maybe it fell apart with time? Maybe a child ripped it out in a tantrum?
How long had it been since she'd witnessed a tantrum? Years? People seemed less attached to cars, gardens, toys, things.
Stepping back, she looked at the shelves of plushies.
When no one wanted them, where would they go?MoonKitsune Hey! Please let me know if this works. <3
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:10 pm
elza magica It did. I just wasn't paying attention to notices.
Familiar with a few shops that had such items, he visited this new store and was in a row of animals were lined up. Past the bears and rabbits, he was in the zoo area where circus animals sat in various poses, floppy and in need of fresh stuffing, their outfits a bit threadbare here and there.
He picked up a carousel horse and checked the tail and the seam on it's stomach, moving it carefully as if it was made of tissue paper. He'd been thinking of what to give of something to give Billy or even a new project to work on. Billy liked that crazy show with ponies, but he also had a pet ferret, not to mention that he liked cowboys. That stupid hat showed that much. He wasn't sure just yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:12 pm
She noticed him when he picked up the horse. He treated it so gently as if afraid of breaking it. She questioned the care with which she treated her own things. He studied the fabric--seemed to appreciate it--though to anyone else it would be a broken toy, garbage, forgotten merchandise. Yet, it mattered to him--it could still fulfill its purpose. She smiled.
"A fan of old toys?" She picked up a stuffed red elephant. "Or just looking for something to repurpose?"
Sometimes, when she visited the shop, hipsters in orange and green and yellow plaid drifted in for the materials and fabrics printed on the stuffed animals. Imagining the seams ripped out and the faces undone made her shudder.
"Judging by the way you study that toy, you seem to know a bit about doll-making...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:30 pm
He hadn't expected anyone was watching him. Usually people moved around the shops, interested enough to come in and check all the "neat" toys but usually leaving soon after. Some took pictures, but most didn't want to buy an old toy just to look at it. A few older people came in to buy toys for their grandchildren or personal collections, but he usually was seen as peculiar due to his age and gender. Most teenage boys didn't enter stores like these unless they were looking for a sibling or girlfriend. It was a good excuse he used a lot, so when a nearby girl asked, he jumped and forced a nervous smile.
"Oh, no. No. I don't...dabble or anything. My.." Which one would it be today?" ...sister really is into this stuff. I know only a little from her and her ..birthday is coming up." Yeah, good excuse.
He delicately set the horse back on the shelf, careful to set it back in the same way it had been displayed. "I just looked up this store and thought there might be something he'd - SHE'd like." He flustered, actually here to buy something for his boyfriend.
He stared at her, tense, before looking at the shelves to avoid her gaze.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:06 pm
AWWW. HE WAS SHYYYY.
Ruthie laughed and smiled. She stroked her chin in feigned belief. "Oh yes. Your sister, hmmm?" She lifted the horse from the shelf and imitated studying it as carefully as he did, grinning the entire time to show her jest. "Do people always inspect toys this closely for their sister's birthdays? You must be a very considerate brother."
She set the horse on its shelf with a chuckle.
"WELL." She leaned forward to maintain his eye contact. "I think understanding the history and creation of dolls is extremely interesting, and I would be extremely interested to learn more about it if anyone happened to know anything about it."
She smirked.
Would he follow through? She couldn't tell. She hoped a little push would open him up, but the shy ones always seemed so difficult to read.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:42 pm
He looked at her, knowing that she knew that he was lying through his teeth. However, she gave him the illusion of a fake sense of masculinity, and he took what little he could get.
"Yes, my sister is very lucky." He lied again. His sister was nice, but she didn't care for dolls. "..and I learned a few things from her. I could...ya know, maybe answer some things. I'm not a expert." He wasn't openly an expert, but he knew a lot.
"I don't know much about dolls though. Just stuffed animals." He decided to clarify. He never saw any allure to porcelain dolls as they were a different medium, material, and genre of the whole antique world that he took a small part in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 7:15 pm
"Really now?" The lie persisted. A sign of modesty? She smirked. She grabbed a lion doll missing part of its ear. Its nose gleamed. Its paws danged by copper thread. "What can you tell me about this one, my not-expert?" She browsed the others. "And I'm looking for something too."
"But I'm afraid I'm more selfish than you!" She laughed. "I'm shopping for an adorable-squeeze-your-life-out plushie for the collection on my bed." She looked at him with great seriousness. "I'm a sucker for all things adorable. And roses. And chocolate."
She nodded.
Chocolate was good. Yes. All things chocolate were all things beautiful, amazing, perfect.
Could Ladon understand?
She hoped so.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 8:49 pm
He looked at the doll. "You wouldn't want to have that one if you want to squeeze it to death. The fabric is very thin and would easily wear down and tear if you were rough with it. It would need to be delicatly hand washed and set someplace just to be displayed." He commented. There weren't many plushies in antique stores that could handle tough love.
"Chocolate's not a theme you'll find, but dark brown is a common color. Roses are going to be hard to find for you. Most old animals were just dressed in vests and plain dresses. Roses weren't really done. If you want anything with roses, you're going to have to make them and sew them on yourself. That or make them accessories that fit." He had added clothes before when fixing stuffed animals, and had made a ballerina swan for his friend Paris.
"I've look for fabric that is rather resistant and not fraying. Attachments to limbs is usually easy enough to fix. Replacing ears is...a bit tricky sometimes." He said, pointing to the lion's ear. "A lot of matching colors and fabrics." And sometimes the new year still stood out too much from the faded, older materials.
He took a few steps to look at the shelves. He was still looking for something for his "sister", but also was looking away as he noticed he probably said a whole hell more than he pretended to not know.
"I mean, from what I hear ...from my sister." The lie was getting worse and worse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:46 pm
Ruthie snickered. This seemed way too easy. He spilled information carelessly, delightfully, ah yes. She smiled and said, "Well, thank you for that knowledge! Your sister must feel pleased to have such a great listener around." Ruthie picked up the lion and playfully thrust it in Ladon's face. "Rawr." She laughed. "Can you replace ears, stranger?" She set the lion aside. "Are you skilled at sewing? Maybe..."
Why did she only shop for herself? She had money. Why not buy something for Buddingtonite? Encourage their rendezvous?
"Maybe you could repair something like this?" She pulled a stuffed peacock from the shelf. "I know it's not super cuddly, but maybe you're right about buying things for others." She handed it to him. "And I could pay to you to fix this up for my friend who is legitimately a friend and nothing more?"
She nodded. Yep. Just a friend. That's what she told herself when she was with him. Always. Half the time. Okay maybe less than half. Okay maybe not even less. Maybe she never convinced herself of it. But still! She couldn't openly admit it. Not to her White Moon friends. Not to the stranger in the antique store. Only herself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 3:22 pm
Ladon looked at the lion and regarded it's ear, reaching out to touch it. "Hmm. Would take time to find fabric that matched. Aside from that, ears are rather easy if you can at least find some material that works." And soon she had a peacock in her hands, and showed it to him.
"Birds are harder. They aren't all just fabric but sometimes use either real feathers or fake ones. I fixed one for a friend of mine. He works as a dancer, so he got a swan for a present for all his hard work. He's....really into girly things." He admitted, not because of it being a stuffed animal, but for being a swan ballerina that wore a pink tutu. Ladon could have given it a body suit instead, but Paris didn't want to have those parts.
Looking at it, he turned it slowly in his hands, seeing that it really needed very little in repair. It had a few frayed spots that could be enforced a bit and the tail needed to be filled in more from loosing feathers, but it could have all those taken out and replaced with a fresh set of feathers.
As he looked at the bird, he regarded her words, and while he was rather oblivious to a lot of things, she had taken a lot to say they were just a friend. "Oh....JUST a friend. What does this friend like then? It's good to personalize gifts like these."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:05 pm
Ruthie nodded, studying the bird, wondering what he thought of, but his expertise seemed so far beyond her. She wondered how many hours he spent studying fabrics, sewing to achieve the care with which he handled the bird. How...insightful he seemed. Yes. He knew the feathers and the build. "Hey. Girly things are AWESOME." She laughed. "But then, as a girly girl, it's in my interest to say so..."
She blushed.
"UMM." Breathe in. Breathe out. "Um um um..." Laughter. She twisted a curl behind her ear. "You're so funnyyyy." She picked up an elephant and shoved it in his face. "The elephant laughs at your curiosity!" She waved it back and forth. "And he says that my friend's protective and funny and kind and maybe has a crush on me?" She pouted. "But is not sure! Because mixed signals and difficult circumstances are a thing."
She pulled back the elephant and nodded.
"He makes things...difficult." She sighed. "He seems to care! That matters, right? Seeming?" She smiled. "Still a gift seems good, right? Who doesn't like gifts?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 3:50 pm
He looked at the elephant and then at the girl. "I have a friend who seemed to care, but mixed signals made it rough to know if she even liked me. It...hurt a lot. I don't think she knew what she wanted now that I look back at it." He remembered Tate, and though she was in college and they no longer talked, his heart ached at the memory of how much he had wanted her. The way her hand felt on his, and sleeping over at her place to keep her company.
"You should make your feelings know. It will only eat you inside if you don't. If you give this as a gift, make sure not to say that it's just as friends." He offered her the bird. "Even guys like presents." Billy gave him presents all the time.
"I can help you with that bird if you want to give it to him. It should only take me a week to get the right feathers and patch it up. That is unless you want to give him something else." He then remembered something. "I'm Ladon, by the way. Um...you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:17 am
"Ruthie." She smiled. "It's nice to meet you Ladon. A week is good!" She laughed and scratched the back of her neck. "I mean--" It wasn't like Buddy was a captain of the Negaverse or anything. "--you're probably right it's just--" She sighed, struggling for the right metaphor. "--the biggest issue is that our families haaaate each other, as in they would probably kill us before they let us see each other."
Maybe it was safer for him if she let him go. It would hurt but...
"Sorry to hear your friend hurt you, though." She nodded. "You seem very nice, and nice people shouldn't hurt. That's how you make mean people."
She meant it, but then, she froze. Did the war influence her like that too? She hoped not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:53 pm
"Everyone hurts other people, even when they are being nice. They hurt people because they think they are being nice to them. There is no avoiding it. Being mean doesn't make you a bad person. Someones you just have to be." He checked the shelves, still looking himself for something to work on. "Doesn't matter." He said, his voice low. "...I found someone else." Someone better. Someone who would kill for him. Someone who would die for him. Someone who knew both worlds he lived in.
Glancing over to her, he smiled. "You're parents will not kill you. I've known people who have done a lot worse than just like someone, and their parents still loved them." He picked up a gray wolf. "...If it really means something to you, then it's worth the risk." He looked back at her. "You just have to make sure your parents don't find out. You're young. You're supposed to get in trouble." And it was harmless trouble compared to what he was up to most nights. It was cute and innocent.
"So, you should give me your number, and....." He really shouldn't, but he and Billy did have bills. "....payment?" Was it too much to ask this from a little girl?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:46 pm
The heaviness in Ladon’s voice totally escaped Ruthie as she thought of giving Buddy the stuffed peacock. He would repair it with the love and care of a thousand seamstresses, she felt quite sure, and the age would grant it sentiment. It was proud like Buddy. Beautiful like Buddy. She smiled—so lost in her daydreams that she almost forgot the divide between them. ”Don’t worry about money. I’ll pay you half now alright?” She purchased the little toy and handed him some cash. ”Thanks so much for doing this for me.”
She gave her number and gave over the peacock. ”This will be nice. Who doesn’t love gifts, right?” She stretched. ”It might not be enough to erase the feud, but maybe it’ll help.”
If only she could mention that in that metaphor, her parents would kill her, and then his parents would kill him because the Negaverse and White Moon Court wouldn’t condone fraternizing with the enemy, but it felt wrong to involve him in a war that left him innocent and optimistic. No, she could discuss her issues in passing or through metaphor, but at least, she could finally confide in someone who didn’t have any involvement with the Negaverse or White Moon Court. An outside perspective. Normalcy. Objectivity.
”And thank you for listening.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
