Out of the Ash

Mayor Sylvia Fitzgerald Have any questions or concerns? I'm here to serve.

[norma-b-wiggins-blog]

They go to a nice restaurant for brunch, the kind Norma probably couldn’t have afforded if Sylvia weren’t paying.

Norma brings the pie she promised, so the conversation turns to baking right away, instead of slowly meandering to it, as it normally does.

“Norma,” Sylvia says, folding her hands on the table and looking at Norma seriously, “I want you to seriously consider opening a bakery.”

Keep reading

[norma-b-wiggins-blog]

She’s been on the phone with Sylvia for almost an hour when the conversation turns, as it always does eventually, to the subject of pie.

“I keep thinking about that pie you were selling on Easter,” Sylvia says, “You’re sure you’re not a professional baker?”

Keep reading

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

scaredandconfusedler replied to your post:What's your blog title from?

Ominous.

Thanks. I try.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

What's your blog title from?

It’s a line from my favorite poem- “Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath

“Out of the ashI rise with my red hairAnd I eat men like air.”

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

It’s a quiet bar. Sylvia would normally prefer something a little louder, a little more chaotic, but she doesn’t want to make Norma uncomfortable right off the bat.

Sylvia takes a booth in the corner as she waits for Norma, who shows up a few minutes later. Her bangs are pulled out of her face with a barrette, and a smart blazer with black jeans that hugged her curves.

She looks good, Sylvia thinks, with a smile like the cat who got the canary.

Norma sits down across from her, and they talk about unimportant things for a while- the weather, their jobs, and it takes a few drinks before Norma gets relaxed enough to talk about the thing that Sylvia’s actually interested in.

“Oh, I don’t know why I dated him,” Norma says, running her finger around the rim of her half-empty glass, “He had this sort of earnestness that I liked at the time. I thought it was refreshing. But he was just... I don’t know. He had, like, that self-centeredness that children have. Like no one else really mattered but him, not really. And he tried to murder my friends one time.”

“He did what?” Sylvia says, nearly spitting out her beer.

“I guess they covered it up afterwards,” Norma says, “But yeah. Ben Warrick tried to murder people. He stabbed SC. He broke my friend Emily’s wrist. I shot him with a crossbow.”

“You shot the mayor with a crossbow.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, though- I’m probably not gonna shoot you with a crossbow. Unless you try to attack my friends because you’ve gone like. Temporarily crazy and crowned yourself king and none of us will bow to you.” She sighs, and knocks back the rest of her cosmo. “He deserved it and I’m not sorry.”

Sylvia is quiet for a long time before saying a quick, “Wow.” She genuinely hadn’t known about that, and she feels like she should have. And maybe change what she thinks of Norma, if she could willingly and unapologetically shoot her boyfriend with a crossbow.

“So, The Once-ler, and then the mayor, and now the mayor again?” Sylvia says, with a smile, “Got a think for power, huh?”

“I’m not dating you,” Norma says, rolling her eyes, “Don’t be weird. And SC wasn’t all that powerful when he and I were together. His company was just a baby, and then it grew up and he got all powerful, and then we broke up. Think I can get the bartender to bring me another cosmo without going up there?”

“I’ll get you one,” Sylvia says, taking Norma’s empty glass and heading back up to the bar. She can almost feel Norma watching her as she walks away, and Sylvia smiles smugly, knowing that she looks good.

“So, have you heard about the new bill I’m proposing?” Sylvia says, putting a fresh cosmo in front of Norma.

“Yeah,” Norma says, smiling in thanks, “Saw it on the news.”

“What do you think?”

“I think you’ve got a better chance of making an actual positive change than Ben ever did.” Norma shrugs. “You seem like you’d be less easy for SC to manipulate you. That’s what he did with Ben when Ben tried something similar.”

“Well, you know the Once-ler better than anyone else I know personally. Any advice?”

“Uh. Don’t sleep with him?” Norma says, shrugging, “Pretty sure Ben tried to one time. Or wanted to or something. I dunno. I’d advise against it.”

Sylvia laughs.

“Don’t worry,” she says, “He’s not really my type.”

Norma laughs, too, and their conversation goes back to lighter topics. At the end of the night, Sylvia calls a cab for Norma, and Norma gives her a kiss on the cheek as she gets into the car.

[norma-b-wiggins-blog]

Norma nervously fiddles with the hem of her shirt. She hadn’t really been planning to call, but after talking it over with her mother and brothers (well, just Finn, mainly, as he was the only one that cared at all), she figured she should.

After all, when an attractive woman gives you her phone number, it’s rude not to at least give her a call.

Keep reading

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

How old are you?

...32.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

How long have you been in politics?

Everything is politics.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

What is your stance on lgbtqa rights? What do you think about what happened in North Carolina recently?

I think that what happened in North Carolina is disgusting misuse of the idea of religious freedom, using it only as an excuse to further oppress already marginalized groups. People like this are on the wrong side of history, and will not be remembered kindly.

As a queer woman- and yes, I understand some people in the community do not care for the term, but that is how I choose to identify myself- I obviously want LGBTQA+ people to have the fullest protection under the law, and every right that any straight person has.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

What kind of flowers do you like?

Lilies.

[unearthing-the-ghost]

some art stream sketches of @emily-zachariah @mayorfitzgerald @scaredandconfusedler

[norma-b-wiggins-blog]

A church bake sale wasn’t really Norma’s idea of a good day off, but it was Easter, and she had promised her mother. Apparently her baked goods had been greatly missed in the years she was absent, and if she didn’t come this year, there’d be a riot.

According to the sweet old woman who ran the event.

Keep reading

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

Clever.

Thank you. I am constantly seeking your approval, after all.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

They're a plague.

I imagine you’d know a lot about plagues.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

We're very interesting, and we're also his bff's for life. He says he hates us but he actually adores us and wouldn't get rid of us ever!

Well, that does sound like something he would do.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

I’m getting some conflicting messages here.

[mayorfitzgerald-blog]

Please ignore her, she has made it her goal in life to attempt to humiliate me at every turn.

Mr. Onceler, I cannot emphasis enough how little I care about whether your genitals work properly or not.

Although, I must say, you’ve made some rather interesting friends.