Thanks, Satan

Just Furthering the Plot || Rune

There's a sort of small, possibly sadistic, glee that Moon finds in Elsa being absent, meaning she and Ralph were alone. Then again, Elsa would probably encourage making Ralph squirm for a moment or two, but that's besides the point. Moon hands over the tray and walks by him, inviting herself in.

Besides, she'd been here before. Ralph was the new addition as far as Mena would be concerned. "Do you know when she'll be back?" Moon asks, turning back to look at Ralph, all smiles. "I meant to ask her earlier, but we were supposed to schedule another memory session. I think we're really getting somewhere--" she stops, shakes her head, still bright and cherry, "--but oh, you probably don't need to hear about any of that. Sorry, sorry. How are you doing? I haven't seen much of you lately. Have you been avoiding me?"

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

#moon #just furthering the plot

Ralph was just about to put the tray off to the side and bid her farewell when she moved past him, sending a chill up his spine. Oh, so this was how his day was going to go. Perfect.

He had to look in several directions to finally see she'd moved well within the cabin in the time it took him to realize what was happening. "Oh, not for a few hours, so..." It was the truth at least. He certainly did not want to wait here with her for several hours.

The news that Elsa's memory sessions were working made his shoulders relax slightly. Leave it up to Elsa to get him out of another bind, though she was already doing it well before she knew his significance in the event. They had chosen not to tell Mena, instead focusing on recovering her memories. If anyone could do it, it would be her.

But not right now. He shifted a bit uncomfortably, also moving further into the room just because he didn't know what to do with himself. "No, no, I'm really glad it's working." Again, the truth. While it was clear it wasn't bringing back Moon fully, it was at least a step in the right direction. He rubbed the back of his neck as her questions continued, outright cringing at the last one. "No! I've just been uhhh..."

Adjusting back to reality. The transition from Neverzone to Everafter had not been an easy one. He didn't really know what to do with himself when it wasn't hunting Hekapoos. Not that he could explain that. "...busy, I guess. Helping around the Ice Queen and stuff. You know how it is."

@menodoramoon

A Pinch of Spice || Staralph

stellabfly

She could already tell this was going to be awkward. Truth be told, it was hard to invite him into her home and play nice. For the things he'd done, and for the things she'd done that she had yet to tell him about.

One problem at a time. Once she got her mother back, then she could tell everyone what happened with the Commission. Which meant that all of this had to go according to plan, and the spell had to work and--

She ushered him into her house, motioning to the couch. "Have a seat," she said as she went to go grab her wand, a notebook, and a jar.

Stella wasn't the greatest at gathering Reagents that could be shared. Her wand usually stored them and she could use them from there with spells she knew and runes she had also loaded into the wand.

But she knew how to gather them the normal way, of course, she just... didn't all that often. She should have had Mim get this Reagent, but she was pretty sure Ralph would be turned into a rat and stuffed in a cage by the time that meeting was over so... this had to work.

"So, Ralph," Stella came back and took a seat, smoothing her hands against her skirt. "Why'd you poison my mom?" she wasn't going to tell him which reagent she needed from him. It would be better to watch him squirm a bit. For the spell, of course... not because she wanted to. "What made that deal more appealing than asking literally any of your friends for help?"

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

#stella #star #a pinch of spice

Ralph did as he was told, sitting on her couch. He almost took up the entirety of it despite being two people. Unsure what to do with his hands, he ended up crossing his arms, before realizing that probably looked too defensive and quickly uncrossing them. This was a nightmare.

She sat across from him and wasted no time getting to the point. Hearing it said so bluntly immediately made him tense, shifting against the couch cushions which were far too plush for him. As Stella had hoped, immediately reagents began to pop up around him. Uncomfortable. Fear. Caution. None of what she needed though. Very surface level.

He swallowed hard before clearing his throat. "Because..." He began, trying to think of the right words. "There's no helping this. It's who I am. And there are certain...things I can't disclose because of an oath." Of course, he had long already made this confession to Elsa. And it wasn't like he was going back to the mountains any time soon. This was for Stella and more importantly, Moon. He couldn't hold anything back.

Leaning forward on his knees, he sighed. "I'm a giant. Well, part giant anyway. I'm still way smaller than the real thing. And I'm not as strong as one either but I am way more than a human. I have been, my whole life. It's gotten me into a lot of trouble. Last year, when the cinema building collapsed? That was me. I did that."

Guilt. Embarrassment. Shame.

"And...I've hurt people," he confessed, unable to look her in the eye. "Physically. Usually on accident. But enough to hospitalize people. I make a wrong move and I could kill someone. That's the kind of thing that was going through my mind, every day, all the time."

@stellabfly

stellabfly

⛰️Icebreaker Aesthetic❄️

Like a northern light You're dancing over every borderline Passing every sign Between reality and fiction - Icebreaker, Agnete

@vvinter-queen @ralph-wreckin-reilly

#THIS IS SO GOOD AND CUTE!!#I LOVE IT TYSM!!!!#aesthetic

Just Furthering the Plot || Rune

Moon should be livid with him. She half-was and half-wasn't. It was hard exactly where to attribute all the types of hurt in her chest - what sort of pain it was and who was at fault for it. Not to say Menodora couldn't take some accountability for her own poor actions, but it certainly wasn't her fault directly that she was poisoned... though, she knew whose it was.

In a way, this hurt more. After the conversations they'd had - within dreams and not - she thought the two of them could have been friends now, and that their Mjaumen history could be brushed part-way aside. It seems that she was, once again, too quick to trust and too sentimental to be allowed to get away with it.

Still, for as much hurt as she felt, she wanted to know why. Why would Ralph do this to her?

Perhaps she should be more straight-forward with it, but she figures this was a way to go about it.

She's at his door, dressed exactly as she would be as Mena. Cozy turtleneck sweater and dark wash jeans and... flats. Which Moon has to admit were comfortable but she reaaaaaally wishes she'd be at least a little taller when confronting visiting Ralph.

"Good afternoon, Ralph!" She says pleasantly when he opens the door. To her and a tray of fresh Vanilla Bean Scones. "I made extras and thought you'd like some. Is it just you? Is Elsa here? I know she prefers chocolate but maybe she'll accept the offering if I promise her chocolate crepes next time, do you think?"

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

#moon #just furthering the plot

Ralph hadn't heard from Stella. He knew that she was working on a cure for her mom but he didn't know if she had tried it yet. He didn't even know if she had finished the spell. There were so many strange reagents that were needed and gathering his had not been a particularly pleasant experience.

Still, if she had done it, surely she would have told him, right? More of a happy announcement than a warning, though he'd appreciate that too. It was the kind of thing you'd want to tell everyone, he imagined.

So when Mena appeared at their door, smile on her face and tray of baked goods in hand, Ralph felt that immediate pang of guilt hit his chest. Interacting with Mena had always had a certain level of difficulty, but now it was downright painful knowing how much agony he'd caused to those around him. Everyone was scrambling to get Moon back and Mena was just here, trying to live her life, none the wiser.

Even now, she seemed so happy.

"Oh. Uh. Hey, yeah, it's just me," he said, forcing an awkward smile. "I'm sure she'd love anything you make. But uh, thanks." He reached out to take the tray from her. "How are things...going?"

@menodoramoon

A Pinch of Spice || Staralph

stellabfly

Things were weird.

Elsa and Ralph came back from their trial way faster than Stella had expected. Which was good, seeing them both safe. But there was definitely something off about them. Something had changed.

She'd asked Tom what he knew about the Neverzone. He said it was a weird place with weird laws--like laws of nature, not actual laws, he didn't think there were any of those there other than things like kill or be killed. He called it 'not a place he'd want to go', but he also told her she should ask them about their experience.

Stella would... later... once things were better and different and calm.

Right now she barely wanted to talk to Ralph. Unfortunately, however, she needed him.

If she and Mim were going to be able to break Moon's curse, they needed an ingredient from him. A dash of Regret and Remorse, and beyond the reagents, Stella just wanted to know more about what he was thinking.

She didn't hear him knock, but she could see him through the window, awkwardly trying to figure out how to knock. Finally she took pity and opened the door, looking up at him with one hand on the door, the other on her hip.

"Hello," she said, already noticing the nervousness dripping from him. "We're going to break my mother's curse. And I need some reagents from you to do it."

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

#star #stella #a pinch of spice

Ralph really wasn't sure what to expect from Stella. Their last conversation wasn't nearly as fresh for him as it was for her, but he certainly remembered it being painful. He remembered how badly she had wanted him to live. Well, he had. So now what?

Immediately jumping into things was exactly what he needed. Something straightforward to do. "Yup, absolutely," he replied with a resolute nod. "Just let me know how to uh, do that, and I'll do that."

It's what he had promised after all. While there really wasn't much he was sure he could do, if she said he could, then he'd do it in a heartbeat. It was the least that any of them deserved.

@stellabfly

A Pinch of Spice || Staralph

#stella #star #a pinch of spice

Out of all the disorienting things he had to face when returning to the Everafter, facing Stella was probably the hardest. Their last conversation was distant in his memory, an old promise to do better. But to her, it had all happened within the same day--the discovery, the hurt, the betrayal. It didn't matter how many years he'd had to reflect upon what he did, to her it was still a fresh wound, bleeding and raw.

After a terse reunion, he'd kept his distance. Of course he let her know that he would do whatever was needed, and she told him she'd hold him to it. But for the first few weeks, there was nothing.

Until there wasn't. Her reaching out to him was a surprise, one that initially sent a wave of discomfort through him. Good. He needed to sit with that feeling. This wasn't going to be easy, but he had to do it. Just like he'd bested the trial.

He stood outside her place, wanting to be resolute but finding himself frozen. He closed his hand. Released it. Closed it again. Reached up to knock. Hesitated and opened his hand again. Closed it.

Then the door opened and Stella was there. He knew she must have heard him coming down the hallway but he wasn't entirely sure she didn't hear the loud thumping of his heart. He quickly let his raised fist drop.

"Hey," he said after swallowing. "What's up?"

@stellabfly

A Pinch of Spice || Staralph

Sunk Cost || Scoff

scampcomehome

Since moving to Swynlake, Scott found his abilities to socialize shifting. He was still an extrovert, still fueled by talking to those around him, but he felt less of that rush to do the most. He used to always be on the move, always run from one place to another without the thought of slowing down, but that had all changed.

Scott now found himself considering whether or not the fridge was stocked and how much time there would be between shifts to grab a coffee with a friend.

Priorities changed, Scott couldn't have anticipated that.

Scott hopped up onto the counter, trying to be out of the way but nearby in case Ralph needed anything. Besides, he didn't have much going on today that would require him to leave the Lounge. The space was quiet, the soft sounds of moviegoers downstairs floating up to them as if from another world.

"Things are good! Business is lulled a little, that time of year I'm told. Lucky's busy as always and I'm trying to make sure he's using his off days well but..." Scott chuckled. "It's just a lot. Maybe one of these days I can convince him to do a group outing. Us two and then you and Elsa. Catch some dinner or something."

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

Ralph dropped to a knee, having to bend down far to get a look under the cabinet. He began to rummage around the tool box for the little flashlight. It had gotten to the point where he had begun to recognize equipment based on touch alone. He wondered what his father would think of that.

"But he's Lucky, yeah," Ralph said. The guy was pretty easy to read. Or maybe he'd just gotten to know him in the year they'd been working together now. Which was a crazy thing to think. A year and a half back in Swynlake. And everything that had happened in such a short time.

Finally, he found the flashlight and clicked it on. "Oh yeah, that would be nice." Then he paused. "Soooo does that mean you two are like...?" His voice trailed off and the light swung around as he rolled his wrist vaguely. It wasn't the kind of prying question he would normally ask outright, but he should probably know if they were all working together.

@scampcomehome

#scott #sunk cost

Heavy Lifting || Rare

boointhenight

Ralph yelled and Mary instantly dropped her side of it to come over to him. Shit. Shit! This was literally lawsuit in the making. If he wanted to, she was seriously fucked.

"It's ice first. Here, sit down, I'll get some."

She'd have to figure out a different way to deal with the achines which meant she was absolutely going to be stuck here late tonight. It was a bitch, but you didn't mess around with muscle injuries.

Deep inside, she could feel Cel roll her eyes, but she didn't say anything, so Boo didn't acknowledge it. After all, there was no reason for Ralph to be fucking with her. Right?

Scooping some of the ice into a bag, she wrapped it into a towel. "Here, put this on your shoulder. I can get that pizza started."

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

#boo #mary #heavy lifting #probably a good place to end and start something newer!

Ralph feigned pain as he sat down, gripping a shoulder that didn't actually hurt at all. With the care Boo was showing him, though, he could feel his gut twist in the same way it would any time he saw Mena on the street.

Lies upon lies.

It was alright, he had to keep telling himself. Boo wouldn't have wanted his help anyway. He likely would've broken the machine just like he'd broken her hip. He was safer to be around this way. He was able to be a better friend.

"Thanks Boo," he muttered as he put the ice on his shoulder. The warmth sapped from him and slowly that chill spread throughout the rest of the body.

Everything would be fine.

@boointhenight

[Read here]

Sunk Cost || Scoff

scampcomehome

"Root beer comin right up!" Scott announced, no hesitation as he went to pour Ralph his drink. There were two options, of course, between the fountain and bottled but he figured it was probably best not to use the fountain if the sink was being worked on. He didn't want to risk anything getting mixed up.

Cracking open the bottle, he made sure to set it where it would be safely within Ralph's reach. Trying to mitigate the possibility that Ralph could break the glass on anything.

"It has been leaking underneath which doesn't sound bad but it also gurgles and sometimes... spits up?" He frowned, not really having a better explanation for the behavior. "I don't like the way it seems to want to vomit on me."

@ralph-wreckin-reilly

Ralph smiled small as the bottle was placed on the counter. Scott was a pretty cool guy, all things considered. He admittedly was a little jealous of him at first, what with how close he seemed to Elsa, but it eventually became clear nothing was going on there. Elsa just had a lot of friends like that, which shouldn't be a surprise.

He took a sip easily, with the bottle not even cracking. Actually, the last few times he'd been called to the cinema, he hadn't broken anything. It gave him more confidence in his repairing abilities, even if they remained mediocre at best.

"Hmmm," he hummed as he listened to the explanation. Honestly, that was better for him than anything technical, which he had no idea was being talked about. "Let me take a look."

As he placed down the tool box and started to open up the cabinet, he asked, "So how're things here? How's Lucky doing?"

@scampcomehome

#scott #sunk cost

freebie! talk about anything you want, doesnt even have to be rp related. like if you read a particularly good book this year, would love rec <3 or need a 'dont get me started...' moment. or you dont have to reply at all <3

book rec would be Legends & Lattes as well as Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldtree! the first book is a slice of life about an adventuring orc who retires to open a coffee shop, and the second is a prequel about her time in between adventures and how it started her on the path she ends up on in the first book. i really enjoyed them! a third book is coming out and im so hype

don't get me started...did you know there's a musical episode of the powerpuff girls that is anti-communism? the music slaps hard, the villain sounds like jack black (but isn't), and it's an ABSOLUTELY INCOHERENT MESS THAT I HATE!! i always told myself if i do a video essay or powerpoint presentation it would be on this clusterfuck

its on youtube and no you're not missing anything in between these videos that's actually how the episode plays out (tw for flashing lights btw)

if you only have to listen to one song, i recommend "freedom beef" it's a trip

#scad says #thank you friend it was a delight

ahem. assign each of your characters a sims 2 neighborhood to live in

this is sooooo good omg

Devyn: Riverblossom Hills // can't you just see the morey cottage here? probably the most swynlake vibe out of all of them

Ralph: Pleasantview // he's got the big drama and secrets to be fitting in here for sure

Atta: Veronaville // i mean DUH

Ben: Strangetown // he definitely has enough freak weirdo vibes to fit in there, make an alliance with the beakers

Matt: Belladonna Cove // has a good mix of magic and modernity that i think they'd vibe with. plus they get to be someone's shitty apartment neighbor lmao

Bobby: Bluewater Village // with all the family members having their distinct talents, that feels like it would fit really well into hobbies!

Talk about Promised<3

!!!!!

you never really know what you're going to get when you pick up a wanted connection. like you have a vibe but its always a treat to see how they play out instead! i've been delighted by the dichotomy of what a loving husband gary is vs his ability and choice to keep this secret for so long. i'm excited to see the way the inevitable betrayal strains them and if that deep love is enough to heal deep hurt. its going to be a ride and im looking forward to it!

What’s your favorite mckala character 👀👀👀

I said Mu-yeol last year and I stand by it. I love my husbando but fairy dad and I have a lot in common and I always enjoy getting to read his stuff. Plus we love a punk rocker

scrapped plans, bonus for topic: time-sensitive opportunities (if you would be willing to take prompts)

Honestly, these are probably just events. There are so many events where I have ideas and maybe even start something, but then the week goes bad and it never gets off the ground. Something I'll be working on this year!

A few examples:

Countless Icebreaker dates in their fucking around era. Esp would've loved to do the Lantern Fest considering that was one of their first events reconnecting as friends

Would've loved to do more Chicago stuff, esp with Matt and the tech team. And Bobby getting his first role! It was supposed to be bigger than it was but I didn't follow up with it the way I wanted to

Definitely a couple of early events (Halloween, Election Ball) I had Atta at but didn't do much with her AND I dropped the ball on Christmas. I just think fairy learning about human holidays is such a novel concept and I gotta do more

I additionally wanted to have Ben scrutinizing the electoral candidates more and adding a bit of spice

There will be more opportunities and I'm determined to take them where I can!