i used to see, it felt so real. now i plead

sadie teague | 28 | bartender

[sadieteague]

⏾ “ my smile wraps around my head, splittin’ it in two. i don’t have a clue how i can keep the top half glued. “ ♡ˎˊ˗

SADIE TEAGUE ♡ based on: shock | from: the nightmare before christmas | fc. ella purnell

GENERAL INFORMATION ✧˖°.

(name) sadie teague (nickname) sade, sads (age) twenty-eight (dob) november 12th (zodiac) scorpio (species) half demon (pronouns) she/her (gender) cisfemale (sexuality) lesbian (hair) brunette (eye color) hazel (height) 5’5” (occupation) bartender/henchman (siblings) beckham & logan teague (tattoos) an open eye on the back of her left shoulder, a quote on her thigh, designs along her right fingers

PERSONALITY ✧˖°.

(likes) witty conversations, painting, reading, hot tea mixed with whiskey, flirting, cinnamon apples, petting cats, listening to poetry, dancing (dislikes) being used, loud cars, physical fights, crowds of people, being wrong, crying, women being mistreated, jumpscares (mental health) anxious, prone to bouts of depression (aesthetics) delicate tattoos, black cats, leather jackets, sly smiles, thick books, oil paints, quiet sadness, violins, shadows, secrets (traits) witty, prone to short but fierce anger, confident, loyal, backstabbing (to protect herself and her family), manipulative, intelligent (fears) losing herself, losing her siblings (hobbies) painting, dancing, reading

ABOUT ✧˖°.

biography

CONNECTIONS ✧˖°.

tba

[skellingtonisms]

———  to  say  he  was  shocked  was  an  understatement.  there  was  no  ill  will  held  on  his  end  for  the  teague  siblings.  jasper  knew  that  the  system  his  family  created  in  hallow  falls  was  doomed  to  fail  those  who  weren't  privileged.  if  anything,  jasper  felt  guilty  for  playing  a  part  in  the  torment  they  endured.  lumping  them  with  orion  would  have  been  the  easy  route.  his  conscious  would  be  scrubbed  and  whatever  hatred  he  held  for  the  boogie  man  could  bleed  onto  the  teagues.

but  it  wasn't  that  simple.

jasper  knew  they  were  victims  just  as  much  as  he  was.  they  were  all  puppets  in  the  carefully  orchestrated  game  orion  had  created.

distance  was  kept  for  a  variety  of  reasons.  the  biggest  being  orion.  jasper  was  sure  he  was  the  last  person  the  teagues  wanted  to  interact  with.  over  time  they  wove  in  and  out  of  each  other's  spaces,  a  dance  of  sorts.  never  fully  interacting  but  never  fully  ignored  either.

so  when  sadie  asked  to  meet,  jasper  was  taken  aback.  not  in  a  bad  way.  he  was  just  surprised  sadie  wanted  to  actually  speak  to  him.  for  a  millisecond  the  thought  of  this  being  a  scheme  crossed  his  mind.  he  felt  awful  as  soon  as  it  reared  its  head.  the  trauma  of  orion  was  a  wound  that  never  quite  healed.  it  lingered  in  the  shadows  of  his  mind,  tainting  something  as  innocent  as  a  conversation.  orion  had  stolen  so  much  from  him.  he  refused  to  allow  it  any  long.  he'd  proceed  with  caution  but  with  an  open  mind  as  well.

the  skeleton  prided  himself  on  punctuality.  his  duties  with  the  council  left  him  running  later  than  he  liked  recently.  he  walked  as  fast  as  his  long  limbs  could  carry  him.  as  he  neared  the  cafe  he  could  see  sadie's  form  begin  to  take  shape.  he  greeted  her  with  a  warm  smile  as  he  entered  the  building.  ❛  hello.  i  apologize  for  running  late.  i  was  held  up  in  a  meeting.  i  tried  to  get  here  as  soon  as  i  could  ..  i  would  never  blow  you  off,  sadie.  ❜  there  wasn't  a  malicious  bone  in  the  skeleton's  body.  he  was  going  to  show  up  no  matter  what.  ❛  oh,  splendid.  have  you  ordered  anything  yet  ?  ❜  he  asked  as  he  walked  towards  the  table.

[sadieteague]

"Yeah, of course not, I wouldn't- I didn't think that. I know you're...you stick to your word." Of course, she didn't mention that she had been trying to leave before he got there. Or that she had secretly hoped he wouldn't show. And she didn't continue speaking on it for fear that she would keep stumbling over her own words, which was, quite frankly, embarrassing. Sadie had always been so calm and collected, with that sturdy mask of hers, but in front of Jasper she felt bare, open, truthful. It was like how she felt in front of Orion except the feeling wasn't malicious, it wasn't like he was hungry for her to show weakness, it was just...unfamiliar. She wasn't used to it. She didn't even feel like this around her own brothers.

But still, she knew she was strong, and she had asked for this. Jasper would understand her point of view, in the end, she had to trust her decision in inviting him to meet with her. She had to tell someone or she would be torn into a million pieces. And she knew she couldn't tell her family, and she couldn't tell her new friend, and she couldn't tell a stranger. It had to be him.

"I ordered, yeah." She motioned towards the mugs at the table, and slid back into her seat. "I got latte's. I didn't know what to order, honestly, and I think I just wanted to hold something hot. If that's not your thing, I'd love to buy you something else." She took a breath, steadied herself. "Sorry, I don't mean to be all over the place. I'm...I've been a bit nervous but it's not you. I am relieved we're meeting. I know it was probably unusual for me to reach out like that, but just know I do appreciate it." Even if it terrified her.

[mavisvaduva]

open starter, location mun's choice. (0/5)

mavis was in her own world. she wasn't sure how to feel after her talk with logan. people were disappearing that was true. but, was orion really a big part of it... could she really not handle herself? she had to make money. she had to do something to provide. it didn't matter what he had told her. she knew the truth was money means food and food means another day. she didn't notice the other as she was deep in thought. she just wanted to go on like things were normal... or as normal as they could be for the underworld.

"huh?" she asked finally noticing the other's voice, "sorry-- i wasn't listening what did you say?"

[sadieteague]

Sadie hadn't expected to run into anyone she knew that day, and usually would have dipped away to avoid a conversation, but she had told Logan recently that she wanted to see Mavis more and, lo and behold, there she was. It seemed like perfect timing. She had no further plans, it looked like the other woman was alone and lost in thought, it probably wouldn't hurt to approach and see if they could talk. But, as she said hi, she realized the other woman was so far away in her mind that she hadn't heard her at all.

"Hello? Earth to Mavis." She tilted her lip slightly upwards, but concern was furrowing her brows. This wasn't like her, from what she had seen in the past. "I just...I saw you here and thought I'd say hi. Are...are you okay?"

[donniehamctos]

* // closed starter for ⤫ : @sadieteague

Donnie was early. Which wasn’t unusual, not for him. He’d arrived ten minutes ago and already positioned himself at a small corner table outside the cart, one foot tapping lightly under the table while his eyes scanned the street out of habit. The border between Elias and the Underland always made him a little more vigilant. Too quiet in some pockets, too loud in others. Reality tended to warp at the seams here. It was the perfect place for secrets and coffee.

He kept glancing down at the drink in front of him, a warm cup with a sleeve that had a hand-drawn sigil on it A second cup sat across from him, untouched and freshly made.

He told himself it was just good manners, ordering in advance, being thoughtful, but the truth was harder to explain. Sadie had slipped into his life like a puzzle piece he didn’t know he’d been missing. Someone who listened. And lately, that meant more than he was prepared to say out loud. It was strange to say, but she was a friend. He'd always had a hard time with that, after all.

“Hey,” he said with a soft smile as she approached him. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want cinnamon or nutmeg, so I asked for both on the side. Statistically, one of those was the right choice.”

[sadieteague]

Outside of family, Sadie had never really had friends before. There were acquaintances throughout her life, of course, but no one she had felt close enough with to keep around or got along with enough to be her true self. It was like she had to wear a mask every time she spent time with them, and it was so exhausting to keep up that she eventually stopped. And as she got older, was pressed under the thumb of a man who cared nothing for her, lost her memories and became jaded, she stopped seeking anyone out at all. It was too painful to lose them later, and why fill her heart with something that would eventually break it?

But Donnie was different, because when she met him, she hadn't put her mask up. She hadn't expected to talk to him long enough for it to matter. And they got along so well and so quickly, that Sadie didn't even have time to rethink it or second guess herself. Perhaps that was bad, maybe it would bite her in the end, but it filled her with such elation now that she couldn't push it away.

Still, she almost didn't show, almost got cold feet at the last second. Friendship was new to her, and she was terribly anxious about it. What if she screwed it up? What if Donnie didn't like her once he really got to know her or she said something to change their tentative relationship? In the end, she did decide to go. She may not be fearless, but she certainly wasn't a quitter.

"Hey." Sadie said, approaching him, smiling as he talked about cinnamon versus nutmeg. Her fear had simmered down almost immediately upon laying eyes on him. How could she have thought anything bad would happen? This would be nice, fun, a change of pace for her. "Statistically, you'd be right, because I love cinnamon. Thank you." She pulled the second coffee towards her and began to prepare it, sliding into the seat across from him. "So, do you want to take a walk today and talk? Or just enjoy this lovely view?" Either way, she was excited to get to know him more.

[chessmorrigan]

The end of the bar, furthest away from the action – Chess considered this to be the best seat in the house. There they sat, watching the ebb and flow of people on the dance floor and nursing a beverage he wasn’t even sure he enjoyed the taste of. What was enjoyment, anyway? What was taste? They tipped back the rest of the drink, ordered another with the wave of a finger, and was back to watching. Waiting for something interesting to happen. Setlists evoked manufactured emotion, people danced in costumes, and Chess sat with his drink. This could go on for hours.

And it did. People came and went, but Chess did notice this one girl as a normality at the center of the floor. When she left to approach the bar, the crowd did not fill in to seal her place. An empty center lay in her wake.

Still, the girl is so wrapped in her dance that she cannot imagine a world where anyone in this space with her could dance any less. Much less, in fact, not at all. There was that enjoyment word again – Chess did not deal with such simplicities.

“Are you looking for someone to lie to you?” they asked. “I will tell you anything you’d like, but a lie would come with a price.”

[sadieteague]

Sadie brushed her hair back from her face, dragging a few errant strands away from her sweat lined forehead, as she took a sideways glance at the person beside her. They spoke with a smooth confidence that she immediately liked and disliked equally, and found herself pulling on that familiar mask she wore around Orion in order to protect herself. This was a person who she would need to be a different Sadie around, at least for the time being. Something less authentic, less open. More charismatic and witty, friendly in a way that felt real but was very much so not. In short, she didn't trust them one bit.

And what was trust between strangers? Sadie was suddenly quite certain she had gone a bit soft to be making friends so easily when she had once been so socially closed off. Maybe this conversation was a good reminder of who she needed to be to survive her daily life. Maybe if she didn't rein herself in, Orion would sniff out her weakness and utilize it like he always had. She swallowed back a shudder and turned to fully assess the man next to her.

"Now, if I wanted to pay for a lie, it would certainly be about something far more interesting than dancing." She smiled, leaned against the bar with as relaxed of a posture as she could give in that moment. "So, if you're not here to dance, are you just here to drink? Or just enjoying some people watching? That's always a fun past time."

[thelostthakkar]

to the surprise of very few, milo thatch was not a natural born dancer. not for lack of want or trying, but because he was cursed with the thatch’s two left feet. luckily for milo, he hadn’t gotten himself into many scenarios where this was a problem; he had never had a school dance to go to after finishing his studies so early, and there weren’t many invites to go out dancing when he was back home.

it felt nice, in a way, being around people who enjoyed it and felt natural doing it while he hung back nursing a drink. socialising by proxy was still socialising, right? right?

“i’m not sure anyone’s enjoyed it as much as you seem to have.” he smiles, tilting his drink towards her as if to cheers. “but, no, i’m not much of a dancer unfortunately. or, maybe fortunately? i guess it really depends who you’re asking. probably fortunately.” he laughs, more awkward than not before hiding it by taking a sip of his drink. “are you having a good time, though?”

[sadieteague]

"Maybe not," Sadie started, her lips pulling slightly upwards, as they always did when she found herself in a conversation with Milo. They were acquaintances at best, but she enjoyed the moments she had in his company, usually in a museum setting poring over a piece that interested her quite deeply. In fact, she was positive she had never seen him anywhere else, though she knew that might be due to the fact that she was never looking. Sadie was, more often than not, in her own head. "I find a lot of people like to dance, but not many lose themselves in it. That might be a me problem, though."

She downed her drink and placed the cup on the counter behind her, before turning her attention back to him. "You're on the outskirts of dance festivities and you don't like to dance? Just here to watch, then?" He was an interesting person, that was for sure, and usually Sadie might have disengaged because making friends was not her forte but she liked Milo. Enjoyed their talks, enjoyed getting to know him (though she had to admit she didn't know much at all), and that was what kept her there. "I'm having a grand time, you? I don't think I've ever seen you outside of that museum."

[lucy-harker]

ELLA PURNELL in Dolce & Gabbana for The Game Awards, December 12 (2024)

[shad0w-t0ngued]

orion had slipped into his usual spot at the bar, quiet enough that his arrival felt less like an entrance and more like a shift in gravity. the low lights caught on the metal accents of his rings, glinting like small, deliberate stars as he set his gloves beside him. “you’ll wear a hole through the counter if you keep at it that hard,” he said, voice smooth and unhurried. gaze lingering on the gleam of the mahogany top, then on the woman behind it.

he laid a few folded bills on the bar. the kind that meant this wasn’t a social visit. “whiskey. neat.” the hum of the crowd pressed faintly at his back yet distant enough to feel like another world. he traced a fingertip along the edge of his glass when she set it down, watching the reflection of the overhead light fracture across the surface.

“quiet night?” he asked after a moment, voice mild but carrying that familiar weight beneath the calm. “or are you just keeping your head down?”

[sadieteague]

Sadie stiffened at the sound of Orion's voice, felt the icy fingers of anxiety crawl from the nape of her neck all the way down her spine, and for a split second she was just a little girl. Just a child, playing at a game much too large for her, a child who wanted to crawl under her blankets and pretend there were no monsters. But there were. And Orion was one of them. She slipped her mask on and became the Sadie she always was around him, quickly to avoid detection, as if he might sniff the fear out on her skin. Calm and collected, easy-going, submissive but fun - a loyal woman, someone useful.

She abandoned the rag, tossed it in the bucket beneath the bar, and prepared his drink. Walked over with a paper coaster and his glass, leaned on the bar but not too close. Never too close. While her brother may outwardly hate Orion, her hatred was deep inside her. He sickened her. But she still remembered the time when he didn't, when she believed in him beyond all else. Life was easier when she had been so trusting.

"Yes, quiet so far." She smiled slightly, nodded to the door, let her fingers play with the bills he had set down as if deep in thought. As if this was normal, as if she was just speaking with another patron. "It'll pick up soon, I'm sure. It always does." Sadie turned her attention back to him. "I always keep my head down, it's what makes me so good at my job. And to what do I owe the pleasure tonight? Or did you just miss me?"

[sadieteague]

closed for @skellingtonisms

Sitting at a table in the farthest corner of the cafe, Sadie Teague wrapped her shaking fingers around the porcelain cup that held her latte, and debated leaving before Jasper could arrive. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision to reach out to talk, she had been hemming and hawing over it for days. But with people going missing, and her own memory in shattered little pieces, she just couldn't sit still. Couldn't keep her words to herself any longer, and she had no one else to confide in who might understand. Outside of her siblings, of course, but she was vehemently against bringing them any more burden than they needed.

Even in the farthest corner in this cafe, she felt watched, under scrutiny, even as no other patron spared her a glance. She felt like Orion was going to know every little doubt that had popped into her head. That he would send her on a mission soon to prove he had control and she would lose something important, lose a piece of herself that she could never get back. It filled her with such immense fear that she gripped the mug until her knuckles turned white and the heat from the latte burned at the pads of her fingers. This was wrong, this was all so wrong.

She stood abruptly, uncurling her fingers from the cup, and made to leave. This was a mistake, she couldn't talk to Jasper about this, not when forming the words aloud would make it so real. And sure, her siblings were friendly with him, she had been too, but what if it was different in this moment? What if Jasper didn't believe her or didn't care? She had made her decision to bail, was walking across the cafe and towards the door, when she saw him arrive. Too late. Sadie swallowed, cleared her throat, pretended she was moving to greet him. "Hi, I wasn't sure you'd show. I got a table in the corner."

[locknteagues]

Logan  didn’t  say  anything  at  first.  Just  let  her  latch  onto  his  arm  like  she  hadn’t  been  avoiding  him  for  weeks,  like  things  hadn’t  been  radio  silent  except  for  the  occasional  ghost  of  her  in  the  hallway  or  the  half-finished  drink  left  behind  at  the  bar.  He  didn’t  pull  away.  Of  course  he  didn’t.  He  never  did.

His  sigh  came  out  more  like  a  grunt.  “Yeah,  yeah,  we’re  Teagues,”  he  muttered,  glancing  up  at  the  imagined  towers  she  waved  to.  “Guess  that  means  something,  just  haven’t  figured  out  if  it’s  ‘dangerous,’  ‘pathetic,’  or  just  ‘emotionally  repressed.’”

Still,  her  fake  drawl  made  his  lip  twitch.  Maybe  a  smirk.  His  fingers  flexed  around  her  arm  instinctively  steadying  them  both  over  the  uneven  ground.  “You  avoiding  me  just  to  ask  about  my  love  life?  That’s  cruel,  even  for  you.”

He  paused  then  exhaled  hard  through  his  nose.  “Mavis  is…  fine.  I  mean,  probably.  She’s  good  at  pretending  she’s  fine,  and  I’m  good  at  not  asking  questions  that  get  me  stabbed  with  words  so....balance?  Which  is  crazy  to  think  about.  I  found  balance  with  someone  and  she  actually  loves  me.”

He  ran  a  hand  through  his  hair  then  shoved  it  back  in  his  pocket,  voice  dropping  to  something  more  honest.  “Life’s  weird.  Work’s  worse.  I'm  stuck  between  too  many  people  playing  games  I  don’t  wanna  be  part  of,  and  every  time  I  turn  around,  someone’s  telling  me  to  pick  a  side.  But  this?  You  dragging  me  into  a  corn  maze  with  fake  cowgirl  impressions?”  His  grip  tightened  on  her  arm  just  a  fraction.  “I’ll  take  this  kind  of  trouble  any  day.”

[sadieteague]

So he knew she had been avoiding him. Of course he did. There were many things her brother was, but stupid was not amongst them. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, yet it settled deep in her gut like a stone anyway. Guilt, regret. She should be confiding in him, not avoiding the conversation that needed to happen, not slipping away like sand between loosely clutched fingers, like memories. Like memories. It struck her then with complete clarity: someday she would forget this moment, forget the feeling of his warmth and the sadness of his voice, forget his words and their shared moment in the corn maze. Someday she would forget him.

She shuddered, pulled him closer, didn't care that it may seem odd or out of place for her to do so. If she was strong enough to tell him, then Logan would understand, but she wasn't. She couldn't do that to him. Couldn't add to his own hardships with hers. Sadie had never been able to share her burdens with her family.

"I'm happy you found balance." She finally said, and the smile this time was genuine. Mavis was good for him and Sadie was beyond elated that they had found each other and were building a life. All she wanted was to see her brothers happy, so watching Logan and Mavis felt like a dream come true, in some aspects. "Mavis is wonderful. I'd like to see more of her, get to know her. I know I haven't been very...well, I haven't been around much. I'd like to change that."

Stuck between too many people playing games. It was exhausting to know that she felt the same way, that they were both just pawns on a much larger chessboard, and there was nothing they could do. But Logan was right, with them back together, she suddenly couldn't fathom ever avoiding him again. So maybe she could hold her tongue and be a close sister again, maybe she could step up. "I know how you feel. They play games with our lives like we don't matter and then we have to keep our mouths shut and deal with it. This isn't right." She sighed, tiled her head back to stare at the sky as they walked, lowered her voice. "Sometimes I wish we could leave it all behind. Start fresh, change our names, live on the lam. Maybe I'd cut all my hair off and dye it purple. Call myself Lilith or something cool. What would you do, if you left?"

[donniehamctos]

Donnie  didn’t  look  up  right  away,  he  was  wrist-deep  in  wiring  and  straw.  But  her  voice,  calm  and  just  a  bit  amused,  tugged  a  grin  out  of  him  before  he  even  fully  registered  what  she’d  said.  “Well,  see,  most  scarecrows  are  for  crows.  This  one’s  for...  let’s  call  them  ‘undesirable  elements.’”  His  tone  was  casual.  He  took  a  step  back,  brushing  hay  off  his  jeans  and  letting  her  see  the  thing  in  full:  tall,  angular,  stitched  together  from  bits  of  old  uniforms,  salvaged  armor,  and  at  its  chest  was  a  faintly  glowing  power  cell;  low  energy,  but  dramatic.

“I  rigged  a  low-voltage  sonic  deterrent  into  the  chestplate.  Frequency’s  just  annoying  enough  to  make  anyone  who  gets  too  close  think  they’re  suddenly  developing  a  migraine...  or  paranoia.”  He  tilted  his  head  thoughtfully.  “It’s  also  got  a  pressure  sensor  in  one  boot.  If  someone  messes  with  it,  it’ll  start  laughing.  Loudly.  Hysterically.  Creepy  clown  laugh.  Haven’t  tested  that  part  in  public  yet,  though.”

He  gave  her  a  side  glance  then,  eyes  gleaming  behind  his  goggles.  “You  think  it’s  weird  now,  wait  ‘til  I  add  the  fog  machine.  I’m  calling  him  ‘Carl.’”  He  couldn't  help  but  grin.  “...Because  it  sounds  harmless.  And  then  bam!  Carl  haunts  your  nightmares.”

He  turned  to  face  her  fully  then,  a  little  more  sincere  under  the  sarcasm.  “You’re  not  building  one?"

[sadieteague]

"Undesirable elements." She repeated, trying not to smile too broadly, though it was becoming more and more difficult by the minute. There was something so unique about the man in front of her that she felt compelled to stay there in a conversation, though she most certainly would have found herself trailing away within minutes if there had been simple small talk. But he seemed excited to discuss his creation and she couldn't deny him that, almost felt a little giddy, as if his feelings were contagious. "It's quite the creation."

She leaned slightly closer to better see the scarecrow, looking it up and down to really view the craftsmanship. "You could win a lot of awards with this one. Mass market it out every Halloween. Make millions." She couldn't help but let out a laugh, unfiltered and loud, at his name choice. Embarrassed, she put a hand over her mouth, she hadn't been so caught off guard in a long time. "Carl?!" Muffled through her fingers, she continued to laugh, eyes flickering between human and creation. "Oh, what a perfect name for him."

Finally her laughter subsided and she composed herself, letting her hands drop back down to clasp behind her back. "No, I won't be making one. I'm not nearly creative enough to counter Carl and not patient enough to spend time on one of my own. I was just walking by but you guys caught my eye. Can I see him in action?"

[1nquirer]

even if sadie said she wouldn't turn in agnes, a part of agnes was still on high alert. it was possible sadie was working undercover for the fair to make sure people like agnes wouldn't cause any ruckus. but there was something about sadie's demeanour that spelled out the opposite. it was as if she was almost giddy about this.

reluctantly but still with a smile, agnes shook sadie's hand. she debated on whether she should reveal her real name. all signs pointed to yes, agnes should lie, but somehow, agnes felt compelled to just... tell the truth.

"agnes." she said before she could psyched herself out. giving sadie a mock-salute, agnes continued, "nice to meet you, sadie. welcome to the club."

agnes glanced back at the writing she had just done before she explained, "the goal is let the council know that citizens are worried about the underland bringing their 'curses' with their wheel." then, she gestured to a wall approximately 15 feet from them. "we're working in slow increments, gradually moving towards the centre of the fair."

she held out another spray paint can, "are you good at drawing?"

[sadieteague]

"Agnes." She whispered the name under her breath, memorizing it for the future, trusting that this was her real name and that she would be able to track her down again in the future. What business did this girl have with Orion? Sadie was determined to find out, but she was unsure why she felt so strongly about it. To keep Agnes away, to protect her should anything happen? Or was it simply because she dealt in secrets and had a sick curiosity and a love for puzzles? Now wasn't the time to dwell.

"Are citizens worried?" Sadie asked, tilting her head. This was news to her, but then again she often found herself just living day to day with little regard to how citizens might feel, especially when it came to the Underland. Ultimately, she was often too busy trying to keep her own head above water to worry about anyone else. Outside of her family, of course. "I suppose I've had cotton in my ears for some time. I didn't realize this was an issue. Happy to learn all about it, though." If it weren't for Agnes and their chance meeting, she wasn't sure she would care.

She held out her hand for the can, enjoying the feel of it in her hands, shaking it slightly to hear the clicking. "I paint in my free time, I'm sure I can figure my way around this can." Was it good painting? Probably not. But she could definitely do this. "Let's stick it to the man or whatever they say."

[mavisvaduva]

mavis had been hovering at the edge of the floor for most of the night, torn between wanting to jump in and the nervous flutter that came with being anywhere near sadie teague. it wasn’t just that sadie was so effortlessly cool out there under the lights. though that didn’t help mavis’s nerves. it was the fact that she was logan’s sister. in mavis’s mind, that made her practically royalty.

she was halfway through her own drink when sadie turned toward her, and the question caught her off guard. she almost choked on her sip, scrambling for a quick save as she set the glass down and flashed what she hoped was a casual, not-too-starstruck smile.

“uh. yeah! yeah, totally,” she said, nodding a little too quickly. “i mean, not as hard as you, obviously. you look like you’ve been leading the charge out there.”

her eyes flicked toward the dance floor, then back to sadie, softening with something closer to genuine admiration.

“you were incredible,” she added, a little quieter, almost shy before she caught herself and tacked on a crooked grin. “i’ve been, uh… pacing myself. figured i’d save my best moves for when the right song hits. don’t wanna peak too early, you know?”

[sadieteague]

Sadie had never thought she would like anyone her brother dated, no matter how sweet or how much they promised not to break his heart. It was something that manifested from her protectiveness, her adoration for Logan, that had made her so quick to dislike anyone who got too close. She didn’t want to see her brother crumble, didn’t want to see him filled with the hate and fear that she felt daily, not when he was still good. But Mavis was different. Or, perhaps, they were different together. They were in love. It was more than just a relationship, Sadie could feel it in every fiber of her being. And, if she were honest, she quite liked the girl who had her brother's heart.

“Ah, yes, you wouldn’t want to peak too early. Totally. I mean, where would the fun in that be?” She rolled her eyes, let a smile play on her lips to show the other girl that she was merely teasing her. Sadie found that her sarcasm often came through as dislike. People met her once and assumed she hated them, which wasn't true. She just didn’t care about most people. Mavis was one of the few in her life that she did not want to scare away with her tone, her facial expressions, her body language. 

“Mavis, I’m going to be very honest here.” She put her drink down, placed her hands on the girls shoulders, held her in place so they could look eye to eye. “I think you should let loose tonight. Get in there and party it up. Dance to every song until it feels natural. That’s all I do. I just do it so often it feels like wearing a second skin.” Sadie removed her hands from Mavis’ shoulders, placed them on her own hips instead, looked to the crowded dance floor and then back at the girl beside her. “I do need a breather, though. Do you want to take a walk with me? Then maybe I can convince you to join the fray with me.”

[wannabegolden]

it's not as often as she would have liked it to be that rumi got to just dance. nothing with choreography, nothing where precision or appearance or coordination with others really mattered in the long run of things - she could just move her body to the rhythm of the music and let loose without consequence. she was grateful that she was not the only one up on the floor and moving either, watching as people moved in and out, some alone, some partnered, some with a group of friends.

her gaze was caught by one woman in particularly who didn't hesitate to find her way to the center of the dance floor and move beautifully, clearly without a care in the world. it was an infectious sort of energy, one that brought some brightness to rumi's features. she missed feeling that way. she yearned to feel that way. she had to know her.

rumi left the dance floor when she did, getting a drink for herself too. "hi! ohmygosh, yes!" she beamed a toothy grin before swallowing a mouthful of the bright colored punch being offered. super sweet, but not a moment where she'd fuss or be picky. "i mean, i'd love to say yes - but to be honest, i was definitely watching you out there, and i don't think anyone was dancing as hard as you were. you looked so cool!"

[sadieteague]

“You were watching me?” She asked, her fingers squeezing tightly around her cup, a smile pulling slightly at her lips. When was the last time she had been noticed by someone amongst a crowd, a sea of bodies? She couldn’t remember, and she didn’t think that was due to memory loss. Sadie slipped into the shadows as easily as fish swam in the ocean, she was made to be ignored. Born to be hidden. It was her entire personality. But here, this stranger saw her, was impressed enough by her that she had been approached purposefully. Sadie was fully, wholeheartedly flattered. “Thank you.”

For a moment she was flustered, unsure what to say when sharp words came so naturally. So she drank deeply from her cup until it was empty to give herself time to clear her mind. When she was done she moved, placed the plastic cup back on the table, and turned back to the girl. “I love to dance. There’s just something about it that makes me feel so…alive. I tend to lose myself out there.” 

She chuckled, gestured to the floor of people still moving with the music, eyes looking the girl up and down quickly before she turned away again. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn’t place it, so decided not to dwell too much on it. “Do you like to dance? Have you yet tonight? This crowd is the best to let loose in. Half of them are drunk, the other half are in their own little world. It’s lovely to just…exist.”

[1nquirer]

to start her protest, agnes selected an area quite far from the centre of the fair. the idea was to gradually move inwards throughout the fair's duration, culminating in—hopefully—vandalising the trick-or-treat wheel. unlike her other protests as well, this one was to be slow burn; vandalise one area, get the people in charge to clean it... and repeat. it was her goal to annoy the organisers over how frustrating it was that these graffitis kept popping up.

agnes had her hood drawn up for a semblance of anonymity. after glancing around and confirming she was alone, she shook the can of spray paint and began writing the words: 'what about our safety?'

she was about to finish the question mark when she heard someone behind her. agnes turned around quickly, instinctively hiding the can behind her back.

the person seemed familiar, but agnes couldn't place where she had seen her. it occurred to agnes the other might turn her in, but the other's tone seemed to suggest otherwise.

"vandalizing? oh, no." agnes used a similar tone. "i'm just doing a top secret extra commission work."

[sadieteague]

“Oooo,” Sadie drew out, nodding, her hands clasped behind her back as she took a small step closer to see the words that had been painted. They were partially hidden by the other’s body, but she could still make out the sentence loud and clear. She had expected a tag, or an image, not words that clearly had a meaning. Interesting. “Sounds very important. But since I know your secret now, well, I guess I’ll have to join you. Wouldn’t do to turn you in. Snitches get stitches, and all that.” 

Looking away from the graffiti, she held out her hand towards the other girl and introduced herself. “Sadie, by the way. If we’re going to be partners in crime, we should probably at least know each other's first names. Unless you want to give me an alias.” That wouldn’t surprise her, but secretly Sadie hoped she would give her a real identity. That was the only way for her to figure out why she had seen her around, why Orion had been around her. She dealt in secrets, after all, when it came right down to it. Anything to keep her magic from being utilized. She shook the soured thought from her head and pointed at the graffiti, a false smile playing at her lips. “So which spot is next, boss? What’s the goal here? Tell me everything.”

[luzuramagic]

———  the  enchanted  lights  strung  up  along  the  tree  illuminated  the  ground  as  luz  made  her  way  to  the  dance  floor.  never  one  to  pass  up  a  moment  of  fun,  luz  was  right  where  she  wanted  to  be.  her  dance  moves  may  have  awkward  at  best.  any  other  time  she  would  have  kept  her  terrible  moves  to  herself  but  in  a  crowd  of  people  any  self  consciousness  she  had  eased  away.  the  excitement  bubbling  in  her  stomach  overtook  any  anxiety  she  may  have  had.

song  after  song  she  happily  danced  along.  first  by  herself,  then  with  her  friends  when  they  passed  through  the  dance  floor,  eventually  luz  was  brave  enough  to  dance  with  a  few  strangers.  the  night  filled  with  music  and  infectious  laughter.  luz  might've  dared  to  say  that  the  night  was  perfect.

after  a  while,  it  was  time  for  a  much  needed  water  break.  weaving  through  the  crowd  of  people,  luz  gasped  a  sigh  of  relief  once  she  saw  the  refreshments  table.  the  first  choice  was  water  of  course,  for  hydration,  but  her  eyes  did  glance  over  all  other  beverage  options  that  were  offered.  her  eyes  going  wide  with  awe  at  each  one  she  looked  at.  they  went  all  out  here  !  ❛  i  sure  am!  i  can't  remember  the  last  time  i've  had  this  much  fun  here.  ❜  she  beamed  at  the  question.  ❛  i've  burned  a  hole  in  my  shoes  at  this  point.  they  might  as  well  be  melted  to  the  ground.  ❜

[sadieteague]

Sadie felt euphoric. It was a feeling that crept up from her toes and into her fingertips, went up to the crown of her head and to the tip of her nose. It made the aches and pains go away, pushed away the fear and dread that was always lingering in the back of her mind. This was why she loved to dance until she couldn't breathe, until the sweat was a sheen across her skin and her hair clung to her neck and face, until her legs went numb with the feel of it. The adrenaline, the pure bliss - it was enough for her to go back again and again.

For this reason, she felt herself grinning openly instead of hiding behind the usual mask she wore. "Same, I'm surprised my shoes haven't fallen apart." She laughed, took a deep breath to chug the rest of the water in her little plastic cup before turning back to the refreshments. This time she picked something sweet, a little sugar rush to give her more energy. "Do you like to dance often?" She asked, turning back to face the girl next to her, looking her up and down in quick succession before turning back to face the crowd. She was often told her stare was piercing and she didn't want to chase her away, had just wanted to get a full view of the stranger she was speaking with.

"I'm Sadie, by the way." She said, still staring at the crowd of dancers, feeling her heartbeat slowing and her breathing coming back to normalcy. "I'd shake your hand but, ah, I'm sweaty." This time she looked over, smiled slightly, waved her hand out as if to prove her point.

[vinemagic]

⸻ 🎃 BETWEEN THE MUSIC &. THE CLATTER OF game booths. Willow stood in tiger-ཐི༏ཋྀ-blues before an enchanted balloon dart game. As her hand slightly-trembled as she steadied the dart ⸻ silver tip shimmering faintly ⸻ as enchanted balloons weaved &. shifted. Each balloon glowing with an different color ⸻ some charm with an prize ⸻ some tricksters waiting to humiliate anyone bold enough to try. Releasing her 2nd dart with more hope than confidence ⸻ as she watched the dart skim past an trickster balloon only to fizzle into harmless sparks against the booth's wood.

An flush crept across her ears as she scoffed as she could feel the weight of every miss pressing against her ribs like another reminder that luck had never quite been her ally &. she was getting competitively riled. " This is a lot harder than it looks! " Huffing. As she couldn't ask Hunter for help. Knowing to well if they actually succeeded. It would just turn into an balloon-dart-challenge of friendly competitive spirit. Trying an different strategy. As she took her final dart &. turned to the nearest person beside them. " Think you can hit one of those lime-green balloons? "

╰ ✨.⭒ʿ˖✧ @sadieteague. | willow park &. sadie teague.

[sadieteague]

Fair games always called to Sadie like a siren song, whispering to her to learn the rules and the difficulties behind them. She was as competitive as one could get, not used to losing, and spent a lot of time at every booth whenever a fair would come around. Not that she would tell anyone that, of course, that would completely pierce through her 'cool guy' exterior that she worked so hard on. Though, she mused, she supposed people were already beginning to see through that from the harvest festival this year. The more she put herself out there, the more she feared people were seeing right through her.

Still, she couldn't help but approach the girl standing at the balloon darts game, holding up her final dart. She had watched her miss before, had approached out of pure curiosity to see if she could make it. But then the stranger turned to her and she found herself smiling. "It is hard." She stated, gently plucking the dart from between the girls fingers. "I've played this game a lot, though. Watch the master at work." She gently nudged the girl aside slightly with her hip, planted her feet and measured her distance. Sadie could admit she was putting on a show purposefully.

Finally she threw the dart and hit her target, a lime green balloon just as the girl had asked. "Yes!" She celebrated, then looked back to the girl, gesturing towards the prizes so she could pick. "I can buy the next round if you want to learn. Or we can hit every booth here and get a prize from every one. Rob them blind. Your choice, my friend. I'm feeling lucky."