i suggest we form a calming circle

[sandersonmary]

                        meet  mary sanderson  !

                              33 (335) — PALM READER

favorite song? cherry-coloured funk by cocteau twins

sexuality:  pansexual

pronouns?: she/her 

big three? pisces sun, cancer moon, pisces rising

everyone's heard the tales of the sanderson sisters, but to recap for anyone that doesn't know: the three girls, once exiled from old salem, came across a witch in the forbidden woods who exposed them to the powers they held within and gave them a spellbook to strengthen their abilities. the small coven followed the advice of the wise witch for years to come, using spells to keep them youthful and everlasting which required feeding off the souls of children. they were eventually caught and hanged for the crimes of kidnapping, murder and, of course, the whole being witches thing. thankfully, they cast a spell before their death that allowed them to be brought back for one night by a virgin that lit the black flame candle. it wasn't too long ago that they were resurrected on halloween night but without everything needed to keep them around for longer, they were doomed to vanish once again.

it was only two years ago that mary appeared in the flesh once more, but without the help of her sisters, she was left on her own to find out what happened. suffice it to say, a reasoning never came about. she was just happy to be alive. however, without her sisters, it's difficult to navigate the world and most importantly, without any knowledge of where the spellbook is now located, any memory of incantations or potion recipes are very limited. mary still doesn't get why she was brought back instead of either of her sisters but little does she know, she does have a sister running around. the two just haven't come across each other yet.

HC’s:

knows nothing about palm reading but has found out that modern-day people adore this sort of thing so she's dedicated her life to it, she kinda guesses and goes with the flow based off of some videos she's found online

the little powers and spells she could remember got her settled into a small house that she took over from a random couple. she doesn't know what happened to them she just made them go away, she still keeps their pictures and furniture around though just as they left it. she's given them names and stories, it's her favorite pastime to imagine what they're doing now.

mary was the potions bitch, always looming over a cauldron brewing whatever concoction that serves purpose to her and her sisters. that included poisons, spell enhancers and even the anti-aging elixir that helped keep the sandersons looking so young.

truly there for her sisters' approvals and the good vibes, she knows the true power they can hold is strong but ultimately is simple there for sarah and winnie, not wanting to let go of that lifelong friendship they have.

it's not that she's unintelligent, it's more so that it takes her a while to get the point without winnie's help. it's almost like the idea is always on the tip of her tongue she just can never get to it.

has been back for only 2 years so she's still getting adjusted to the present-day life, modern contraptions confuse and kinda scare the hell out of her. she's barely gotten used to the landline phone the previous tenants left behind but she does adore the tv, such funny moving pictures are on all the time!

[princecapitaine]

There’s an obvious smile just wanting to burst through on her face, but he’s hardly surprised that Mary fights it back. She was always like this, wanting to seem like she was immune to any of his advances or offers of friendship - but Eric knew better than to believe that. Something was budding and building here, he could feel it and he liked to think she could as well. It was different from the immediate and all encompassing passion he had felt for Shelly back when he was under her siren song, which is why he doesn’t for a moment even consider that maybe the woman across from him could have spelled him as well. The feelings that were growing seemed completely natural in his eyes. Accepting the book and the salve without any hesitation, he shoots her a grin in return and eagerly makes his way over to the register. It’s only then that he finally looks down at what was placed in his hands. “I’ve always been interested in the moon and its pull on the sea. It’ll be interesting to see how else it impacts our lives from so far away,” he comments, fully planning to read the entirety of the book over the course of the next few days. “And my hands have been needing a new lotion. I’ve been working on an old sail boat lately and the ropes have been killing my hands.”

[sandersonmary]

"I think you'll find it a compelling read then, the moon affects so much of our lives." It definitely affected hers when she had something to brew, everyone knew that a potion was more potent when made under a full moon. "That cream will fix them right up then, my sister used to say that making it was the only thing I was good for." She held such a sentiment with pride, any compliment that came from Winnie was held in a high regard since they were so rare. Caught up in the memory of her sister, Mary nearly skipped past a piece of information that brought her to tilt her head in confusion. "But why are you working on an old sail boat? Do you not have enough money for a new one?" Maybe it was rude to inquire about how much money he had but if she was wrong in assuming his family's capital was grand then she might as well stop her plans now as he probably didn't have much use to her and her sisters.

[winifredsandy]

The two had never much of an affectionate relationship, nor did she with Sarah, either, but a few decades apart allowed for an exception. They would be back to bickering in a few hours, perhaps even a few minutes, but for now, it was a nice change. It was a wonder how her sisters managed without her, actually, as Sarah was practically useless (not an insult, just the truth) and Mary was a bit forgetful. Winnie counted it as her own fantastic past self setting her sisters up for success. "It is," she agreed, and she was proud that they had, though Winnie wasn't that big of a sap to mention it.

"They do?" she questioned, surprised. People were quick to hang anyone who wanted to tell them their future--the Sandersons would know--and now they were paying for it? It was almost too ridiculous for Winnie to believe, until she realized that was the exact purpose of her sister's shop. "Can you imagine what our lives would've been like had they wanted spirituality three centuries ago? I'd never had spent a moment away from my dear sisters." It wasn't surprising to hear Sarah was out with some guy, some things would never change, she supposed. "Has she been hanging out with the dumb ones still? Those were always her type: the brainless. I imagine men have only grown less intelligent over the centuries."

[sandersonmary]

Mary stood by as the good news was reaching Winnie's ears, she was hoping her sister could see the potential her shop now had. "I think with your and Sarah's help, this could be a thriving business. Plus we can actually do magic, I wouldn't have to swindle my customers!" The thought of her running a legitimate business was quite thrilling, the smile on her face was as wide as it could be at the hopes her sister would agree. "I don't concern myself with who exactly it is that she is attracting but assuming from the looks of them, they do seem exceedingly stupid." She had no basis for this opinion other than she wanted her sister to be correct. She giggled a bit before returning to the conversation. "Yes, they have actually. Of course they still hold power in society but women have some rights now." For as many advancements there were, it felt like there could have been more but who was Mary to complain when this present afforded her much more than she ever could've had in the 17th century. "Speaking of men, however, I do think I should mention that I caught one."

[winifredsandy]

It was with a smirk that Winifred watched as her sister came to the realization that she was, in fact, standing before her. It was precisely the reaction she'd been hoping for upon making her grand return. They'd never been the most affectionate of siblings, but Winnie couldn't help but wrap her arms tightly around Mary, relieved that she'd finally found her. It had only taken weeks of searching high and low around the island to get here, but every shop she'd set foot in hoping for this moment had been well worth it. "I take it I was missed?" she teased, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her sister's head.

As she set her bag on the counter, Winnie hopped up as well, making herself at home in her sister's shop. "You've found a nice spot, Mary, well done. I could get used to this." How she was affording it would be a conversation for later, after she was finished basking in the glory of being back with her sisters. "I knew it had to be you the minute I stepped in here, I'm telling you. It was the scent--you're still working on that? How long has it been now?" Long enough for Winnie to recognize it as one of Mary's signatures. "You must inform me of everything I've missed. Is Sarah with you, too?"

[sandersonmary]

The shock hadn't completely left her, she was almost hesitant to wrap her arms around her sister, who usually wasn't one for physical touch, but if this was one of those rare times when it was fine then Mary was eager to hug Winnie back. She wasn't even that emotionally sensitive to cry very easily but just the thought of having both sisters around her again had garnered a few tears of joy. It had been far too long that she'd been without them and she was sure they'd all get sick of each other in about a few days so she was just going to cherish the nice moment as long as she could. "It's a wonder how we managed without you," she sniffled into her sister's embrace.

While she was blinking away her tears, she let Winnie walk around and take a look at the business she'd spent years curating. Already basking in her sister's approval, her smile only widened. "Thank you, it was all my doing! The people actually yearn to hear about 'spirituality' as they call it. Believe it or not but some of them think I can actually tell them their futures. It's a bit ridiculous but it's what pays the bills." She felt like there was so much to share with her older sister, two years worth of memories didn't go without its fair share of blunders which she was sure Winnie would want to laugh at. "It perfected it! Only took about two hundred years but I had to, I just knew it would be the thing to bring us together again." Just as the recalled memory of meeting Sarah had come to mind, Winnie had the same thing on her mind. "She is here! Well, not here here. Probably off again with a boy she entranced, or finding her next victim. It's hard to keep track."

[princecapitaine]

Placing a hand over his heart, his jaw dropped in faux offense to her statement. “I would never lie,” he argues admittedly, both because it’s true and in hopes of raising a bit of a smile out of the woman. It’s only once she mentions how little support he’s ever shown for her business that Eric steps forward and looks around for a moment before picking up the first thing he sees. A white crystal sits in his hand, but he doesn’t stop just there, turning to grab a set of basic candles as well. He would have gone after a book or two on top of that, but that would require passing Mary to get to the shelves and he didn’t want to get too close to her personal bubble just yet. She was always finicky on how close and how often she allowed him to be near. “I would like to purchase these,” he declares with a new grin on his face now. “Because I always support my friends and their business. Because that’s what we are - friends.” It was the most basic way of explaining whatever type of relationship there was between them both, though it hardly even scratched the surface on the affection that he held for the woman.

[sandersonmary]

Her eyebrows raised at his small performance, trying not to give into the smile he very clearly wanted from her. It was entertaining, seeing what else he would do to impress her or charm her. None of it worked, obviously. Mary wasn't bright but even she knew it was a terrible idea to fall for a man she'd put a spell on. But, it was times like these that she could maybe see why Sarah would place these spells in the first place. Glancing at the few items he held and back to his face, she decided it wasn't enough. She turned around for a few more items, namely a book that explained the importance on the phases of the moon and a salve of her own invention that left anyones skin smooth for a month straight. Pushing these items into his hands as well, she finally gave in to her smile. "Let's ring you up."

[princecapitaine]

Returning to Mary’s shop hadn’t been on his to do list for the day, but when his mother sent him out to grab a few things in town and he happened to be passing by, well it seemed a waste to not at least pop in for a moment to say hello. Which was all he really intended to do, though he also knew very well that if there was anything Mary may need done, he’ll without hesitation be sticking around to lend a hand. It was almost strange, the way Eric felt for the woman - it wasn’t quite love, he knew that much to be true, but it certainly was something. A crush perhaps, or maybe not even that. A hero worship of sorts. She was, after all, the one who had helped him out of the spell Shelly had cast upon him, freeing him to finally live a life of his own choices. How could he not feel someone indebted to her after that? Though he wished he knew better where he stood from her perspective, the woman never seemed upset to see him but hardly came across as that happy either. Still, he found himself drawn to her shop and presence like a moth to a flame - even when he knew it was a bit ridiculous to be showing up again so soon, like right now. “I was simply in the neighborhood,” he promises, raising his hands as if to prove his innocence with his ever charming smile. “Can’t a man come visit his favorite shop when passing through town? Is it a crime now to want to see a friend?” His tone was teasing as he asked the questions, stepping further into the store and looking around as if he expected anything to have changed since his last visit. It was something he always did, always so fascinated with Mary’s work despite his slight hesitation to get involved with anything magic related anymore.

[sandersonmary]

"Pfft, don't lie." Mary was almost convinced his sole mission of every day sought her out in some way, she still didn't quite understand how powerful the spell was but it was surely strong enough to warrant multiple visits. Ones of which were useless to her if she hadn't ask him for favors every now and again. "This couldn't possibly be your favorite shop when you don't ask for anything. You don't buy any crystals or candles or ask for any readings. You're as good to me as any trespasser would be in here." His smile, as pleasing as it could be, didn't sway the girl in any way that mattered as much as he would've wanted while under her spell. She'd been told he was very handsome by Sarah, Mary could kind of see that but romance wasn't part of her plan, whatever that may be exactly. "Friend? You would consider us friends?" The spell he was under was real and as straightforward as it could be: For as long as he was awake, he would favor Mary, without any reasoning why or an explanation as to how it could be. Whatever his answer would be, it wasn't truly honest. And yet, she awaited his dishonest answer.

[winifredsandy]

who: winnie & @sandersonmary where: mary's shop

For the past few weeks, Winnie had been searching high and low for her sisters. It wasn't that there were a high number of magic shops on the island, but that it was taking her some time to get from one to the next, with how little she knew of modern transportation and the fact that she didn't have a car of her own. She's started at the tip of the island, having worked her way down to the town nearest the bigger city of the Isle. It was a small psychic shop, hardly larger than the one-room house they'd had back in Salem. But, she would leave no stone unturned: every place had to be seen with her own eyes before she moved onto the next.

A small bell rung as she opened the door, a whiff of sage all too familiar to her senses. This wasn't just any old scent burning--it was a special mix, one only she'd ever smelled after her sister had made it herself. "Mary?" she called out, knowing better than to let her smell deceive her. "Is that you?" Winnie impatiently rang the bell on the counter, hoping it would be her sister who would come around it. "If it's you, Mary Sanderson, do hurry. I've only waited a decade to see you."

[sandersonmary]

Things had been a bit quiet, but Mary had expected that to happen before all the Halloween nerds got to creeping around the shop. This particular day had the makings of an uneventful shift, that was until an all too familiar aroma filled the air and it nearly sent Mary into a crying spell from the hurt of missing her sister. She spent so much time thinking about Winifred that she was starting to remember her scent! And then a voice rang out and Mary was just about heaving her way into one of those panicking attacks she's heard about, not only could she smell her sister but she could hear her as well! The tears were streaming well down the sides of her face but she had to force them aside as she had some pesky customer to take care of now.

Whatever the client had to say was drowned out from Mary's ears as she focused on making sure her runny nose was clear and her dampened cheeks were dried down. "Coming!" She had to make her way out from the back of the shop. Nearly knocking down a few ingredients lying around, that carried most of her attention until she caught the sight of an apparition that looked an awful lot like her sister. Shifting herself around the counter, Mary remained stunned at what she was witnessing. Her hand moved to quickly prick at the other and was shocked beyond belief to feel real skin, "Holy Mother of Satan—You're real!" Wrapping her arms around her lifelong guide, she squeezed tight as to never let her sister go away from her life ever again.

[thetrampette]

Watching the woman shuffle the cards, before she had a chance to even ask what she was doing the blonde was jumping into an explanation. One that was far too involved and detailed for Ellie to follow, given her current state, so instead she simply stared. As the first card was turned over, she took a step forward and the winged angel in the picture. What it meant she didn’t know, and she could only half follow along with what the reader was saying, too engrossed in imagining herself with a pair of wings. Then she’d be able to fly away and go wherever she wanted, far from the mess that was her current life. The next card wasn’t as exciting, just a man with four cups and a little cloud, and Ellie found herself staring at back at the angel instead. Until the third card was flipped and the woman reading out their meanings let out a laugh. The sound had her eyes moving from the cards to stare at the woman, but it only lasted for a moment before they snapped back down to take in the woman on the throne, holding a giant sword. It was so different from the way she felt about her own life - she was nothing like a queen nor did she have any type of sword or way to fight her own battles. Yet Ellie found herself yearning to be that woman.

“Can I keep these?” she blurts out, hardly the question the woman was likely expecting, but well… she hadn’t been paying enough attention to actually have any real follow up questions. All she knew was she wanted to be reminded of that angel and that queen every day. Something was shifting in this little shop, it was like a revelation of some kind had occurred, and Ellie was determined to get a grip on the shitshow that was her life. Or at least, in this very moment that’s what she felt. The chances of her actually remembering anything that occurred tonight were slim to none, in all honesty. Which was why a part of her knew she needed to have those cards, to hold the physical proof that she could be different - be better.

[sandersonmary]

"You wish to keep these?" The request was a first for Mary, she wasn't quite sure of what to do next but she knew she had to be quick with her decision. Not that it took much to realize a quick buck was a quick buck, so it was just a matter of figuring out how much she could possibly get out of them. She feigned a wistful sigh, pursing her lips as if she really cared for the cards that she'd stolen from an antique shop. "I couldn't part with them for anything less than ten- twenty! Twenty dollars, I think is the only suitable amount worth for cards that hold such... sentimental value. After all, I've had this set ever since I've started out... But if it means that much to you then I suppose trading in for a new deck of cards could be something of a fresh start for me, sounds quite exciting actually." Mary would say whatever she needed to just to make the sale, she wasn't even opposed to adding in a spell, if necessary. She just had to figure out what the cards meant to the girl so that she could seal the deal. "Why do you want them anyway?"

[sandersonmary]

closed starter for @princecapitaine location: mary's workplace

"You, again?" Mary knew she placed a bewitching spell on Eric but this had been getting excessive, she was seeing him more often than some of her regulars at this point. The only good thing about said visits was that he'd done whatever she'd asked of him, he'd been a big help with chores she'd been too lazy to do. But other than that, she found his visits pointless. That's what she gets for messing with one of Sarah's spells. In a way, she should've been expecting this sort of reaction: the constant visits, the compliments, and even the occasional gift. But she didn't really know what romancing even involved, she'd stayed away from Sarah and her suitors, and Winnie's thing with Billy Butcherson had only left her with the belief that courting at any capacity would only leave her anguished. It may seem that her plan to enchant Eric was aimless but she was practically certain that with Winnie's help, she'd know what to do with Mr. Capitaine's social power and wealth. She just had to wait and find some use for his company in the meantime. "It's barely been 24 hours since your last visit. What business do you have here this time?"

[maxximillions]

It was almost insulting, that the woman couldn't remember completely fucking up their lives. The one night Max wanted to forget in its entirety kept creeping back in, and Mary couldn't even recall who he was. The idea that maybe he shouldn't have come in, guns blazing, to accuse a woman who could severely worsen his life of what she'd done wasn't the best did cross his mind for a fleeting second, until Max's mind was reminded of Allison and the real reason why he'd come here. "Excuse me, you and your sisters were the ones who fucked us up in the first place. I thought we'd gotten rid of you, and now, you're back, and Allison can burn holes through the wall," Max pointed out, folding his arms over his chest defensively.

As he saw her expression soften into trying to recall what she'd done, Max continued to grow impatient. Did she really think he was that stupid, that he'd pick the wrong witch to accuse of something this severe? "No, no, you definitely did this. Or, maybe it was one of your sisters--I don't know. Did you, like, hex us, or something, that night? Or, put some sort of spell on now that you're back here? Lady, I'll do whatever the fuck it takes to get her back to normal."

[sandersonmary]

It was like a light switch had been turned on, memories from years ago of the young boy and a cat and a young girl and an even younger girl came flooding in. Suddenly Mary could connect the puzzle pieces that had been missing from the large picture she was trying to paint. "Oh, that's how I know you! I was driving myself crazy trying to figure where I've seen you before." There was barely even time to feel pride in figuring that out before the kid started going off again.

"I'm as confused as you are to why I'm here, I thought it was over for us and we'd never see another light of day but suddenly I showed up one day without my sisters. I found Sarah, maybe you've seen her around, she likes to be around men. But Winnifred is who's been missing. If any of this was someone's doing, it was likely hers. She was the more powerful one of us all." That was as much knowledge as Mary had, truly. Figuring out what had happened to bring them back hadn't been her most urgent concern but it was up there! She was just hoping Winnifred would've come to let her in on that kind of information. "Also, 'back to normal’? That's quite rude of you to say, I'm as normal as you are. I put my shoes on one foot at a time, just like everyone else. I'm sure your friend Allison is as normal as we can come."

[candykeep]

who: @sandersonmary where: mary's shop/residence

As of late it felt like the world was collapsing but that had never stopped Allison before. First, it was the dreams, then the powers and now with hunters back on the attack, she'd felt like a target again. Whatever was going on with her hadn't been getting any better and as much research as she'd done her hands were still empty. There weren't answers no matter how many pages she'd searched through which was what led her to the most unlikely person. Perhaps she'd had involvement or at least be able to give Allison some sort of direction of where to go next. Expectations were low seeing as though this was Mary Sanderson and they hadn't exactly met under the best circumstances when they tried to eat them. The blonde sat across from her at the table, exhaling before she spoke, knowing she needed to explain herself. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this but I need your advice on something," Allison started. "And I don't want your normal run around bullshit like the palms you claim you read. Can we agree to that?"

[sandersonmary]

Mary was about to go on her little rules and stipulations of her business to the customer but the girl had started going off before she could get one word out. "I'll have you know, I have been studying up on those palm readings, they're getting very accurate. Not bullshit." She'd seen this face before, it's fuzzy on the details of when exactly but the girl had an aura to her, one that she and her sisters held so Mary held off on her reservation. This was quite a new position she was being put in, no one had ever come to her for help, y'know, other than the people that come into her shop that usually look for guidance. But that was the skill that granted the advice, this person was coming into the shop looking for her specifically. It was quite exciting so Mary was intrigued. It came at a literal price but she was willing to give out some of her wisdom. "I'll still charge you but go ahead, whaddya need help with?"

[thetrampette]

With who even knows what coursing through her system, Ellie at least had enough wits about herself to know that she was too intoxicated to drive and her so-called friends she had arrived with were long gone somewhere else in the seven floors of the Underworld Nightclub. Which left her with no real choice but to walk or uber, which she chose to do a bit of both, actually. Rideshares were so expensive when you requested to be picked up from the club, but far cheaper when your pick-up spot was somewhere in the middle of town. So it seemed that the smartest thing to do would be to walk a few miles away and call for her uber from there. Easy solution. Or so she had thought.

What she hadn’t accounted for was how tired she was going to get during said walk or how quickly the rush of energy she had had minutes ago would shift to a sour trip. It was as if the moment she was away from the pounding music and flashing lights, reality came crashing down like a bag of bricks. Every movement she saw out of the corner of her eye, she automatically assumed must be her father. Or one of Oogie’s men coming to kidnap her next. Or maybe one of the Locust, or even Hopper himself, turning on her and her family just like every man seemed to do. It was terrifying and a harsh reminder of exactly how fucked up her whole life was right now. She couldn’t take one more shadow or flash of light. Practically running Ellie stopped only when she saw an open sign, ducking into the door and standing in the middle of the room with her eyes squeezed shut as she took deep, uneven breaths to calm herself.

It wasn’t until the woman began to talk that she even realized someone else was here, her eyes snapping open to stare at the fortune teller. In truth, Ellie had no clue where she was - nor did she understand what the woman meant by the first ten minutes being free - but what she did know was the answer to the strange question. If she were sober, she never would have participated in something as ridiculous as a palm or fortune reading. But right now, high as a kite, she just wanted some kind of guidance. “How do I stop my life from falling to shit?” she asks, taking a step forward towards the woman and her little table. “How the fuck do I make everyone else stop? How do I stop? I just want it to stop.” It wasn’t very coherent, but her desperation was clear and that would hopefully be enough for her to get some kind of answer.

[sandersonmary]

As the young girl deliberated on her questioning, Mary shuffled the deck of tarot cards in her hand. Selecting three random ones, she placed the cards face down on the table that came between them. This wasn't how one usually went ahead with the process, everyone knew the recipient of the fortune was the one that needed to transfer the energy into the cards. However, Mary was far too tired to get into an actual reading, she was simply here to quickly connect the cards to the girl's query. Although that might be a bit tricky seeing as how the stranger came in with loaded questions that made it a bit difficult to see a clear answer but Mary was just going to say whatever first came to mind so she didn't really care.

"You're looking for guidance, these three cards are here for just that. This first one," she pointed to the card on her right, "is meant to show what is happening in your life already. Your past, if you will." She flipped over the first card, "Ah, temperance. This one is about balance, or imbalance, probably in this case." The card was reversed, which Mary never took as a good sign, and definitely showed on her face. "Something is definitely off and causing you a lot of stress and whatever you've been doing to try and help you is not working. You're looking for the answer in all the wrong places and you think you've found something to cause happiness but it's just temporary. It's causing a lot of reckless decisions so you need to sit down and actually reflect on your plans from here on out. Probably why you're here, am I right?"

Flipping over the middle card, Mary let out a light chuckle, "Four of cups, the present. Basically it's just saying you're feeling stagnant in life. Nothing really makes you feel happy right now. Very apathetic towards both the good and the bad. But the good news is, the answer is probably very close to you, you've just been too stuck in a rut to see it. I'm sure the next card will help you out." Mary tried to give some reassurance before ultimately letting out a quick cackle at what she'd seen with the last card. She had to force her enjoyment out of the way so she could explain what she saw but she was already certain it wasn't what the girl wanted to hear. "Sorry, it's just.. usually with the last card, you're shown who to look towards but this one is just saying you're on your own. The queen of swords is about independence and focuses more on the intellectual rather than emotion. My advice would be to start giving your opinion unabashedly, don't think about compassion. Just be blunt and don't overcomplicate it with thinking about your feelings or the feelings of others."

[sweetfridays]

♡ NICOLA COUGHLAN bridgerton season 3 promo

[maxximillions]

Ever since Allison had come to him with the development that she had been able to set her television aflame, Max knew they had to act quickly. Neither of them knew what the hell was going on, but he was determined to figure it out before things were out of their hands. To choose which of the Sandersons to approach about the blonde's situation wasn't as hard as he'd expected to be--Winifred was the scariest of them all, and Sarah wouldn't let him speak without attempting to flirt with him, so, Mary was the easy answer. What was more difficult than that was going without telling Allison, but that was a later problem Max couldn't quite see through his shock and panic.

Though it had taken some research to pin down her location, Max practically walked into Mary Sanderson's establishment with guns blazing, ready to figure out what had happened to Allison. He hadn't been expecting the greeting and offer for his fortune to be told, a gesture that mismatched how aggressive he'd planned on being with the woman. "No, I don't--what?" he sputtered, staring at the woman in confusion. "I'm here because of what you did to her--to Allison. Not for a ... I don't believe in that stuff."

[sandersonmary]

“What I did? I can assure you I have done nothing to anyone!" While it was a complete lie that harm hadn't been caused in some way by Mary's past experiments, she had no memory of cursing anyone lately or one having such an effect that would be traced back to her, therefore his pointed claim did nothing but anger her. She didn't think her work to be that sloppy that any random man could stop by and spot it out. "How presumptuous of you to make such an accusation when all I do is keep to myself. In fact, it is brave of you to come into my establishment and point the fingers at me when you have no proof from what I can see." Mary really did try to reference back to meeting anyone and hexing them with anything that would signal red flags for any witches in the area, but she couldn't think of anything. In fact she'd love to point him in the direction of the very witch that did so that she could get the stranger off her back.

In the distress of trying to figure out if she did, in fact, do something, Mary did happen to remember that innocent people don't go around denying accusations as rapidly as she might've. A bit of oversight on her part but it wasn't something she couldn't hopefully mend up this late. "Not that I can do anything to anyone anyway, I'm just a mere fortune teller. If something happened to her then all I could've done was warn her about it. It's not my fault she was destined to have something unfortunate happen to her."

[sandersonmary]

closed starter for @charmingkit location: festival midday (before attack)

"You, young gentleman!" Mary took a feigned interest in the nearest passerby, addressing him as a stranger because for all he knew, that's all he was to her. But, of course, she knew very well who the Charming man was. "If you could do me the kindest of favors and stop by my booth for only a moment of your time, that would be greatly appreciated. Your hospitality would mean the world to me." Her arm linked into his, already dragging him over to her station. She drew him over, not considering his answer because she really needed it to be an affirmative agreement. "It's hard running a business at these booths, sometimes customers need a gentle push in the right direction and with your help, I think my plan could work."

She continued on with the plan she'd created for this very instance without any moment to let him speak. "Y'see, my main demographic consists of young ladies and sometimes they're quite shy to ask for a reading but for some reason when they see a handsome man such as yourself around, they come swarming." Mary seated him in the chair across from hers at the small table. She sensed a hesitancy, whether that was apparent in his manner or drawn up in her own mind with how much she wagered on this working, she couldn't tell. Regardless, she'd hoped that one last plea could do the trick. "Please stay, I-I could even give you a free tarot card reading in return for your generosity."

[skatingarendelle]

The question wasn’t one she had been expecting, though it was one she could easily answer. “My sister more than my husband. I worry about Elsa a lot, actually,” she admitted, her wide smile faltering and slowly turning into more of a soft frown as Mary continued on with the reading. She hadn’t ever really thought much of her appearance, certainly never bothered to worry about frown lines or wrinkles, but even as the older woman suggested it Anna couldn’t quite take it seriously. “Oh Hans would love me no matter what. We’re soulmates.” Or at least that was what she believed to be true. In actuality they were nothing even close and he would likely very much be bothered by any early onset wrinkles she may develop.

At the compliment of her heart line, the redhead’s smile returned. “I hope I am at least,” she agrees, not wanting to brag about what she considers to be her best qualities in herself. But it was true. Anna was very compassionate and loving with everyone in her life. But especially when it came to her sister and new husband. “It’s so fascinating that you can tell all of this just from my hand. Do you see anything else?”

[sandersonmary]

"This is just me talking, but if you worry for your sister you should talk to her. Do it for those of us who can't." All of Mary's guidance depending on Winnie, possibly a bit too much but she wouldn't have felt so lost in her first couple of years if she was around her sister. Sure, she has Sarah now but that was kind of like asking the blind to lead the blind. "If you say so," her sing song-y sarcasm said everything for her, that she didn't believe in soulmates. And that she was doubting a man's devotion to be so strong that he wouldn't care about appearances. If there was anything she'd learned from her sisters, mainly Sarah, it was that appearances did a lot of heavy lifting, that and a nice bewitching spell could do the trick to have a man never leave your side.

It was good to know her studies paid off, even if it were by some naive girl following along and hearing what she wanted to hear, it still showed Mary she was doing something right. At the request to see anything else, her eyes and finger followed along the heart line and stopping when she saw something that caught her attention. "Hmm," grabbing the girl's hand and pulling it closer to her she wanted to be sure she was seeing things correctly. It gave her an extra second to scan her mind for anything she could remember from her books to inform her of what she'd detected. "Do you see these hatches here? They signify complications; Emotional confusion, if you will. And then these downward branches, well... Those aren't really a good sign."

[sandersonmary]

closed starter for @waddlesmom location: mary's workspace/home

Business was going well, Mary had accumulated a number of customers with some people even becoming regulars. It was much easier now that she knew how to manage her work. She didn't have to give out free readings anymore as a way of getting clients, she had a steady rate for her services and was even looking into promoting her work in festivals around the island. Although, just because her business was doing well, it didn't mean it was honest work. At least not all of the time. Mary would swindle here and there but she just became smarter on when she would take such measures.

In the midst of stocking up her various ingredients for potions, Mary could hear someone walk into her establishment. She quickly finished her task before grabbing her deck of tarot cards before settling into the workplace part of her home. She mixed up the cards between her hands as she tried to decipher how much easy money she could make on this client. "Come sit down," she welcomed with a friendly smile. "Are you looking for answers for anything specific or are you just here for a general reading?"