She called me up at a quarter past three; "Big Sister, he hit me." Enough is enough, said, "Give me 15." 'Cause blood's thicker than whiskey...
"Hello there angel baby! I'm Sidnee O'Grady, but you can just call me Miss Buttons, everybody in Huntsville has since you were about a dandelion tall! Why, I'm 65 years old and as spry as ever! Been here my whole life long, I have. I used to own and operate the local toy store before the paradox hit, but that's been about a lifetime now, hasn't it? These days, I busy myself taking care of the young children around town. I'm a maternal type, that much you probably gathered, but I have a distinct lack of patience with stupid adults. My vices are simple- Beautiful women, and a vested belief that if Karma won't get you, Something- or somebody else will."
Name: Sidnee Lenora O'Grady
Aliases: Miss Buttons, Buttons, Sid
Age: 65 (July 9th)
Sexuality/Gender: Cis Lesbian, She/Her
Personality: A warm, maternal woman, Miss Buttons has built her reputation on the back of the archetypal kind southern grandma- an aging belle settling gracefully into her sixties, she carries herself with an overwhelming confidence in herself, well aware she's beautiful and brilliant and unwilling to compromise these facts for anyone else. It's her unwavering love for the most innocent among the people of Huntsville, the young, the abused, the 'odd' that has made her a fixture of the community- when blood fails, it's Buttons who's quick to offer those around her a home, no matter how temporary it may be. Always at the ready with tea, tarts, and a soft blanket, her home's walls hold hundreds of secrets tight- words whispered in confidence never passing cherry-painted lips to another soul. In a way, Buttons has earned her reputation as a witch, among those who take issue with her staunch sense of justice and loyalty to providing a voice to the voiceless. In others- she's just a sweet old lady, and the murmured stories of her knowing just the right way to make somebody's problems disappear are surely just that... Stories.
Occupation: Childcare provider, Seamstress, former toy store owner
Affiliations: She seems particularly close to Auntie G- But appears to be a free agent, beyond her general loyalty to the townsfolk.
Scent Profile: Sweet honey and natural sugars, dyes from plants and the homey, comforting smell of fresh baked pastries. Florals and turned earth, the sharp, cutting smell of various herbs and natural soaps. Light and comforting in a way that's almost performative- hot tea, bubble bath, and clean linen.
Aesthetic: Two pretty, shiny button eyes, 1950s perfection and red-lipped grins even a decade into captivity. She is not trapped here with them, they are trapped here with her. Gentle, pretty hands soothing scrapes and bruises, a piece of sweet candy to chase away tears, a stuffed animal well-loved mended with sure fingers and strong stitching. A gentle voice reading bedtime stories with a jeweled dagger tucked under her pillow, the nightmares don't come into her room when you run to her for solace- they fear her, as you fear them. Spiders and mantises in little glass containers across shelves, living, breathing decor, beautiful and deadly- women with a hunger for blood, and foolish men who push boundaries oft their quarry.
I don't claim to be a saint- But, no, it didn't feel like a sin. It felt like he got what was comin' to him.
CHAPTER ONE: LIFE IN HUNTSVILLE POST PARADOX
Calamity may rule the town she calls home, but it's done little to shake Buttons. She continues as she always has, attending kindly to the children around town and providing a listening ear and leaning shoulder to the young people who might need it. In the wake of murders, natural disasters, and the splintering of extremists, she's continued as she always has, a comfortable, constant presence with an unwavering will, and a lifestyle hinging on no small sense of personal mystery. This too, will pass, and even lying in a heap of rubble, it's likely that Huntsville will always have the heart-print dress clad presence of Sidnee O'Grady. Stepping up her care for the youth in town after the Halloween festival disaster if anything to give injured parents and grief stricken friends a little space to breathe, it's her vested interest in ensuring the safety and comfort of the children that's led her to start teaching other townspeople how to rear the plants she grows in pretty, perfect gardens year-round.
Salves and home remedies made from crushed, cooked, and blended plants, stuffed animals filled with dried aromatics to soothe away nightmares. It is the little bit she can do for the people trapped in town, beyond tea and a listening ear, and she remains willing as ever to take secrets to the grave. Though rumors remain about who's grave certain secrets may eventually lead to. In a way, she's thankful for her lack of employment, these days- the freedom to come, go, and do as she pleases has given her a number of interesting opportunities, after all.
