Kir McLeod
July 17, 2020 10:52 PM
Life's a drag by Kir McLeod
Kir looked at the assembled company in his living room. The arrivals and parental introductions and offering of snacks and so on had all been done, and now they had been left to get down to business.It was really cool having the old gang back together. Well, sort of… Connor wasn’t around, and a few of the other faces had changed since Kir’s day, plus Lyssa Fitzgerald had joined the party but not the ranks of the DnD group. Apparently, she was more than willing to come to a drag show, and Ness was more than a little bit keen on inviting her. He had noticed that his sibling’s sulky teenage mood, which had been a prevailing force of the holidays, had lifted considerably with the arrival of more friends, but with Lyssa in particular. He wasn’t trying to read into the fact that this had also coincided with CJ being banished to their aunts’ house for the afternoon. Not that drag and dressing up were unsuitable for someone CJ’s age – drag queen story hour was an absolute force of brilliance – but it just had seemed like it would be easier not to juggle those responsibilities.
He was super excited to play D&D again tomorrow, but also for that evening’s event. It was semi a fundraiser, but the cost was ‘pay by donation’ because the real goal was a space that was safe and accessible for anyone who needed it. The holidays could be rough, and it was nice to spread a little cheer. It was also a good chance to give out McLeod Foundation business cards, specially imbued with Floo powder and easy to keep in a pocket for anyone who decided home was not the place they wanted to spend the holidays. It could suck really badly if you spend too long thinking about the underlying reasons why they did what they did but it made his heart happy that his friends were all coming out to support what his family did – not that that might have been their main motivation, he knew, but they were here, willing to embrace this crazy world, and to do this too. He felt a little bad by how surprised he was at Parker, Gary and (possibly) Heinrich’s willingness to don drag (he had the impression that the latter was still on the fence but the former two were absolutely up for it).
“It’s good to see you all again,” he beamed, even though he’d said to all of them at least once already, but it really was, “Okay, so just in case you don’t know… Tonight’s party is a drag party. That means there’s a performance, which my friend James and I will be taking part in, and the audience is also welcome to dress up – but they don’t have to. We want a space where everyone gets to feel happy and relaxed, which means different things for different people. If you choose to dress up, you won’t be the only one. If you choose not to, you won’t be the only one. If you choose to just experiment with a little bit of glitter and a feather boa, you won’t be the only one. There’s going to be a broad range. The most important part is that you’re happy in what you wear.
“It’s an under eighteens party, so the only thing we ask is that outfits are not sexually explicit – maybe more ballgowns than bon- er, other things,” he rephrased. “There’s a few pictures from past parties up here if you want to come and see what kind of things people wear.
I’ve brought some stuff for you all to borrow – more on the Queening side of things, though I think there’s a general dress up box with hats and suspenders and things for Kings.
“Drag safety, please, please, please do not try to Transfigure anything more than nails or hair. You can do yourself a lot of damage. We’ve got plenty of padding,” he could also teach them to tuck if they really wanted, but he was probably going to wait to be asked on that front. He was pretty sure there was nothing that would put the guys in the room off drag quite so fast as learning what that involved. “Also, as drag queen hair tends to be pretty big, styled and outlandish, you may be better off using a wig rather than trying to extend and then style your own hair, especially if you’re not familiar with how to get style and volume.
“Everything here, you can go to town on, in terms of changing the colours, adjusting the fit or style. This my drag file,” he held up a pink glittery ring binder. “It has sections on pretty much everything – hair, make-up, body, clothes – and has my notes on spells I’ve found useful as well as tutorials from different magazines. I’m also more than happy to help – sometimes it’s easier to learn by seeing than by reading.
“Okay, let’s get cracking!” he grinned.
OOC – I’m setting this up like a class thread so that people can post and break into smaller conversations. You may god-mod Kir lightly, saying he gave you advice or tag him if you want more in depth discussions. Thinking it will work like DnD with one main thread but the option to branch of. As you wish, princesses.
Subthreads: What have I gotten myself into? [Ness] by Gary Harper with Ness McLeod, Kir McLeod, Lyssa Fitzgerald
Um, so I'm going to do this a little differently (Evelyn) by Heinrich Hexenmeister with Evelyn Stones
Making a friend? I hope? (Tag Evelyn) by Lyssa Fitzgerald with Evelyn Stones
Life is never a drag... but I am looking forward to being closer to loved ones (specifically one) by Parker Fitzgerald with Gary Harper
13
Kir McLeod
Life's a drag
366
1
5
Gary Harper
July 18, 2020 6:09 AM
What have I gotten myself into? [Ness] by Gary Harper
Well, here he was. The big get-together had arrived. He was looking forward to a lot of it, hanging out and relaxing, seeing Kir and Zev again, playing some more D&D with them again. He had a fun, fairly light-hearted, traditional Christmasy D&D adventure planned out for everyone. Rumor was that Zev might be prepping an adventure as well, so he had kept his fairly short with plenty of room for expansion depending on how things worked out. It was going to be a fun little crossover game as well. He'd managed to dig up some old character sheets. Erevan, Amber and possibly Nefrig were going to be meeting up with 217, Trym, Kathra, Siegmund and maybe Teifler. Parker had been in both games, so he got to choose which he wanted to use. Gary hoped he'd pick Nefrig just to balance out the groups a bit, but it didn't really matter. He had also made a few extra character sheets in case anyone else wanted to join in that hadn't played before.After all, he'd also heard a rumor that Lyssa may be there as well. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he hadn't had a lot of success talking to her the previous term, and that was key to getting to know her better and see what she thought of attempting some courtship rituals. However, Ness was going to be dressing him up like... well, he didn't really know what and he didn't know what sort of impression that would make on the girl.
Which brought him back around to 'the show'. Kir and Ness both seemed very excited about it. He was less certain on the subject, but he had made a promise and he was going to go through with it. He also was going to be pleasant about it, they were having fun and he wasn't going to ruin that by whining and complaining. He was immensely relieved when Kir made the rule of no sexually explicit outfits. That would have been... really awkward.
So, after Kir had released them to get ready, he immediately scanned the room to locate Ness. Upon spotting the one who would control his fate, he put on a brave smile and made his way over there. "Okay," he started, "Gary Harper, reporting for duty. I guess it's time you had your way with me." he paused and flushed just a bit. That sentence maybe hadn't been the right one. "I mean... what nefarious plans do you have for me?"
2
Gary Harper
What have I gotten myself into? [Ness]
1404
0
5
Heinrich Hexenmeister
July 18, 2020 6:23 AM
Um, so I'm going to do this a little differently (Evelyn) by Heinrich Hexenmeister
Heinrich was glad for the arrival of the rest of the D&D group. Evelyn and Ness and their family were all very nice, but he did still feel a bit like an outsider and with the addition of more people, he was suddenly much more of an insider. Relativity was an interesting thing. Also the game was likely to be fun and light hearted and he could definitely use some of that.The drag show before hand, however, was a bit outside his comfort zone. He was glad when Kir had said not everyone was going to dress up, and he wouldn't be the only one who didn't if he declined, but even if there were other people who were not dressed up, it did seem like most of their group was, and he didn't want to be the sole person in their party not doing anything.
Big hair and ballgowns were straight out though.
However, he'd had an idea of how he could 'wear women's clothes' and not feel weird about it, so as everyone started getting ready, Heinrich made his way over to his girlfriend, and asked, "Hey, do you have a shirt and pants that you wouldn't mind me enlarging to wear tonight?" If it was in Evelyn's wardrobe, it was, by definition, women's clothing. And Evelyn had clothes that were not dresses or over the top girly.
Maybe, maybe, he might try an elongation hair charm and see how bad that was before he just tried to mimic Ness' hair style.
1
Heinrich Hexenmeister
Um, so I'm going to do this a little differently (Evelyn)
1414
0
5
Evelyn Stones
July 18, 2020 8:52 AM
I'm impressed! You're clever AND brave. by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn was excited for this whole drag thing because, while she had certainly had the chance to dress up and play around at the McLeods' house, she'd never done proper drag and never with friends. Also, CJ would be elsewhere for the evening and Evelyn could feel herself relaxing thoroughly at the idea. She loved her brother and she wanted to get to know him, but she also just wanted to be sixteen and hang out with her friends and not think about everything that CJ represented. That feeling was added to the top of her pile of emotions, labeled "guilt" and "relief" in almost ewual measure, and she pushed it all aside to focus on the bubbling happiness and excitement in her chest. Her understanding was that she could dress up to be a drag queen or a drag king, but king made more sense to her, and would be easier to pull off without all the extravagance that she thought it might take, as a woman, to dress as a drag queen. She was contemplating some iconic showmen - Charlie Chaplin, for example - when Heinrich approached.She grinned, both at his presence and at his request. "I do," she nodded. Cocking her head a little, she smirked playfully. "I didn't know if you'd dress up," she admitted. "I'm glad you are." She took a breath, not wanting to linger too long and risk making Heinrich feel uncomfortable, and continued. "Any style in particular? I've got sweaters or tee shirts mostly. I don't know whether you'll be too warm?" A thought crossed her mind and she squished most of it, keeping only the part that was reasonable: "Do you want to come to my room and look with me?" She blinked innocently at him, wanting to really really leave it up to him.
22
Evelyn Stones
I'm impressed! You're clever AND brave.
1422
0
5
Ness McLeod
July 19, 2020 7:33 AM
Fun! by Ness McLeod
Ness. Was. Psyched. This was going to be the best two days basically in the history of ever. The fifth year had been feeling that way about it even before arriving home and finding out exactly what it was like having a kid sibling. It was annoying. Ness was not going to resent CJ living there, because ‘resent’ was a strong word and Matthias Stones was… an even stronger set of words. But that didn’t mean Ness particularly had to like it. Four years olds were annoying and their conversation was circular and repetitive, and CJ needed attention like… all the time, and often from Kir.But here was a whole two days of fun. Drag time and D&D and friends and Lyssa. And the fact that it was a CJ free period was just the icing on what had already been set to be a pretty tasty cake.
It was sort of funny watching Kir get up and give an intro speech like he was their teacher, especially about drag. Ness was curious to see how far they’d all take it and what looks they’d pull together. Speaking of which, Gary was already asking for help. In rather suggestive terms. Ness’ eyebrows quirked up in amusement, although it seemed obvious that there wasn’t anything to read into that except in terms of drag. Bawdy humour was totally on theme though, and Ness appreciated Gary getting right into the role. Ness probably shouldn’t have expected anything less from their DM, of course.
“Hmm, costume seems like an obvious place to start?” Ness suggested, opening one of the boxes of clothes Kir had brought down. “Hmm, this is at least Aladren blue?” Ness suggested, holding up a very sequined garment, “Though I guess as we can change the colours that’s maybe not-” Ness stopped as pulling out the sequined top had revealed it not to be a long shimmering dress but a leotard.
“Geez, Kir, these are your non-explicit outfits?” Ness challenged, waving the leotard, wondering whether it was weird to try and picture Kir (or his alter ego) actually wearing this. It was sort of like a potions accident - you knew it was wrong to look but there was something morbidly fascinating about it.
“I mean, I’d imagine you would want to wear a skirt or something else over the top,” Kir shrugged. “But it’s pretty. Tempted?” he asked Gary, mostly teasing.
13
Ness McLeod
Fun!
1419
0
5
Gary Harper
July 19, 2020 8:56 AM
Oh I hope so. by Gary Harper
Gary grinned nervously at Ness. The quirked eyebrow at his comment made him just a little unsettled. What had he gotten himself into? This may take some special level of mental detachment to survive. He could only manage a nod as Ness commented about starting with a costume. That seemed logical. Then after a moment a shiny blue something came out of Kir's one box. Oh dear... admittedly, it was Aladren blue.... and not a dress.He had been prepared for some sort of dress, not something that was that shiny and... tight. He just stared at it. Ness shouted something over at Kir, but he didn't really hear what. What was he going to do if Ness decided he needed to wear something like that? Well.. he'd wear it. He'd promised he would. He just didn't want to be a wet blanket, Ness was clearly reveling in this atmosphere and he desperately did not want to ruin it.
A skirt? Sweet Shelyn, he'd never thought he'd be so glad to be offered a skirt to wear. "I'm not sure 'tempted' is the right word..." he paused, "but you're in charge here." Looking around the room and glancing over the contents of Kir's box, he sighed. "I don't know much about this particular subculture... fill me in on the details, then this might go better." He gave his friend a hopeful smile.
2
Gary Harper
Oh I hope so.
1404
0
5
Kir McLeod
July 20, 2020 7:51 AM
Keep it safe, sane, and consensual by Kir McLeod
Ness was in charge? Kir was about to warn Gary that that was a risky move but held his tongue. Admittedly, Ness probably knew more about drag than Gary, but Kir was guessing from his remarks so far that that was a pretty low bar. In practical terms, Kir was not sure he trusted Ness to know one end of a make-up brush from the other, much less how to wield one, or how to apply mascara without poking someone's eye out. For health, safety and aesthetics he was pretty sure he ought to intervene at certain points.Ness could also be... Kir hesitated on the edge of the word 'bossy' aware that it was a very gendered word to use for behaviour which, in AMAB people, was usually praised as assertiveness, and that in spite of Ness' current lack of an obvious gender beyond ‘screw the patriarchy’, he had grown up regarding Ness as female. For all that had been allowed to mean whatever the heck anyone, and especially Ness, wanted it to mean, it didn't mean that he hadn't also absorbed certain subconscious prejudices. Speaking as a woke twenty first century person, calling Ness bossy was probably not on. Speaking as Ness' older sibling, urrrgh the Aladren was a bossy little pain in the butt sometimes. Given the upbringing they had both had, Kir was sure Ness didn’t mean to push people’s buttons or their comfort zones, but once the Aladren got an idea of How to Do Things, there was often very little leeway. That could come off as just annoying when it was a group project but could be problematic in this kind of situation, and Kir felt vaguely compelled to keep an eye on it.
He refrained from telling Ness to ‘play nice’ because that was likely to be seen as a challenge, and lines that Kir set were Ness’ favourite kind to test the limits with. So far, Ness didn’t show any signs of not playing nicely so far. And hey, maybe Gary didn’t want Ness to. Maybe Gary was into being bossed around. Far be it from him to police that situation if that was what it was. Of course, he’d feel better about that if he knew some rules and boundaries had been established but even if this was a sex positive household where they talked openly about things, he could recognise that ‘Hey, are you being my sibling’s play thing in a way you both find fun and have you discussed ‘hard no’s or got a safeword in case this gets out of hand?’ was maybe not a sentence anyone was going to let him get to the end of without imploding from embarrassment/hexing him/kicking him. Especially with someone else he thought his sibling wanted to date also in earshot. Not that that necessarily ruled out anything with Gary… But said other person was someone Kir didn’t know for sure was over sixteen, and even if they all were, Kir was really not sure he wanted to talk kink rules with people who were still in school.
“If Ness goes overboard, just throw down Sarah’s speech from the end of Labyrinth. No one can resist the power of that.” He thought that was a pretty good translation into nerd of ‘keep it safe, sane and consensual.’ And he thought Ness, as a role-player, would be willing to back down for that.
“That reminds me, I have some clothes and know some pretty good spells for whipping up a Goblin King,” he grinned. That had been a Hallowe’en outfit, and Zev had dressed as Sarah. He was sort of tempted to make it an ongoing theme that he dressed as a different era David Bowies every Hallowe’en, not least because that let him think about having years and years of Hallowe’ens with Zevalyn, even if there wasn’t always a corresponding outfit for her. Also, he liked that she had compared him (favourably) to Bowie, and he was pretty sure she hadn’t had any objections to the Goblin King look... Maybe, in future, they could take an era each, or be pairs of same-era David Bowies. Or they could stick to being Sarah and the Goblin King on a semi-regular basis, “We should find an excuse to do that again. Maybe swap roles,” he grinned, leaving Gary and Ness to it and crossing over to Zevalyn. And then when they had a kid, they could dress it up in little stripy tights to be the stolen babe, or if they had more than one, they could dress them all up as goblins… His grin turned into a slightly smushier smile, one that said ‘I want to play dress up with you forever and raise a tiny goblin army together.’
13
Kir McLeod
Keep it safe, sane, and consensual
366
0
5
Ness McLeod
July 21, 2020 5:11 AM
I'm being good! by Ness McLeod
Ness would have given an eye roll and some firm advice for Kir to butt the heck out but something he’d said was pretty attention grabbing. Ness weighed up the tantalising promise of the Goblin King outfit, both wanting to wear it and see a certain someone else wearing it...“That would look so cool on you,” Ness declared, making a decision and turning to Lyssa. The Aladren couldn’t help but grin, both at Lyssa being here and being Lyssa, but also the mental image of her dressed up as the Goblin King. Ness’ eyes were sparkling just thinking about it.
“Alright,” Ness returned to the task at hand, suppressing a Lyssa-induced smile and surveying Gary’s options. “I mean, as far as I can tell, the goal of drag is looking as ridiculous as possible. Like… The clothes are deliberately heinous and you roll with it for a laugh.” That was perhaps a very Ness take on the whole situation, and one that would have had drag queens clutching at their pearls in utter horror, but Ness was basically allergic to sequined fabric and glitter and found it challenging to embrace them beyond the ironic.
“Does anything here at least… amsue you, or seem like it would be fun to wear?” Ness asked. “It’s silly. So, you have a license to do as you please,” the Aladren added, hoping that helped. “Like… imagine you’re in a carnival or going to a costume party.”
13
Ness McLeod
I'm being good!
1419
0
5
Lyssa Fitzgerald
July 21, 2020 10:45 AM
Sane is a matter of perspective though right? by Lyssa Fitzgerald
Lyssa was surprised when both she and Parker were invited to the McLeod household. Excited, but surprised. The invitation seemed genuine and Lyssa realized there would probably be DnD at some point. She was interested in seeing how it was done. Or was it played? Considering that two of the important people in her life played it, she felt she should at least learn more about it right?Still, it was the part that was going to happen before DnD that made Lyssa surprised. Apparently Parker knew about this part. Not only knew, but had said yes a while ago to it. He seemed excited by the idea even. Maybe it was his curiosity at how one of these would look in the Wizarding world, or maybe that most of his friends were doing it. Lyssa wondered if Cleo knew about this, and what she would say. Parker was fairly open for a white CIS male, but there is only so much you can tell someone via owl. Then again, Lyssa had thought, maybe Cleo was also invited. The way their mom’s questioning went, the thought was also in her mind. Mom was more concerned about the fact that it wasn't an all one gender sleepover. She was talking to Parker about… things, but never talking to Lyssa. Lyssa was glad on that front. She hadn’t talked about her date with Ness with her mom. To be honest, she wasn’t sure what her mother would really say or how she would react. Lyssa was pretty sure it’d be positive, but still, she wasn’t going to say anything until after the sleep over was over. And Parker said nothing. Though at one point when his mom was talking about not doing anything inappropriate he looked over their mom's shoulder at Lyssa and cocked a half smile. Lyssa could feel her blush for days leading up to the party.
Lyssa liked the McLeod house almost immediately. It was inviting. If there was some sort of charm doing it then it was doing it in spades. Lyssa figured though that the owners of the house were what actually made it that way. She listened to Ness’s brother as he spoke about drag show etiquette and stifled a laugh when he almost slipped into using a word he didn’t mean to. Still, when the boxes came out she was uncertain where to begin.
Then she saw Gary walk up straight up to Ness and a small pang of jealousy ran through her body. She walked over and it seemed Ness was picking out his outfit, and he was really uncomfortable. Lyssa had hoped she and Ness would pick out each others outfits together. Then Kir walked up and talked about some 80s movie Lyssa remembered watching at some point a few summers. As Lyssa was trying to remember the speech that Kir was referring to, Ness turned to her. Lyssa couldn’t help but smile off of their excitement. They were just so cute and bouncy. She wanted to grab them by their cheeks and give them a squeeze. Apparently Ness was going to help her find an outfit. Lyssa cocked her head to the side and thought about the outfit of the Goblin King that she could remember. It would be a good outfit. She’d need some sort of binding though and a sock.
She turned back to what Ness was saying. Lyssa raised her eyebrows at “do as you please”. Were they hitting on Gary? Had Lyssa misread their seeming interest in her? Or was Ness polyamorous? Lyssa could still feel some jealousy, but had to commend Ness on taste if that was the case.
“Or like you are going to a Con, but as a feminine character,” Lyssa added. She felt this might be more like something Gary had attended. “Like umm…” There was an anime that was on the tip of her mind that Lyssa knew had a main character to went from male to female, “Oh. Like the character in Rama ½!” Lyssa said, her excitement over remembering the name of the anime and comic coming through a little too strongly.
41
Lyssa Fitzgerald
Sane is a matter of perspective though right?
1421
0
5
Lyssa Fitzgerald
July 21, 2020 1:06 PM
Making a friend? I hope? (Tag Evelyn) by Lyssa Fitzgerald
Lyssa had followed Evelyn with her eyes since she and Parker had entered.Lyssa was used to the Evelyn that was in Gardening Club where everyone was kind of sweaty and dirty, and Evelyn was one of those in charge now. She was also used to the Evelyn in class wearing her robes, doing all the things. Like Lyssa thought she did a lot, but dang girl.
She was not used to this new Evelyn. An Evelyn that seemed amazingly comfortable and at home here. Looking around it was easy enough to see why. Lyssa felt at home here too. More than that. She felt at ease here. This entire house and home was a sense of ease. And Evelyn seemed to glow with her ease.
It was also obvious that she was together with Heinrich, who seemed both at ease and tense. Lyssa let out a small sigh of relief. She could tell that Evelyn cared a lot about Ness and Ness cared a lot about her. So unless Ness and Evelyn and Heinrich were all polyamorous, it meant that Evelyn was going to be a friend, hopefully, of Lyssa as well. As someone who also cared about Ness, and hoped they would be caring for each other for at least a while, Lyssa figured she should get to know this young woman who glowed and smiled and seemed to be close with both her brother and the person she liked.
So when she found Evelyn alone for a moment she moved in right next to her.
“Hi,” Lyssa started and then was momentarily at a loss for words. She smiled at Evelyn. “I just have to say, you look lovely tonight and so happy.”
41
Lyssa Fitzgerald
Making a friend? I hope? (Tag Evelyn)
1421
0
5
Evelyn Stones
July 21, 2020 1:24 PM
I hope so too! by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn was excited that Parker and Lyssa were here for this shindig both for selfish and unselfish reasons. Parker was great and they'd become fairly close between DnD, Gardening Club, and Dueling Club. Oh and Quidditch. Really, it shouldn't have been surprising that at such a small school, social circles were basically concentric circles, but it still surprised Evelyn soehow. So on that front, she was excited to see Parker. At the same time, there was Ness, and Ness was all sorts of excited to see Lyssa. She would have been able to tell even if she didn't already know and it was nice to see Ness getting excited about a human because most of Ness' commentary on humans was either "they're terrible" or "they're wonderful." The Aladren was one of strong opinions and that was just fine with Evelyn, but it was nice to see an opinion look like bubbly smiles and sparkling eyes.Evelyn was just debating whether she wanted to be brave and go for a crop top tee or not when Lyssa approached her and . . . complimented her? She was pretty sure that Lyssa wasn't trying to flirt but Evelyn's experience with flirting was . . . Heinrich. So she couldn't be exactly sure what it would look like anyway, except that when she flirted with/at Heinrich, that's the sort of thing she said. Sometimes he complimented her and that was really nice, but also Ness or Gary or Parker would have complimented her sometimes too so it wasn't exclusive to flirting. Also, Lyssa was a Teppenpaw, and Ness thought she was nice, so it probably was just that. In which case...
"Thank you!" Evelyn grinned, letting herself appreciate the comment. "I feel happy. I can't say whether I feel lovely, I guess, but I feel happy," she added. It was true, and anytime it was true, she did her best to bask in it. She glanced at Heinrich, one of the primary sources of her happiness, and her grin grew a little more sparkly. "I'm glad you could make it," she said, returning her gaze to Lyssa. "I know I'm not the only one." She figured that was a safe statement because Lyssa probably knew that Ness was excited to see her, and if she didn't, then she could assume Parker was happy that she could make it because he'd brought her and he wouldn't have if he hated her or something. Evelyn had seen the siblings interact enough to know that they didn't hate each other. It just be nice to have a big brother, she realised as she thought more about Ness and Kir, and Lyssa and Parker. Maybe one of them would adopt her. Gary sort of already had, though, so maybe she'd just say he was her big brother. That was how that worked, right? "Are you excited for the show?"
22
Evelyn Stones
I hope so too!
1422
0
5
Gary Harper
July 21, 2020 6:43 PM
It is, and I may need to shift mine. by Gary Harper
Kir swung over to see how things were going and Gary gave him something of an embarrassed grin. This was not how things were supposed to be going. He was supposed to be helping Ness have a good time here. Now Kir was coming over to tell him to tell Ness to behave. "It's okay," he responded, "I'm just trying to figure this all out. Everyone starts as a newbie, I'll yell for you if things get out of hand." He looked around at the room of people, social events, not high on his list of favorite things. That wasn't helping him relax and get into the event at all.By the time he'd turned back around to Ness, he saw that Lyssa had been summoned. Oh. Well... okay. This could work... wait. Ness looked really happy all the sudden and talking about looking ridiculous and having fun. He smiled, now he knew what Ness was up to. Evelyn had talked to Ness after things had calmed down. She told Ness about their talk and how she thought Lyssa could be a potential match for Gary if they got to know each other better. So now Evelyn and Ness had carefully engineered a situation to make that happen. What else would makes sense? Sure Lyssa was in their class and they were friends, but nearly everyone else here was from the D&D group. That is where this whole idea started. Lyssa hadn't joined, so why else was she here? They had all set him up on the oddest 'get to know you date' ever. He wondered if Lyssa was in on it.
"Crossplaying" He responded to Lyssa's Con comment with a friendly smile. Cosplay was dressing up as a character, so naturally 'crossplay' had been invented to describe dressing up as a character of the opposite gender. "Yeah," that fit in his brain a little better, it wasn't something he'd done before, but it was a little closer to his own subculture. Was she one for nerd themed conventions? That was pretty cool.
He grinned wide when Lyssa brought up Ranma. "Yes!" Gary exclaimed, matching Lyssa's excitement output. "That one was great, still one of my favorites. That won't turn this into a martial arts drag show completion, will it?" He asked with a playful grin. That series had turned everything into a martial arts tournament, from rhythmic gymnastics to skiing to ramen take-out delivery. Well, if Ness and Evelyn had worked to get them together, he wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste. "Do you get to a lot of cons? I haven't been to one in ages. Maybe after graduation I'll have to find one to get to again."
Back to business though. "Alright Ness," he directed back towards his fellow Aladren, "You know the deal, if that's what you want me to wear, I'll wear it. You're calling the shots here, but..." he glanced knowingly towards Lyssa, "I'm fine if you want to make it a group project."
Then he indicating the blue, sparkly... garment, "But just remember, you'll be the one that needs to look at it on me." He gave Ness a grin and a wink. Ness was being awesome, he had to return the favor.
2
Gary Harper
It is, and I may need to shift mine.
1404
0
5
Heinrich Hexenmeister
July 21, 2020 6:48 PM
As an Aladren, I do like to think I am clever. by Heinrich Hexenmeister
"Ja," he admitted ruefully, "I did not know if I would dress up either. This seemed like a middle ground that I would not find terrible." He smiled back and flushed slightly at her statement that she was glad he was going to try it. He wasn't sure if she was just pleased that he was open to trying new and uncomfortable things that were important to her foster family, or if she was glad that she would get to see him wearing clothes that were more feminine (or even just wearing something that was not so formally school-uniform like, which even his casual clothes tended toward)."Um, I don't know?" he floundered when asked about a style. "Sweater?" he guessed, mostly because it was December, and winter was generally cold enough that sweaters were a more common attire for people who liked to avoid frostbite. Heinrich counted himself among those numbers. "Unless you think they are going to have the heat turned very high?" he added, because he had definitely never attended anything like this before and didn't know what to expect in that regard (or any regard, really).
He nodded in agreement to her invitation to look over her wardrobe. "If you do not mind," he added, because it was a very personal sort of invitation, and he wanted to be sure she was comfortable with it, too. "But that does seem the simplest way to make a decision, is to see the choices."
1
Heinrich Hexenmeister
As an Aladren, I do like to think I am clever.
1414
0
5
Evelyn Stones
July 21, 2020 6:56 PM
*smiles happily* by Evelyn Stones
"I think they won't have the heat up, but there will be a lot of people and moving, so it may get warm," Evelyn decided after a moment's thought. She thought back to the Ball, where it had been a cool early-summer evening and she'd been very warm. Different weather and different circumstances, but she suspected it wouldn't be that different otherwise. People dressing up, performing, and doing things they would never normally do, all for fun and flirtation. Sounded right.She was pretty sure Heinrich had accepted her invitation to look at her wardrobe and that was that. Which was what she had asked about so that made sense. For a moment, she considered whether she should ask Ness first since the two were sharing a room, but she was pretty sure that this was exactly the sort of thing that Ness would encourage her to use the room for - a moment away from the crowds with someone she cared about, all in the name of drag - so she wasn't worried. Instead, she led Heinrich through the gathered people and down the hall to the bedroom. Peeking her head inside to make sure both that it was vacant and that there weren't any weird things left out anywhere for Heinrich to see, she opened the door and crossed the room to her closet. There were, inevitably, some weird things here, but it wasn't as if Heinrich didn't know that there were people in the world who wore bras. Or at least . . . he probably knew that.
Her closet had a huge array of colors, mostly in the blues and oranges department but also in others, and she pushed the door open to reveal the whole of it for Heinrich. It felt vulnerable somehow and she flushed a little when she looked up at him. Was it getting warmer in here? She certainly felt warmer.
"Anything catch your eye?" she asked softly, not sure why it felt like she should whisper. She searched his face for any sign of an opinion as she waited for an answer.
22
Evelyn Stones
*smiles happily*
1422
0
5
Ness McLeod
July 24, 2020 12:50 AM
Letting me choose makes perfect sense by Ness McLeod
Lyssa came over and Ness felt Shroedinger's butterflies both flapping and settling at the same time. All the worries that built up in Lyssa's absence, the idea that Ness was building this into something this wasn't or that Ness was just the world's biggest doofus, some of those calmed down because it was just good when Lyssa was around but it was also flutter-inducing and there was still the continued challenge of thinking of awesome things to say and working how to go from getting flutters to getting kisses.This wasn't helped when Lyssa started speaking only a vaguely familiar language to Gary. Cons made them sound vaguely criminal, even if Ness had hears that word in Nerd before. They were a thing Zev had mentioned and were on the Aladren's ever expanding list of things to get around to sometime. But Rama Half was new. It sounded cool. Ness would have totally watched it. Apparently Gary had though, so now he was able to jump enthusiastically on everything Lyssa was saying, whilst Ness was left floundering.
"That sounds cool," Ness butted firmly into the conversation. It wasn't really a detailed opinion but Ness didn't want to be left out or left behind. Lyssa also seemed to have translated drag into Gary and he was happy and beaming at her, even though Ness was meant to be his guide, and Lyssa was meant to be Ness'... um.... Well, Gary wasn't allowed to smile at her. It was just rude.
Finally, Gary managed to remember Ness existed. He was asking about the top, which... how was Ness supposed to know what this Rama thingy wore? Gary seemed to want to do what Lyssa wanted. Ness would have been very tempted to stomp off and leave them to it but that was incompatible with the desire to have more of their attention than they gave each other.
"So, something like real life D&D?" Ness suggested, trying to keep in the conversation.'Crossplaying' at least made sense as a word to Ness too, more than 'con' did. "Like maybe one of the characters or like your funhouse mirror self - you looked pretty happy and badass as her," Ness suggested.
"Are you gonna be Goblin Royalty?" Ness checked with Lyssa, as she hadn't responded to that idea, and Ness wanted to check everyone wasn't going to go off and dress as things from something Ness had never seen.
13
Ness McLeod
Letting me choose makes perfect sense
1419
0
5
Lyssa Fitzgerald
July 24, 2020 12:47 PM
As a friend I should warn you... I may talk a lot. by Lyssa Fitzgerald
The eyes went somewhere over Lyssa’s shoulder, but she could guess who Evelyn was looking at. The two of them had gone somewhere together and come back together. And when they’d come back, Heinrich was wearing different clothes. Lyssa was a bit jealous of the ability and ease with which Evelyn could just take a boy somewhere in the house. Almost as if she knew where she was going and had some place to go. Was this also Evelyn’s home? The thought struck her as odd for a moment. Why would Evelyn’s home be here? Was Evelyn actually Ness’ sister? That might explain a few things, but it was still curious. Lead to the question on if Evelyn was adopted cause they didn’t look alike.Lyssa could feel a glow blossom in her chest as Evelyn talked about how Evelyn wasn’t the only one who was glad Lyssa had come. Lyssa looked down at her hands.
“I’m glad I could come too. I just…” Lyssa couldn’t quite figure out what she wanted to say. She felt uncertain what her part here was? That this felt foreign and yet homelike at the same time? That all of this was overwhelming but nice because she was meeting Ness’ family and that seemed like a big step, but also that seemed simple because there were others here.
“I’m a bit intimidated by all of this if I’m being honest.” Lyssa quickly glanced up at Evelyn.
“I know your Ness’ friend… or sister? Either way, you two are close, and I’m not as close and can’t always read Ness. They are still a bit mysterious to me.”
Lyssa looked down at her hand and played with the cuticles of her left thumb. “In a good way, but still. I’m a bit nervous to be here now. In their house,” Lyssa leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice, “with their parents around. Trying to make a good first impression on their family and figure out whats going on in that beautiful mind. And all I can think about is their…” Lyssa wanted to say lips but instead she just kind of went silent and let out a contented puff of air.
She turned to look back up at Evelyn. Lyssa’s heart stopped momentarily realizing what she’d done. She’d put Evelyn in an awkward position. Especially if they were siblings or worse best friends.
“Oh no. I’m sorry. Sorry,” she said waving her hand, “I unloaded on you there. I just know you and felt comfortable. But it’s unfair to you. I don’t want to put you in the awkward position of being… the person that gets it from bothsides. You're just the only non-sibling non-butterfly inducing Valkyrie I really know here at all. But it’s unfair cause you're their sister first, not my friend. Well, not yet my friend.” Lyssa correct her self at the end, feeling confident that given enough time she and Evelyn would become friends.
41
Lyssa Fitzgerald
As a friend I should warn you... I may talk a lot.
1421
0
5
Parker Fitzgerald
July 24, 2020 2:22 PM
Life is never a drag... but I am looking forward to being closer to loved ones (specifically one) by Parker Fitzgerald
The yard was nice. Like really nice. As they walked up Parker made a few mental notes on some things he'd like to add or changes he could make, but also things he'd want to research and copy. He'd found himself doing that more and more recently. It was actually fun. Like a puzzle he could solve and visualize.Then they walked into the house. The house was... warm. Not heat wise, but visually warm. Like you felt wrapped in a hug as you walked in. Parker let out a whistle. This house was big to be sure, but it gave one the feeling of coming home even though it wasn't his home. Given that this was a Wizarding house and his home was a Muggle home, the dichotomy felt odd. Still he loved it. After a few moments of uncertainty he simply went with it.
All of his current friends at Sonora were here. It was awesome to see all of them in one place. He smiled at Kir as well. It was good to see him, and yet it also caused him a little bit of ache. He wished that he could have asked about inviting Cleo. After all the talk his mom had given him and the number of times he'd gotten even Lyssa to say, "No Cleo at the sleep over", he still wanted her there. Having her there would be like tying all his favorite things together. Also, he imagined Cleo might enjoy learning DnD. He wasn't sure, but he could see her getting involved. Sitting inside with a cup of coco rolling dice and slaying imaginary monsters to take their minds off of real ones.
Kir gave a good speech. He'd never seen a drag show, but felt like, why not just go with it. The idea of different types of outfits was something Parker hadn't thought of. He had only ever seen Ru Paul's Drag Show as an idea of what this might look like. So the idea that some people might not be dressed up at all had not even crossed into his mind. Parker wasn't planning on doing that. He was planning on having fun. What was the worst that could happen? A few good times and good laughs before heading back and playing a longer DnD session.
Then Kir mentioned ballgowns. Floods of feelings poured into Parkers mind. He didn't hear the rest of what Kir was saying because he was thinking about Cleo and how beautiful she'd looked last year at the ball. That led to him thinking about how smart and brave she was for all she'd done at the ball. Parker felt his chest grow heavy. He wished that he was spending the evening with Cleo. That he was getting have a sleep over with her. He looked around the house. It was still cheerful but suddenly it seemed less homey and more lonely. Like he was outside while everyone else was inside the warmth.
Parker went to the boxes and started looking through clothes, but stopped after a bit. He felt he would do well in whatever was left. Instead he sat back in a chair and just watched everyone, wondering what Cleo was doing, wishing that cellphones and texting worked in the Wizarding world.
Then he saw Evelyn come back in with Heinrich. Suddenly he had an idea. He wondered if the note books worked at distance. That could be like texting! He made a mental note to send one to Cleo for Christmas and then test it out at his house and at the school. And if they ended up not going to the same university then they could message that way too. He practically jumped up out of the chair. He was once again jubilant and went to the box with renewed determination. He was going to have fun and then be able to tell Cleo all about it. Either via owl, notebook or more hopefully, in person.
He picked up what looked like a dress and turned around to the closest person.
"umm... where do we try things on? I'm assuming we're not supposed to strip in your living room."
41
Parker Fitzgerald
Life is never a drag... but I am looking forward to being closer to loved ones (specifically one)
1402
0
5
Evelyn Stones
July 24, 2020 5:43 PM
You're not the only one. by Evelyn Stones
It was odd seeing Lyssa like this. Seeing her smallish. She was talking to Evelyn like Evelyn was bigger and that was odd. Parker was one of the most confident people Evelyn had met, and from what Ness said, so was Lyssa. It was odd but it was nice; Evelyn appreciated the candor and vulnerability. She smiled reassuringly and chuckled at the check on whether she and Ness were related. "It's intimidating meeting everyone at once, for sure. Heinrich is just meeting everyone, too," she smiled. "We're sort of friends and siblings. We've been friends, but goes got sort of worse at home and when I needed a foster family, they made it official." Evelyn smiled, feeling brave and feeling loved and feeling okay with all of it for a moment. "That being said, Ness is a mystery to me too, sometimes," she added, grinning.Evelyn's smile turned softer as Lyssa went on and by the time the girl looked up, Evelyn was beaming. "Do you do hugs?" Evelyn asked, offering her one if she accepted. "You don't have to apologise. I'm happy to hear from both of you and I'm happy that you care about my friend!"
Surprise and then warm pleasure passed through Evelyn's stomach at the idea of being a non-butterfly inducing Valkyrie. She knew from Ness that this was a high compliment. "And I'm happy to be your friend. I don't know how we've never really gotten to know each other? I know Parker a lot more than I know you, but you mean a lot to Ness and that means you mean a lot to me," she smiled. She was about ninety percent sure this is not how the conversation between Ness and Heinrich had gone when they'd decided to try to get to know each other because of Evelyn, and she sort of wished she could be a fly on the wall for that conversation. With that in mind, she made a point to remember as much as she could of this since Ness would undoubtedly want to know how it went. Not that Evelyn was about to lay out Lyssa's private feelings for Ness, but she was sure her friend would want to know whether everything was okay at least, and whether Evelyn and Lyssa got on. "There are totally things I don't want to hear probably," she added, wrinkling her nose at some of the things she was sure she would hear from Ness anyway if they happened. "But on the whole, I don't mind. Ness is friends with me and Heinrich both. It works out. You're part of the gang!"
22
Evelyn Stones
You're not the only one.
1422
0
5
Heinrich Hexenmeister
July 27, 2020 7:23 PM
That makes me happy too by Heinrich Hexenmeister
Evelyn figured it would be warm enough with people heat that he shouldn't have to worry about being cold, so he figured he'd just go with whatever seemed the least uncomfortable of Evelyn's clothes, without worrying about if it was a sweater or a t-shirt. "That makes sense," he agreed aloud to her assessment. "Then I could go with either."She peeked in first before letting him inside, presumably to make sure the place was presentable to visitors as it wasn't a stop on the normal tour for the sleepover guests, but it seemed she and Ness had kept in it reasonable shape and he was allowed in without her needing to make any adjustments.
He looked around a little curiously, but tried not to read to much into anything he saw because the décor probably more closely reflected Ness than Evelyn as he had gathered that this wasn't Evelyn's usual room. The closet she showed him to, however, was reflective of Evelyn.
He felt a faint flush spread across his cheeks as he spotted a bra hanging in there. While he knew what a bra was thanks to having a teenaged sister, folding Hilda's laundry was one form of discomfort, seeing his girlfriend's was quite another.
Then it occurred to him that this event was about wearing women's clothes and, well, shirts and pants weren't all that Evelyn wore.
Fortunately, Evelyn's question helped him focus on other items in the closet, and he ran his eyes over the more public facing items of her wardrobe. He was naturally drawn toward the blue tops - it had been one of his favorite colors even before he'd been sorted into Aladren - and he started to reach to one of them, to be able to see it better, but then stopped. "This is kind of personal," he checked first, "so, I am checking consent. I can touch?"
And on that topic of uncertain liberties, he added, "Also, um, how, ah, authentic am I supposed to get for this thing?" he questioned, and let his eyes dart toward the bra briefly in order to let her know what exactly he was talking about.
1
Heinrich Hexenmeister
That makes me happy too
1414
0
5
Evelyn Stones
July 27, 2020 7:33 PM
Sir, you make me blush! by Evelyn Stones
Evelyn smirked, appreciating Heinrich's consideration. "Yes," she agreed, gesturing for him to continue. She wasn't that surprised that he'd gone for the blue shirts, but it was definitely hard to imagine him wearing any of them. Evelyn wasn't famous for a particularly flouncy wardrobe, but she certainly wore more delicate things than Heinrich did so it would still be odd on him for sure.She laughed aloud when he asked, without so many words, about wearing a bra. "Um... if you want to, you could go all the way. I think that Kir would probably have better ones for you than mine, though," she added, pretty sure Heinrich didn't want to discover the joys of stuffing toilet paper into a bra. Also, that seemed a bit gross. "He has some that have padding in them so they fit more naturally." She considered her own shirts again for a moment. "I don't think that anything will fit too weird if you go without, though, unless you wear one of the more . . . like the fitted ones?" She pointed out a shirt with a lacy V neck, something she rarely wore and that looked much better on the rack than it did on her body. "I think you should do what makes you comfortable," she smiled, aiming for reassuring.
That did make her wonder though . . . maybe she shouldn't ask. But it seemed like rude house manners not to and she did want to know. "Are you?" she asked softly, brushing her hair behind her ear and shifting her weight to the other foot. "Comfortable I mean? Being here has to be better than being at my dad's house but maybe it's worse?" At her dad's, they'd generally been alone or with CJ. Her dad had had little interest in spending time with his teenage daughter and her not-boyfriend at the time. That was very different from the house they were in now, where socialisation and bustling good humor were the norm. There was peace and quiet, too (excepting CJ, of course), but it was different. "You're comfortable with me?" she added, remembering again where they were standing. "I've . . . never had someone in my room before," she said, smirking with mock scandal, and hoping he wouldn't parse that sentence apart too much for literal-ness. "I'm comfortable with you."
22
Evelyn Stones
Sir, you make me blush!
1422
0
5
Heinrich Hexenmeister
July 30, 2020 9:17 AM
I blushed first, so it's even? by Heinrich Hexenmeister
At her permission, Heinrich began gently moving the shirts around so he could get a good look at each one. He did focus a bit more on the blue ones, but he did examine several of the other ones, too. The sweaters were generally more appealing to him than the t-shirts, so more of those got picked up and held out for fuller inspections, but he tried to examine a fair cross section. None of them were anything he'd normally wear, of course, but with enlargement, some of them weren't beyond the realm of possibility for tonight anyway."I . . . think I'll skip the bra then," Heinrich admitted, still a bit pink in the face. He didn't think wearing Evelyn's was entirely appropriate, and wearing Kir's was maybe less so? If Evelyn didn't think he needed one for most of the shirts, he was just as glad not to.
"I am . . . definitely pushing my amount of comfortable," he admitted when she asked about his level of comfort. "But not in a completely bad way?" he suggested, uncertain if he was explaining that well. "With your dad is was very in a bad way. Here I am . . . trying new things that I do not think my parents would have liked, but . . . they have done things I have not liked, too, and I do not think this is hurting anyone."
He smiled at her reassuringly, "And I am very comfortable with you." At her next words he became acutely aware that they were alone together in a bedroom. This was also something his parents and uncle would frown upon if they knew. But again, he did not think it was hurting anybody, and they had an innocent reason for it.
In as much as wearing his girlfriend's clothes was innocent.
"And I am glad you are comfortable with me. I will be sure to honor your trust."
To add a little levity, he held up a shirt that definitely did not have a lot of bagginess even for Evelyn. "Your clothes," he said with a twinkle of humor showing in his eyes, "however, may need some charms to make them comfortable for me though."
He put that shirt back and picked up another one that he recognized as one she wore a lot. "This one makes me think of you. If you do not mind, I think I would be most comfortable in one that says 'Evelyn' so clearly." It helped that the clothes that said 'Evelyn' the loudest were not particularly intricate or lacy.
1
Heinrich Hexenmeister
I blushed first, so it's even?
1414
0
5
Evelyn Stones
July 30, 2020 11:24 AM
That seems fair. by Evelyn Stones
Heinrich's discomfort over the whole notion of a bra was so precious and Evelyn tried really hard not to make him feel worse for it. Although . . . "Hey... does Hilda like . . . have anyone to talk to? About girl stuff?" There were some girl things that she'd been very glad had started for her while her own mother was still around. She'd hate to imagine they had come as a surprise for the only lady Hexenmeister for thousands of miles. Come to think of it, Evelyn couldn't even be sure that Heinrich knew about periods. She had to sort of assume he did, but unless Uncle Karl had laid it out for him, which she couldn't see happening . . . she made a mental note to be sure to catch up with Hilda at some point soon.Evelyn smiled and nodded, glad that he was as comfortable as could be, given their circumstance. "Pushing your comfort zone is Important," she agreed. "Even if it's just for one night." The idea of honoring her trust was a beautifully new concept and Evelyn beamed at Heinrich. She hadn't put it in words like that before, but she did trust him, completely. That was a bananas thought. But he was trustworthy, and he was kind. "I know you will," she said softly. "That's why I like you so much."
She laughed at his comment about that particular shirt, and pink tinged her cheeks. She'd never thought so much about her own wardrobe until right now. When he picked one of her favorite shirts, she smiled. There was, of course, a chance that it would never unshrink properly and she was about to have one of her favorite shirts ruined, but she found that she didn't mind. For one, it would be a heck of a story. They could turn it into a pillowcase or something after. But also, Heinrich was just . . . sweet.
"That works for me," she laughed, closing the closet as he withdrew the shirt. "Does this mean I get to wear your clothes for this thing?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow playfully. "I was thinking of something already but I dunno, might be fun to do this freaky Friday style. Which. . . . you don't know what that means. We're going to have to watch another movie."
22
Evelyn Stones
That seems fair.
1422
0
5
Gary Harper
August 02, 2020 6:56 PM
You're not talking about me, right? by Gary Harper
Well, that had gone... interestingly. Between Ness and Lyssa's ideas Gary now found himself with an armload of feminine warrior attire, including a huge foam sword. All things considered, they'd been awful nice to him. Well, he also assumed that any chainmail bikinis were in Kir's 'offlimits' box. That was a thought he really didn't want to have in his brain. He shook his head in a vain attempt to purge that mental image that was in the process of painfully searing it's way through his mind.Fortunately Parker distracted him as he walked past. "My living room? No, you'd better not, but it's pretty far from here so I think you're safe." He grinned at Parker. "Ness told me there was a room over this way we were supposed to use." Adjusting his grip on his load, he gestured towards a door. "Come on, I may need a hand with some of this stuff." Then he trundled on towards the indicated door.
Nudging it open, he stepped inside and dropped his load in a corner. Armor bits, padding, under clothes, accessories and a pink wig fell to the floor and sprawled about. With his arms now unburdened, he looked at the pile and scratched his head. "Where do you start with all of this stuff?" he muttered, "with the bottom layer I guess." He began removing his shirt and pants and mentally reviewed how things had been going so far.
Pretty good he thought. Ness and Lyssa were both being really nice, and he was pretty sure he had seen some looks shoot between the two of them. Maybe Lyssa was in on Evelyn's plan after all. That would make this all the easier, if she was already game for seeing where things had the potential to go. Hopefully he was making a good impression so far. She certainly was on him. This could be an interesting evening indeed.
2
Gary Harper
You're not talking about me, right?
1404
0
5
Parker Fitzgerald
August 03, 2020 6:09 PM
No, but I do think we should talk. by Parker Fitzgerald
Parker laughed as Gary responded.“Umm ya, that would be quiet the change of pace I imagine,” Parker said, “Sorry I was in my head. You don’t live here… right? I’m a bit confused by who actually lives here and who doesn’t.”
He’d seen Evelyn walk out of the room with a confidence that she knew where she was going and had a place to do it. And when she’d returned, it was just as confident. Parker thought of all the places he felt that confident and Sonora dorms and his own house were the only two that came to mind.
He looked at Gary’s arms. “I feel like i’m going to be underdressed compared to you, “ Parker said holding up the green summer dress he’d found. “But I’ll be glad to help. Us newbies should probably help each other out.” Having Gary here for this activity had calmed Parker down quite a bit. Once he’d realized that someone else who was a guy who he felt he could talk to easily, Parker was more excited about… whatever this was really about to become.
“Sure, I’ll help where I can.”
Parker walked in behind Gary and looked up to see him already taking off his clothes. Parker shrugged and started taking off his clothes as well and pulled the dress over his head. He felt a bit weird. The dress didn’t fit the same way as a lot of his own clothes, but he assumed that was kind of the point. He took the head band he’d found at the bottom of the box and pushed his hair back so it was held with it up. Seemed to work.
He took out his wand and transfigured it so it looked a bit like it was made out of green leaves to match his green dress. Parker smiled a bit. He felt like he might look like one of those garden fairies in books his mom used to read to Lyssa when she was younger.
“I wish I could take a photo of this outfit and send it to Cleo to see what she thinks,” Parker said as he walked over to Gary to help him if necessary since his outfit was basically done now. “Sometimes I just wish certain non-wizard tech was available ya know?”
41
Parker Fitzgerald
No, but I do think we should talk.
1402
0
5
Gary Harper
August 03, 2020 6:43 PM
Yeah, you're probably right. by Gary Harper
"Me? Nah, I'm outside of Chicago at the moment." He considered the situation, "But, I guess that'll change after this year is over. Then I'll be moving to Colorado to go to MENTAL." He had debated staying at home and 'commuting', but he was an adult now as far as the wizarding world considered him, so he figured it'd be as good a time as any to finally set out on his own. "Well," he amended his statement, "That is assuming RATS go well anyway. Then it's just a matter of eeking out some level of existence while learning all about magical architecture." He shot Parker a grin, "Do you have your plans all set?""Newbies?" Gary asked with mock affront to his dignity while he looked at something Ness had tossed on the pile. "What makes you think I'm a newbie at this?" What the heck was this bit for? He turned it around in his hands, looked at it from a number of different angles before he slapped himself on the forehead, "It's the baldric for the sword! I thought it was for..." His voice trailed off, "Nevermind. I have no idea what I'm doing."
He wrapped the padded undergarments around his chest and struggled to reach the clasp at his back, "How in the blazes do these things work?" He griped and turned to face Parker who was already ready to go, "Yeah... I'm going to need help. You look nice though... I guess?" He wasn't really sure how comfortable he was in making any judgement calls along those lines. He knew there were people that were attracted to other people with the same biological configuration as them, and that was fine, but he wasn't one of them.
"Call it a hunch," Gary speculated, "but knowing Kir, I'm pretty sure there will be some sort of picture taking going on tonight. You may well get your chance." The statement gave him a little pause, "How is Cleo doing?" Gary had never run in the same circles as Cleo, or really any circles at all, but asking after her seemed like the polite thing to do.
2
Gary Harper
Yeah, you're probably right.
1404
0
5
Parker Fitzgerald
August 03, 2020 7:17 PM
Wait... are you MENTAL? Maybe I want to be MENTAL too... by Parker Fitzgerald
Parker opened his mouth like a fish. Gary was going to do Magical architecture? Had he known that? Parker liked to count Gary as a friend, but he didn't feel like he knew this very important information. Important only because he might be able to help."You are interested in architecture? You know my dad is an architect right? Not a Wizarding one... I don't think. But many of the ideas I would imagine are the same... except when making buildings bigger on the inside than the out, secret passages and having to do things to get into different dorm rooms. Maybe that's just Sonora. This house doesn't seem to have any coded rooms. Then again, I've not seen a lot of it... anyways, if you'd like I can ask my dad about helping you out... if you want."
"I... do not have a plan really. But I really want to do landscape architecture. I've been reading a lot about it, and I think it's something that Wizards might actually pay for as well... Maybe I should look at MENTAL. It's in Colorado... so close to Cleo. If they have an architecture program then the probably have something around landscape architecture..."
Parker's voice trailed off as his mind started to run ahead. It actually made a lot of sense. MENTAL seemed to be a good place both for his life life and his possible future money making life. He wasn't sure where Cleo would end up or if she'd even be in Colorado, but Parker felt if he was in Colorado her father could get to know him a bit better and hopefully not be as... mean wasn't the right word, but scared?
He might have to talk to Killian more about it.
"Who knows, maybe we'd go in together on a business, you do the insides I do the outsides. Land and Home, architecture for your whole property," Parker laughed. Ok, now he really was throwing out some fun and outlandish ideas. Though not as outlandish as Gary's outfit. How had Ness talked him into it?
Parker walked up behind Gary and helped get the clasp attached. It wasn't easy. Parker was a bit awkward with it, but he got it there. He just hoped he wasn't going to be the one having to take it off, cause lord knows how long that might take.
"Ya, being a man is slightly easier in many regards, clothes is one of them," Parker said backing away from Gary, "plus none of these have pockets... I still don't understand that little bit of stupidity."
"Heh. You're probably right. Though I was going to ask her opinion before I got all done up. Not so much in the easy back and forth communication yet with Wizards. An owl can't get to her and back, and I really don't want to send something through the flue, especially a picture of me in drag in case her dad got to it first." Parker shook his head imagining Cleo's fathers reaction to such a photo.
How was Cleo? Parker thought about Gary's question. He wasn't sure how much Gary knew about Cleo and her current plans. He actually wasn't sure how much Gary knew about Cleo to begin with besides the fact that Parker liked and was now dating Cleo.
"Cleo is doing good. She's enjoying herself and growing sunflowers as she prepares for university," Parker smiled, thinking of their challenge.
"What about you? Anyone interesting back in Chicago?" Parker paused, perhaps that's how Ness talked Gary into that outfit. It would explain a lot, but Parker was worried. What if Ness and Gary were a thing, that could devastate Lyssa, Parker thought. "Or someone at school?"
41
Parker Fitzgerald
Wait... are you MENTAL? Maybe I want to be MENTAL too...
1402
0
5
Gary Harper
August 04, 2020 4:32 PM
Who wouldn't want to be MENTAL? by Gary Harper
Gary nodded in response to Parker's question. Hadn't he told Parker before? He was pretty sure Parker had given him the idea to start with. His eyes went a bit wide when Parker mentioned his father and possible help. "That would be great. I would think that magical architecture still needs to rely on some of the same baselines that the muggle style does." He paused and thought for moment, "Probably... honestly, who knows at this point." He grinned, "Thanks for the offer. I may have to dig into MENTAL's program a bit and see what I can find on that level of crossover.""I'm pretty sure you're the one that gave me the idea, but I've been building dungeons and wizard's towers for so long now," he shrugged, "I figured why not do it for real?" Another aspect of working with Parker's father struck him. Things weren't going bad with Lyssa so far... if things kept going good, being on good terms with her father wouldn't be a bad thing.
"You've got a way with plants," Gary said approvingly, "It sounds like a good route for you. Not just for pretty yards either. Some of those magical plants need very special growing conditions." He'd dropped herbology but he could still remember what Professor Xavier had taught them. "If you can figure out a good way to improve the output of some of those plants, you'd be in high demand."
Gary's face broke out in a huge grin when Parker mentioned looking into MENTAL. "Yeah, check it out. I think I remember seeing something along those lines. Ask Mr. Row..." Suddenly, Gary's voice hushed and he glanced around the room as if making sure no one was listening in. "Just, be a little careful. He's more than he seems." He gave Parker a wink then resumed his normal voice again.
"It would be awesome if you went there as well. We'd both at least know one other person then, and I'd have at least one guaranteed good player for whatever game I try to get going over there." Then another idea struck him, "Hey! I'm going to be getting an apartment over there, if you decide to come along and want a roommate, just let me know. It'll make rent a lot cheaper."
Gary chuckled along with Parker's laugh at their future business. "Nope, that sounds good. We're going to do that. 'Fitzgerald and Harper, Home and Garden. You dream it, we'll design it.' Well..." he amended, "again, assuming RATS go well anyway. You worried about them at all?"
He squirmed a bit as Parker worked that stupid clasp to try and help he wasn't sure it did. The whole thing just felt weird. "Yeah, no joke." Then he looked up, "No pockets? What? Why in the blazes would..." He began rooting through his own pile of clothing and came up empty. "What evil person would deprive anyone of pockets? They're one of the greatest inventions of mankind. What the heck? Where are girls supposed to keep their dice?"
A smirk found it's way onto his face as Parker ruminated about Cleo's dad getting an image of Parker all 'done up'. That reminded him of his earlier thought about making a good impression on Lyssa's dad, making one on her brother wouldn't hurt either, and he was standing here in a green dress. "Gotta watch out for those dads of pretty girls." He chuckled a bit as he pulled the undershirt on and started donning the leggings from the pile. "I remember last summer when I went to visit Jasmine. Meeting her dad was one of the most nerve wracking parts of the trip."
He nodded at Parker's response to Cleo's current situation. It sounded nice, and it seemed to make Parker happy. He nearly snorted at the question about Chicago. "No way. Not back home, I wasn't the most social person when I was there full time. Now that I'm gone most of the time, I don't even really know anyone in the area." Then Parker probed some more.
Or someone at school?
Did he know? He might... if Lyssa had been in on this arrangement, then she might have told her big brother about it. Maybe she asked Parker about him. He thought a moment as he buckled the long metallic skirt about his waist. Parker might have the answers he needed, but something was holding him back. Lyssa and Ness were friends, and Ness hated the patriarchy with a passion that burned brighter than the sun. Which admittedly, if the patriarchy had denied women pockets, they deserved whatever was coming their way. However, checking in with 'big brother' may be seen as some sort of evil patriarchal ritual and that wouldn't go over well.
Gary bobbled his head in a noncommittal fashion. "There may be some potential, but nothing certain yet. Maybe I'll have some news for you later on that front."
2
Gary Harper
Who wouldn't want to be MENTAL?
1404
0
5