#dbif: maria

[daisychainfiction]

What Bug thinks about mc? Does she thinks that their are her parent?

So, you choose what she calls you - parent/aucle or just your name.

That being said? I feel like she doesn't really think about it more than 'you are my person.' She's only two, and she's fairly isolated. She doesn't see/hear about others' "typical" family dynamic, so she doesn't look at things that way.

And canonically, you and Maria haven't figured out how (or if) you want to talk about Kimberly to Bug. It's easier to let things ride until she gets older.

[daisychainfiction]

Can we get María reaction to Bug calling mc "mom"?

Maria would be torn... at first.

But then she'd be relieved. She had a front-row seat to Kimberly's inability to be there for Bug. To Kimberly's dislike and fear of Bug.

She saw MC step up for Bug and Kimberly simultaneously. Taking them both in at MC's home, quitting their job to care for Bug, etc. not to mention the horror of MC coming home to Kimberly's body and suddenly being left as Bug's real guardian.

So, hearing Bug refer to MC as her parent would be a relief. In her eyes, it's how things should be.

[daisychainfiction]

Happy new year to buggy can we have snippet of her and mc having a new year with Maria in Bug first year with mc?

this was way sadder than anyone wanted, but I think it's fitting, given the situation.

Once upon a time, you would have been annoyed to spend your New Year's Eve at your mom's apartment.

Once upon a time, the thought of having drool on your shirt instead of spilled vodka would have baffled you.

But now you're here, sitting in front of a television with the sound low and a sleeping baby swaddled against your chest.

This wasn't the life you chose.

This was the life that Kimberly chose for you.

Your mother comes in with a serving tray. You wince as her gait drags, the bad leg working overtime without her cane.

"Mom, let me-"

"It's fine," she shushes you, setting the tray on the coffee table. It's laden with snacks and a bottle of sparkling wine. A baby bottle of formula and two plastic champagne flutes finish the spread.

When she collapses into her recliner with a relieved huff, you feel a wave of malaise overcome the apathy that's been your life for months.

"Hey," Maria says, voice gentle.

You glance at her - the simple movement seems to take hours.

"It'll be okay."

You nod, the motion wooden.

"It'll be a new year."

Another nod. This time, though, you feel a thick ball in your throat, a sob that's been trapped for too long.

A soft sound draws your attention to the baby swaddled against your chest. Her eyes are open and dark.

You swallow past the lump and offer Lily a little smile. "Hey, you," you whisper. "It's almost a new year. Did you know that?"

The baby blinks and wiggles, snuffling and making little smacking noises with her squishy face.

"Aww, is she awake?" your mother asks.

"And hungry, naturally," you chuckle hollowly, reaching for the bottle on the coffee table. You check the temperature before offering it to the baby.

"This next year is gonna be better, right?" you ask her while she eats, her dark eyes focused on you. "We'll make sure of it, huh? Nothing but good stuff allowed."

"The countdown is starting," Maria says from the other side of the room.

But you don't look up. You watch your niece -no, your daughter- and spend the last thirty seconds of the countdown promising her a better future.

"Happy New Year!" your mother announces, uncorking the sparkling wine with a pop.

You and Lily don't react, eyes locked, stuck in your own moment outside of time.

You smile at her and use every ounce of comfort you can muster. "I won't leave you, Buggy-boo," you promise. "Never."

[daisychainfiction]

What Ros our mother would approve?

Maria gets to meet the Inner Circle ROs, albeit briefly, at the end of Chapter Three. So I am going to base my answers off of her first impressions only, not later developments.

.

Silas - what a nice-looking man. Too bad about that glower. His expression softens around MC, though, so he can't be all bad...?

.

Annika - why does she make me think of sunshine? She's so lovely.

.

Vardah - hmm... Something about her seems off... Something about her seems familiar...

.

Hunter - such a sweet young man! And so handsome. Why is he so nervous, though? Is he hiding something?

.

Jordan - what an asshole. Christ Almighty, what a dick.

.

If she were to meet Nadia, she'd be worried. Why is she so quiet? Why won't she look at me?

[daisychainfiction]

oougghhhh the parallels in kim being obsessed with xavier and mc (can be/) being obsessed with nadia like wow it runs in the blood huh 🤭💕

exactly.

Add in that Maria was obsessed to the point of blindness with her ex-husband... 🤭 This could be a bloodline of lovesick fools depending on MC's choices.

[daisychainfiction]

What's the most embarrassing thing the characters have ever done?

Ooo fun. Below the cut!

[ROs]

Annika – Caught by Deerly while having sex with Deerly’s son, Xavier. She was terrified Deerly would have her sent to the woods. When that didn’t happen, Annika settled on mortification. She didn’t speak to Xavier or look at Deerly for a month.

Vardah – has no sense of shame whatsoever. The day she feels embarrassed is the day she’s dead.

Hunter – the quintessential ‘asked a someone to prom and was let down in front of everyone.’ It wasn’t even that embarrassing of a rejection, but he was so sure the feelings were mutual that he was not prepared. Stood there grinning like he thought the person was joking. No one made fun of him to his face, but there was a lot of pity (which was worse in his opinion). He has still not recovered.

Jordan – Was the 'someone' Hunter asked to prom. Unlike Hunter, they have recovered from it. Nowadays, nothing can embarrass them.

Silas – Got super sick but decided to go through with a paid speaking engagement (because broke post-grad). Went up on stage, forgot his notes and talking points. Tried to wing it. Failed spectacularly. Literally fell and got a concussion leaving the stage. Turned out he had pneumonia and could have died if he didn’t get sent to the hospital.

Nadia – Nadia’s biggest embarrassment was writing herself secret admirer letters as a teen – and then getting found out by the biggest loudmouths at Deerbourne, Xavier and Silas.

[Others]

Kimberly – sold fake feet pics online. As in. Silicone mannequin feet that beauty schools use to teach students/ stores use to model shoes. Got found out by Maria and grounded for three weeks.

Maria – couldn’t get into her car in the grocery parking lot. The key fob wasn’t working, so she called a locksmith. ...It wasn’t her car; her car was two rows down. The real owner threatened to call the cops, plus she had to pay the locksmith for their time.

Deerly – redacted for plot purposes 🙃

[daisychainfiction]

Characters Halloween costumes?

Yay, Halloween question! 🎃

Annika – Poison Ivy. She’d find it a hilarious juxtaposition to herself (even though she’d probably agree with Ivy’s pov if she were in the “real world” and not sheltered by Deerbourne’s communal society). She’s spending the evening handing out candy and handmade trinkets to the children and hanging out with Hunter or Deerly.

Silas – Silas used to plan ornate group outfits with Xavier, Annika, and Linea when they were younger... Before things got messy. Since then, he’s defaulted to adding a cowboy hat to some jeans and a button up. Low effort, but at least he’s participating, right? He’ll spend the night in the cafeteria handing out treats and spending time with Hunter and whoever else is around (and avoiding Deerly if possible).

Vardah – She’d love to dress up like an Ent (LotR) just to piss off Deerly. But not really, because sometimes being a thorn in someone’s side isn’t worth the aftermath. (Plus, she wouldn’t want to scare the kids.) She’d probably end up doing something typical… A sexy nurse, probably. She’d love the little hat.

Jordan – they would go all out on some typical costume. For example, if it’s a pirate costume, they’re decked out in authentic fabrics, leather, and jewels. They do up their long hair with authentic styles… the whole thing. They’d probably hand out little cheap baubles to everyone and put on a show for the children.

Nadia – She’s the one who won’t dress up, but that’s common for the older Initiates. She’ll spend the night telling the kids ghost stories and refereeing Ghost in the Graveyard and Flashlight Tag games.

Hunter – he dresses up as a different famous baker each year. He firmly believes in being properly dressed at work, and since he spends the whole night baking and decorating treats for the community, this is the way to do that! Not outfit related, but he also holds one cookie decorating contest for the children and a second one for the adults later in the night.

Bug – this year, she wants to be an astronaut! However, she’s a little unclear on the concept because she also wants to wear a star halo and a mermaid tail. Maria is willing to oblige but is having trouble determining what to dress as to match the girl – a fish or a planet? An unholy mix of both? How would that even work?

Maria – she will dress up as a match to whatever Bug / you and Bug choose. (Last year, your family dressed up as characters from Super Mario. Maria was a Yoshi (without the mask because it scared Bug), Kimberly was Peach, and Bug was Toadette. Maria has a picture of the four of you in costume on her fridge.

Kimberly – she hated dressing up, even as a kid. Last year, she was willing to do it for Bug. On all Halloweens she participated in, she dressed as Princess Peach.

Deerly – she always wears one of her black smock dresses and a massive pair of antlers made from sticks on a velvet headband. If Halloween is on a school day, the children sometimes paint her face to look like a deer.

Stacey and Lacey – the pair don’t seem to understand the concept of time, so they don’t dress up unless someone gives them costumes to wear.

[daisychainfiction]

chapter 3 snippet [2]

if you didn't talk to your mom and Bug at the end of Chapter 2, you're in for a rough conversation in the morning...

[daisychainfiction]

Can we facts about MCs family and their dynamic (that isn’t spoilery) ?

Of course, I’d love to! :)

Maria is also called Mama Ria by everyone - except, ironically, her children. She is well-liked by most of the people who meet her – this is one of the only childhood ambitions she succeeded at.

Maria failed at her law aspirations. She failed at a happy marriage. And, most hauntingly of all, she failed at loving her second-born child, Kimberly.

*

She wonders if it’s because she was forced back to work two weeks after giving birth. Perhaps it was untreated post-partum depression. Maybe it was because her marriage fell apart the moment her husband discovered there was another child on the way.

Whatever the reason, your mother could never relate to Kimberly. Kimberly was always too quiet, too moody, too selfish.

But was she? Or was it Maria who pushed her to melancholy?

When Kimberly disappeared, Maria was terrified. She harassed the police, she hung posters, she begged for her return on television.

It lasted for a year before Maria silently, secretly, accepted that Kimberly was gone for good.

*

Maria adored -and still adores- you. You were everything to her when she was pregnant with you; the bond only deepened once you were in the world.

After Maria’s near-death experience -and subsequent injury- she began to dote on you even more.

*

When Bug arrives, Maria feels the love she never had for Kimberly.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Kimberly. What can be said about Kimberly? She was a quiet child. She kept to herself when Maria was home. She usually spent her time in your shared bedroom with her MP3 player blaring over cheap headphones.

*

When your mother wasn’t around, Kimberly was your shadow. You didn’t mind – you liked your little sister well enough. She never got underfoot, she was always willing to do what you wanted, and she had a penchant for ‘finding’ things. You’d come home to discover new magazines on your pillow, shiny baubles on the windowsill, and color-rich nail polishes on her bedside table.

You’re not sure if she came about these items legally, but you never asked.

You never asked her a lot of things, did you?

*

Kimberly feared Bug -her own child!- and you might never know why.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Bug (or Lily if you want to be a spoilsport) is two-and-a-half years old. She doesn’t remember Kimberly, but she sometimes smells the geranium shampoo her mother used. It comes to her when she’s in that place between dreams and wakefulness.

*

Bug loves her grandma Maria. Her favourite times are when they are snuggled up in the old brown recliner, listening to music.

She likes the voices her grandma makes when she reads stories. Grandma also has the best cookies! She lets Bug help even though the kitchen is small, which makes Bug feel special. Grandma never lets you in the kitchen!

Sometimes Grandma tries to get Bug to speak, and that makes her sad. Not talking feels better.

Not talking means the words don’t slice through her with their sharp edges.

Not talking is safer.

*

Bug likes you a lot. When you go to Deerbourne, she misses you fiercely. Seeing you on the weekends isn’t enough, but she has to make do.

She doesn’t like your cabin at Deerbourne. It feels like she’s being pressed from all sides, squishing into nothing. But you’re there, and you make everything better.

One good thing about Deerbourne is the butterflies! There are always so many around the cabin when she visits.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

[daisychainfiction]

Been collecting some Bug requests, so here's a story wrapping them all into one 🧡

When you wake, it's to a room that is both unexpected and too familiar.

Your childhood bedroom. What are you...?

You groan, a slight pain behind your eyes. You rub at the bridge of your nose and brows, then let out a deep sigh.

Right. You're back in Seattle. You're at your mom's apartment.

You've officially sold your townhouse.

You're officially moving to Deerbourne.

The past three years have been a whirlwind. A strange cycle of terror, growth, and hard choices.

Choices that led to this. Led to a new home for you and Bug.

You rub your eyes again. The soreness is undoubtedly a side effect of signing the sales documents for your townhouse and secondary vehicle. Add in 'helping Mom trade in her van' and 'purchasing her a better one'? No wonder a headache brewed overnight.

The door creeks open only a bit, only enough for a six-year-old's head to peek through.

"Bug?" you ask, wincing.

Bug giggles, shutting the door quickly and stage-whispering, "Grandma! They're awake!" much too loudly to be secretive.

Her voice is still a shock even though she's been speaking for the better part of two years. Higher and louder than you ever thought she was capable of.

It only takes a few moments for the door to open again, interrupting your thoughts. Bug launches onto your bed with a big grin, flinging herself onto you in a crushing hug. "Happy birthday!" she exclaims, beaming.

You wince but force a smile, wrapping her in a hug with one arm and pressing your free hand to your forehead. "Thanks, Buggy."

Bug frowns a little. "Your head hurts?"

"Yeah. Lots of reading yesterday."

"Reading is hard," Bug says solemnly as if that is the issue.

You smile, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Sure is. You have to finish learning so you can read everything for me."

She giggles a "Noooo," squealing when you tickle her side. You wince again, but it's worth it.

Maria presses into the room with a small tray, her expression scrunched in concentration.

"Mom!" you exclaim. "Don't -- why are you -- Bug, go help!"

"I'm fine," Maria chides; even so, she lowers the tray so Bug can take the mug of coffee. "Be careful, it's hot," she warns the girl. Bug dutifully steps carefully, handing over the half-full mug.

Maria's unsteady steps make it to the bedside. She passed the tray to you before gratefully sitting on the edge of the bed, letting out a little groan as she relaxes her bad leg.

"Mom," you chide - it's gentle but still reprimanding. "You shouldn't-"

"Oh, hush," she snorts, "it's your birthday. Plus, breakfast is the least I can do after helping me at the dealership."

"Grandma!" Bug whisper-not-whispers, "Where's the present?"

Maria smiles a little, nodding toward the door. "Where you left it on the dining table. Don't run," she adds, stopping Bug mid-run.

When the girl leaves the room at a barely restrained trot, you glance down at your breakfast. It's your childhood favorite, of course.

"Thanks, Mom," you say, voice soft.

"I won't get many chances to do this anymore," she murmurs. "Now that you're moving so far away.

"We'll visit," you say - not for the first time. "And like I said... Our new cabin has a spare room. You can move in with us. Or have one of your own nearby."

Your mom shakes her head - not exactly in refusal, but on dismissal. "Eat your breakfast."

You only take a few bites before Bug returns, holding a small gift bag. "Happy birthday!" The girl sings, thrusting the bag at you. "Open it! Open!"

"Let them eat first," Maria chuckles, pulling the girl onto her lap.

You eat quickly, slurp some coffee, and then grab the bag. Bug wiggles in excitement, eyes roving from you to your mom with a secretive smile.

You reach into the bag, push aside the tissue paper, and withdraw the gift.

It's a kiln-fired clay figurine of a nondescript family - an older woman, their child, and a little girl. It's been painted -obviously by Bug's hand- in bright, sloppy strokes. The faces, though, are lovingly detailed by Maria.

You feel a lump thicken in your throat as you rub a thumb across the figures, admiring. You swallow, press the figurine to your heart, and croak, "It's perfect."

Bug jumps onto you again - you move the figurine away to protect it, pulling her close with your free hand. You kiss the top of her head, eyes meeting your mother's.

"Come with us?" you ask again, voice soft.

Your mother smiles a little and doesn't decline or accept. "Happy birthday, sweetheart," is all she says.

You swallow and nod, letting it go... for now.

You have the whole weekend to convince her.

[daisychainfiction]

Can we get a snippet of bug seeing buterflies for first time?

🦋

It's one of the rare, perfect spring days in Seattle. You and Maria take advantage of it, as you did when you were a kid, by getting in the car and driving.

You can't have the windows down like you used to as a kid. Lily's in the backseat, babbling to herself, and would go from happy to terrified if you tried.

That's fine, though. The sun is warm, the traffic light thanks to the workday, and you know exactly how beautiful your day will be.

King County becomes Pierce County. The freeway exit looms ahead; your mother takes it without thought, so used to this trip.

When you park, you practically lunge out of the vehicle. The crisp air from the bay buffets you, filling your chest with the scent of brine and freshly cut grass.

By the time you finish enjoying the moment, Maria has pulled Lily from her car seat. You take Maria's cane and Lily's wrap carrier from the trunk. You secure the sarong around your chest, the motion easy with practice, and Maria helps you set Lily inside.

Swaddled against your chest, Lily giggles and gums at your shirt collar, contently kicking her freed legs against your sides.

"Gonna be a soccer player, huh?" you say to her, kissing the top of her head.

"Kickboxer," Maria amends, closing the back door and locking the cable, turning a soft smile at you. "Ready?"

The pair of you meander toward the waterfront, admiring the new wildflowers trying to pop up among the cultivated park lawn. The glittering blue of the bay. The rocky coastline.

You pause a few times so Maria can rest. You think you should have pushed and insisted she brought her walker, but... At what point does worry become infantilism?

Lily lets out a shrill shriek of joy - it startles you, your gaze sweeping to the girl as she squeals and kicks.

It takes a moment, but you finally see it.

A butterfly.

It's alit on your left shoulder, goldenrod wings fluttering.

"Oh!" you exclaim, surprised.

Lily kicks her feet and reaches a chubby hand toward the little creature. Before you can stop her (terrified she will grab it and shove it in her mouth), the butterfly flutters up, out of reach, gossamer wings flitting against your cheek.

Lily watches the butterfly, eyes wide and mesmerized. She softly mumbles nonsense to herself; her body has gone still, her expression one of disbelieving wonder.

The butterfly, to your surprise, doesn't leave. It goes to your other shoulder. This time, Lily doesn't reach for it. She simply stares, one hand clutching your collar.

The sound of a camera shutter startles you - the butterfly glides away, yellow disappearing into the green and blue horizon.

Maria comes over to show you the photo - Bug's little face and gleaming eyes in the foreground; the butterfly plays second fiddle in the picture. In the background, out of focus but still a part of the memory, is your neck, the curve of your jaw, the corner of your wide smile.

Something thickens in your throat, an emotion too profound to understand. You press a kiss to Lily's forehead, whispering, "That's a good picture."

Maria smiles, eyes soft. "It is."

You clear your throat. "Come on," you say. "It's lunchtime, right, Buggy-boo?"

The girl still stares toward the butterfly's retreating body. Or maybe she's forgotten the butterfly and is focused on something else. A person or dog or bumblebee.

You suppose it doesn't matter.

You and Maria turn your path from the sundial monument on the coast toward one of the small eateries littering the waterfront.

[daisychainfiction]

If mc father appears he would think that bug is mc daughter?

Yeah. Maria would not be pleased if he showed up - she would do her best to keep him away from Bug. He's a stranger now, after all. Who knows what he's been up to.

I'm unsure if MC would tell him what all happened (with Kimberly, with Bug, etc) since he left - that's up to your headcanon.

Bug is usually very nervous around new people - given Maria and MC's weird vibes regarding him, I assume Bug would also choose to keep away from him.

[daisychainfiction]

what about which ros would approve of our mother? (jk---

So, Nadia is the only one who knows anything about Maria, and Nadia despises her. She knows Maria was emotionally neglectful when it came to Kimberly. She heard many stories (some exaggerated, some true), and most were bad.

The others don't have any opinions on her at this moment. Because she loves MC and Bug/is very involved in their wellbeing, the other ROs wouldn't have reason to dislike her.

...

Oddly, Jordan is the one who enjoys her presence the most. Her annoyance about their blase attitude amuses them.

[daisychainfiction]

Is mc and kim father alive?

He is, but no one knows/cares where he ended up. He left the family shortly before Kimberly was born, cutting all ties.

[daisychainfiction]

Maria is disabled?

She is. It's first seen in the prologue - Maria can't move around well/drags her foot. When she isn't at home, she needs a cane. On bad days, a walker with a bench seat.

The prologue hints at the reason, but isn't explicit at this point. It'll come up in chapter 4.

Maria was involved in a car accident six years prior to the start of the story. During a police chase, a cop car struck her when she was a pedestrian. The cruiser slightly hopped the curb where she was waiting to cross at the street corner.

The prologue mentions open distrust of the police - part of that is simply because everyone should be wary of militarized police forces, but it's also because the police first claimed that Maria had been in the road illegally. A traffic cam showed that was untrue. Then the police union and city tried to pin the accident on the fleeing car during the chase - not the police officer themself. No accountability, open lies, trying to paint Maria as the one at fault... There is no love between your family and the police force.

Maria ended up winning her lawsuit against the city, hence her monetary comfort and the ability to pay MC's rent when MC had to stop working and care for Bug due to Kimberly's erratic behavior (and then her death).

[daisychainfiction]

ooh! what is bug's favorite pastime activity?

Coloring! Bug's favorite thing is having her kiddy music playing so she can lie on the carpet and shimmy while coloring. She also likes coloring with Grandma Maria, but she does *not* like sharing the same coloring book. Grandma has to use her own 😂

Bug's favorite post-bath ritual is curling up with you on her bed, snuggling up, and reading her popup books. If Maria reads to her, Bug wants to cuddle with Grandma on the oversized recliner with a nice chenille blanket.