#just a lil blurb about vans childhood

[pillsarchive]

Stay out of the basement!

Vanessa has quality bonding time with her dad and nothing else of note happens (READ THE TAGS OH MY GOD READ THEM DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT)!

Anyone who can guess where I got the title from gets a cookie :3

Vanessa had always been curious. Her mother thought it was annoying, when vanny would bother her too much with her questions she’d get grounded. That’s why she liked being around her dad so much more - he encouraged it. His favorite thing to do with her was teach her about robotics. She loved watching him work, tinker with tiny metal plates and weld parts together. He’d set everything he was working on out on the kitchen table and meticulously explain what all of it did, how each little piece helped the larger machine function. Today wasn’t one of those days. Her mom and dad were sleeping in different houses now, they had never really gotten along very well. Vanessa hadn’t cried when she’d gotten told that she’d be spending all her time with her father now, that her mother only wanted vanny to come over every three weeks. It was like a party all the time, her dad never told her she was being too loud, never asked her to leave him alone, he loved her. The only bad thing about staying with her dad was when he had to leave her alone to go do business stuff. She’d get lonely. The house felt empty without anyone else in it, and after she watched all the movies they had on vhs boredom set in. She wished he’d left something out on the kitchen table to play around with, even when she knew she wasn’t building anything functional she liked to screw things together and make little metal sculptures.

 Then, she got an idea. 

Her dad always kept more things for his projects in the basement. Vanessa got up, tugging down the sleeves of her sweatshirt and padding down the hallway towards the door. Before he’d left the house, he’d reiterated what he always told her before he left her alone. 

“Remember, vanny, dont go into the basement.”

She didn’t think much of it. Her mother had always been the one to get her in trouble, her dad had only ever been mean when she did bad in school, or when she wouldn’t behave (which wasn’t very often - she prided herself on being the type of kid he bragged about). She was smart, dad had told her that, and she knew how to stay safe around his machines. He was probably just scared she’d get hurt, that a spare screw would run through her foot. She quickly ran back to the front of the house and tugged on a pair of shoes. Before she walked back to the basement door, she thought for a few minutes about anything else she could have missed. When she couldn’t think of anything, she slowly opened the door and started down the metal stairs. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. Even though she knew she wouldn’t get caught, she could almost feel him watching her. As she descended further into the dimly lit basement she realized this was the first time she’d ever done anything he’d told her not to. The thought gave her a strange satisfaction, the fun of taking a risk outweighed the fear of being found out and she flipped the lightswitch. 

As Vanessa’s eyes adjusted to the light, she scrunched up her nose. It smelled funny - like the one time a steak had gone bad in the fridge at their old house. She put her sweatshirt neckline up over her nose and looked around. There were half finished machines everywhere. Her eyes were drawn to a doll in the corner, it was smaller than all the other robots and it had an old fashioned frilly dress on. Had her father been making her a present, a toy? Is that why he hadn’t wanted her down here? Guilt washed over her. What if he got sad because she’d ruined his surprise for her? Quickly, she poked around and found what she was looking for, the place where he kept his scrap material. She picked up a screwdriver and a few pieces of metal, screws, and some hinges then looked over at the doll one last time before she ran back up the stairs. 

Just as she feels her foot touch the flat solid surface of the ground floor the front door opens. Her dad is home. She panics, reaching for the door to the basement and dropping some of the scrap and the tools she’s holding in her hands. As her father walks in the door, she begins to cry. She can hear the sound of him calmly taking off his jacket and his shoes, setting down his briefcase in the entryway. She heaves until she feels like she’s going to puke up her lunch. It only gets worse when she sees her father in the hallway, walking towards her with a resigned look on his face. He pics her up, holds her in his arms, and she wonders if he’s angry with her. For a brief moment, he smiles softly.

“Vannessa, are you alright?” 

She nods, sniffling. His smile drops a bit, and he kicks the screws on the floor to the side. He sighs as he starts to walk downstairs. 

“I thought you were a good kid, vanessa. You know when I was at work just now, I talked to henry about you, how well behaved you are - then I come home to this.”

She understands what she means, and she starts to cry again. He’s very very angry.

“Im sorry dad - I just wanted something to do I get so bored while you’re gone - I di - didn’t mean to make you mad, please let me down -”

The basement seems so dark compared to the rest of the house. William clicks his tongue, restraining her by holding her closer. She starts to kick and try to wiggle out of his grasp. 

“Now - I’ve been thinking, since you’re getting older, I need to be ready for the way your attitude will change. See -”

She wants to scream but she knows no sound will carry out of here - he just keeps talking as he uses his foot to press a button. She realizes now they’re both facing the doll - her robot.

“- Kids, when they’re really young, like you vanessa - they really dont have any reason to be disagreeable with their parents. They dont have many beliefs or convictions of their own so they behave as long as their parents teaches them how to, but as they get older they get more disobedient. They start feeling an urge to go against the grain and -”

She watches in horror as the robots torso opens up when her fathers foot hits the button. Sharp, metal coils wind automatically and the dolls face parts four ways. Vanessa lets out a strangled cry. She knows what happens next.

“ - its harder for their parents to make them good kids again. That’s why I made ella.”

He laughs. She feels something run down her leg and soak the front of her shorts. Her father sighs, and he holds her, moving her body forwards towards the robot. She doesn’t move, doesn't even shiver. The scent of rotting meat still assailes her. Her father has explained this type of animatronic to her, told her never to mess around with it or the springlocks will trigger. He presses the button again and it closes around her. 

“Ill only make you play with her for a few minutes since this is your first time really being a brat and doing something I told you not to, dont move and you’ll be fine. “

He walks over to his work chair and sits down, taking off his glasses and leaning his face up to a magnifying glass attached to his desk. As he begins to sodder a small electronic part, he speaks without looking at her.

“Remember that next time, vanny, don’t go into the basement.”

[ripleyfm]

              ･ﾟ☀   good   morning   to   everyone   except   those   who   hate   on   legend   of   korra   !   skskskks   i’m   teddy   ,   i’m   a   lil   ole   baby   swinging   back   into   the   rpc   heart   emojis   a   -   blazing   !   this   is   my   lil   sunflower   chaos   seeker   known   as   ripley   ,   a   newer   muse   for   me   but   i’m   really   excited   to   flesh   her   out   here   with   some   extra   spooky   elements   .   i   have   a   god   awful   sense   of   humor   and   too   much   enthusiasm   for   angst   so   tbh   ?   come   get   y’all   PLOTTIN   JUICE   to   distract   me   from   thirsting   over   avatar   kyoshi   !  disc / ord is @𝐤𝐲𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 !#6439 since i’ll be mobile for the afternoon !

* [ bruna marquezine + cis female + she / her ] —— have you met tallulah ripley ? they are a twenty-two year old senior currently studying biology & music theory. they live on decker house, and word around campus is that this leo is vibrant + gregarious, as well as hedonistic + philophobic. i wonder if they’ll make it out alive. trailing sand in on the hardwood with bare feet , running late to meetings ( and asking forgiveness with a mere flash of a grin ) , tucking a greta van fleet album among the family collection of concierto classics .

EDIT : wanted and current connections can be found here ! 

youngest   of   four   ,   born   into   an   old   money   surname   ,   her   mother ,  an  international   student  from  sao  paolo  ,  brazil  ,  and  american   father   meet   as   competing   pianists   at   holloway   ,   falling   in   love   ,   marrying   ,   and   beginning   the   next   generation   of   the   ripley   virtuosos   soon   after   graduation   .   her   childhood   is   privileged   and   uneventful   ,   strict   and   stifling   as   early   as   she   can   remember   ,   tallulah   causing   trouble   enough   as   if   to   make   up   for   her   perfectly   behaved   siblings   .

her   father   becomes   one   of   the   most   prolific   modern   composers   of   his   time   ,   and   splits   his   efforts   between   composition   and   teaching   music   theory   at   julliard   as   his   wife   continues   performances   as   a   famed   pianist   .   though   her   siblings   branch   out   into   other   instruments   ,   tallulah   is   the   only   one   stubborn   enough   to   weather   the   callouses   on   her   fingers   ,   figuring   if   she’s   going   to   be   forced   to   play   an   instrument   of   any   type   ,   it’ll   at   least   be   something   she   likes   .   thus   ,   the   only   stringed   instrument   in   the   ripley   household   becomes   hers   as   she   takes   on   the   cello   by   storm   .

practicing   cello   is   perhaps   the   only   thing   lu   truly   commits   herself   to   —   charming   and   sociable   as   she   may   be   ,   her   selectiveness   with   her   efforts   makes   her   sluggish   with   schoolwork   as   if   to   give   her   family   a   hard   time   .   her   siblings   ,   all   honor   scholars   and   first   chairs   at   their   respective   instruments   ,   pick   on   her   for   her   unmotivated   wild   child   ways   at   the   encouragement   of   her   mother   .   the   only   person   who   takes   the   time   to   sit   with   tallulah   and   keep   her   on   track   is   her   ever   -   tired   (   but   endlessly   generous   )   father   .

her   world   is   turned   upside   down   her   freshman   year   when   her   father’s   occasional   stumble   turns   into   a   more   regular   struggle   to   keep   his   balance   ,   an   ultimate   diagnosis   of   a   degenerative   disease   rattling   their   family   as   they   know   it   .   tallulah   ,   wild   and   only   tamed   by   the   kindness   of   one   man   ,   starts   acting   out   in   an   effort   to   ignore   the   world   around   her   .   the   rift   between   herself   and   her   family   only   multiplies   when   she   discovers   her   mother   having   an   affair   as   her   father’s   health   continues   to   decline   .

he   passes   away   on   a   vacation   he   and   tallulah   take   to   the   ripley   summer   beach   house   ,   something   they   had   done   to   have   some   quiet   time   together   away   from   the   judgement   of   her   siblings   .   having   to   be   the   one   to   break   the   news   to   the   family   ,   she   feels   herself   shut   down   and   lose   whatever   desire   she   had   left   to   live   the   perfect   life   her   mother   and   siblings   tried   to   force   on   her   .

she   starts   going   almost   exclusively   by   her   surname   ,   making   it   into   holloway   more   as   a   favor   to   her   family’s   generous   donations   to   the   music   program   than   on   grades   .   she’s   barely   hanging   on   by   her   involvement   in   the   university’s   symphonic �� orchestra   ,   where   she’s   a   first   chair   cellist   that   shows   up   late   to   every   damn   rehearsal   and   somehow   can   cold   sightread   well   enough   to   piss   everyone   off   ksksksk   .

given   this   ,   she’s   only   minoring   in   music   theory   to   stay   in   the   orchestra   ,   and   partially   to   feel   close   to   her   dad   .   though   her   dream   is   to   write   music   scores   for   films   ,   she’s   majoring   in   biology   to   have   a   respectable   backup   plan   .   if   she   can’t   do   music   forever   ,   she’ll   disappear   onto   a   beach   somewhere   in   costa   rica   and   be   a   marine   biologist   and   never   be   heard   from   again   lmao

PERSONALITY   :   ripley   is   happiest   shotgunning   a   white   claw   before   piling   into   the   squad   car   and   calling   aux   immediately   !   loves   her   friends   and   sees   her   circle   as   found   family   that   she   would   do   anything   for   .   

she’s   laid   back   and   observant   ,   one   of   the   quieter   in   the   group   as   she   tries   to   suss   you   out   but   is   the   first   to   approach   a   newbie   and   act   as   if   you’ve   been   friends   for   ages   .   she   makes   an   active   effort   to   not   judge   others   on   the   basis   of   first   impressions   and   tends   to   be   rather   open   minded   when   meeting   others   ,   which   makes   her   a   sort   of   universal   friend   -   to   -   all   ;   given   this   ,  when  wronged  ,  she’s   a   stubborn   little   shit   and   though   she   wont   let   them   live   rent   free   in   that   headspace   ,   she’ll   go   full   send   to   making   sure   they’re   aware   they   don’t   exist   to   her   !  

she   hates   petty   drama   and   tends   to   skirt   most   responsibility   by   sweet   -   talking   her   way   out   of   things   ,   giving   the   impression   that   she   can   be   lazy   or   unmotivated   .   this   is   true   to   some   extent   ,   such   as   with   her   grades   or   her   timeliness   ,   but   those   who   strike   the   right   balance   will   see   a   side   of   ripley   that   is   laser   focused   ,   whether   its   drunken   ramblings   about   the   brilliance   of   the   chord   progressions   on   fleetwood   mac’s   rumors   or   an   astute   observation   about   the   emotion   behind   a   certain   cello   movement   .   though   she   prefers   to   skip   the   hard   thinking   and   just   enjoy   the   moment   ,   ripley’s   admittedly   a   clever   girl   ,   simply   needing   the   right   push   to   unlock   her   truest   potential   .  

she’s   incredibly   relaxed   (   sometimes   a   bit   too   much   for   the   preference   of   some   )   and   tends   to   try   and   avoid   over   -   complicating   issues   in   order   to   not   have   to   face   them   .   especially   considering   the   infidelity   of   her   mother   ,   ripley   is   a   staunch   believer   that   relationships   are   a   waste   of   time   and   is   the   annoying   bitch   who   argues   that   being   in   love   is   a   scam   made   up   by   the   simps   to   feel   valid   !  

acts   as   if   she   isn’t   FULL   of   feelings   and   emotions   24/7   n   listens   to   emo   70’s   power   ballads   when   the   person   she   likes   doesnt   confess   their   love   for   her   under   the   moonlight   like   they   were   supposed   to   in   her   fantasy   …….   smh   .   she’s   too   busy   trying   to   be   ~cool   and   effortless~   that   she   sometimes   sabotages   the   things   that   would   bring   her   the   most   happiness   ,   then   blaming   herself   in   a   vicious   cycle   that   just   leaves   her   trying   to   distract   herself   w   crazy   antics   to   avoid   focusing   on   her   feelings   .

RANDOM BLURBS :    hates   men   n   regrets   all   attraction   to   them   .   thinks   all   women   r   too   good   for   her   .   convinced   she   will   be   a   useless   bisexual   forced   2   be   forever   alone

plays   guitar   as   a   mental   break   from   cello   and   loves   it   .   i’m   still   deciding   a   vc   for   her 

knows   the   beaches   in   maine   are   cold   af   but   wants   to   go   every   weekend   anyways

drives   the   most �� impractical   soft   shell   jeep   which   sucks   in   the   east   coast   wind   and   snow   and   yet   it   is   somehow   exactly   an   embodiment   of   Her   Brand tm

like   5′9   tall   and   hates   wearing   real   people   shoes   she   said   berks   or   nOTHIN

wishes   she   could   go   vegan   but   is   so   bad   at   keeping   track   of   her   meals   she’d   forget   instantly   and   down   a   20   pack   of   chicken   nugget

too   mellow   &   apathetic   to   be   a   chaotic   neutral   but   too   adventurous   to   be   a   true   neutral   so   she   lives   somewhere   in   that   lawless   grey   space   skskskks

acts   REAL   california   for   someone   who   grew   up   exclusively   on   the   east   coast   ....   hm   .....   🤔

grew  up  disconnected  from  brazilian  culture  due  to  her  mom's  whitewashing  and  she  resents  it  greatly  .  can  understand  scattered  portuguese  but  took  spanish  in  high  school  so  that's  as  close  to  the  language  as  she'll  get  .  wants  to  take  lessons  online  tho  !

inspos r lila from umbrella academy , wynonna earp , beverly marsh from it , michelle manlon from derry girls , korra from lok , adora from she ra and the pop ,  and that ugly yellow overtone used in outer banks  💖 skskskks