BaCC in Widespot: Round 2 - Land
Life at the Lands' goes on much like before.
But now Beulah's got to cope all alone everyday once Lumpy and the kids leave.
(Not that they're much help when they're there.)
If it wasn't for the business she'd go plum stir-crazy, 'cept doin' all the
cookin' and arrangin' and attendin' to the customers by herself ain't easy.
Them kids ain't much help.
What? Dixie needed a fun lift after school and she ain't of the chess-playing or book reading variety.
There was some definite tension at school today but Scot wasn't expecting his little brother to be the one with the inside info.
(Of course, if he paid the slightest attention to anyone not Virginia he could've figured this one out on his own. David and Goldie
walked in together, sat together, ate together, left together. And Dixie's not exactly subtle...though she managed to not start trouble.)
River explained how she didn't quite manage that when they first ran into them at the Makeout Spot.
"... and he was all: Dude, a little help here. But what could I do?!"
Scot thought it was hilarious. Sure, it meant he was having a laugh at his sister's expense. A good, hard laugh. But she's Dixie, not Mary.
Dixie gave it a rest when she saw this guy come in and whip out pad and pen.
Oops. Too late. She didn't mean no harm, honest, but it looks like her messin' around cost Mama a bad review.
Beulah ain't had nothin' to say to that girl, Dixie thinks everything's a damn joke and she's gettin' too old for that foolishness.
All she wanted was outta that house for a while so when Homer got in she closed up shop and they took their youngest out for a wander.
Delta isn't always as 'nice and calm' as Rocky imagines. She gets quite a kick out
of tormenting her brother in public now he thinks he's so big and grown already.
"Come on, Delta, quit it. Go back inside with Mama and Daddy."
* Woody. <3 *
Over at the Forest Lake they weren't the only ones out taking advantage of the unseasonable weather.
"So how's Penny and the baby been managing? Must be gettin' pretty big now, she crawlin' yet?"
"Tryin'!"
Beulah got pensive. "I know Angel woulda loved to have seen her...I knew her grandmama. On the
daddy's side." She tsked. That Rhett. Don't know if he comin' or goin'. (Or both. At the same time.)
Dora wanted to pry so much about the grandmother on Penny's side! Weiss still hasn't told her nothin' about the kids' mother.
Or mothers. She doesn't know Beulah well enough yet but if Ms. B has the story, one of these days she's gonna get at it.
Homer only managed to catch one fish, and Beulah gave up to flap her gums with the new
neighbour lady, but it was a big one. It'd make a nice meal when she got ready to fry it up for them.
In the meantime...
Dixie was startled awake by the rumbling in her stomach.
Something she ate has been plaguing her for days now, she barely made it.
Dixie may have an aversion to pig wrangling, or the expectation that she should know
how to handle the animals, but that's one attitude she didn't get from her dad.
Homer didn't mind gettin' his hands dirty and helping out.
*River dance-break it down!*
"Thought we were havin' fish," Scot commented, slipping into their newest chair at the head of the table.
"The fish'll keep. I made some comfort soup for Dixie. Where's your Daddy?"
"Not hungry, I guess. He's still out back," Scot said, knowingly.
Know-it-all Scot then took it upon himself to chastise Dixie for walking around so long in those shorts in
the wintertime until Virgie talked some sense into her; that's why she got sick, he insisted. He's wrong.
*In other news: Winter, my foot! They got, um, let's see, NO snow this round. So, less than the Harts, yes?
On a roll. In fact, the only real snowfall so far was during the Beech rounds so, really, Virgie could've left her alone.*
Look who done grew up.
"Hey River! Hungry? Sure ya are, look at ya! Boy, grab a bowl and si'down here. My l'il River..."
"No thanks, Mama." (He'd only wanted to be acknowledged.) "Scot, I borrowed this undershirt, hope you don't mind."
"Keep it, I don't wear it."
"Thanks."
Dixie felt like crap or she would've sung the River Song when she saw him. She'll get him next time.
Beulah checked on Dixie before she went to bed, she hated seeing one of her children not feeling well.
Perhaps Homer's not as contented with the choices he's made as he has convinced himself.
He and Beulah could very well live on love but once they started bringing child after child into this world didn't they owe it
to them to give them the best start in life they possibly could, to level the playing field as much as was within their power?
If the kids had grown up seeing their parents letting their ambitions and natural talents soar, they might
know how to reach for the stars themselves instead of settlin' for the first scraps of attention flung their way.
(Homer keeps his mouth shut but he is in no way reconciled to Mary's marriage to Junior.)
Beulah has uneasily settled into the old routine in Mary's absence, it is a bit rough on her ol' joints.
But the pigs and the cows need feedin' and milkin', the butter needs churnin'. Thankfully, it's winter
so the crops don't need tendin' but the food for the family and the plates for sale need cookin' up
and the house, with six folks still runnin' 'round, needs scrubbin' down whenever she gets a minute.
If she don't do it, who will?
Not these kids! They carry on like before, doin' little things when asked but it never
occurred to them they might should step it up, that Mama ain't gettin' no younger.
Having to fend for themselves in the kitchen while Beulah cleaned up meant comfort soup for breakfast.
(Mary didn't get a chance to start Delta's cooking lessons before she moved out and Delta's already forgotten about it.)
Must be Virginia calling.
With Mary pregnant with her first grandbaby, Beulah made time to check on her.
"Look at ya, poor l'il lamb. Big as day! I remember them days."
Mary remembered 'em, too. "How does that sweater fit, Mama? You like it?"
"Oh, it's real nice, Mary. Perfect fit. You been restin' like I told you?"
"I'm tryin', Mama."
"Try harder. Go on now. Get upstairs and take you a nap."
She was awful big to be only in her 2nd...those ankles were probably swellin' something serious.
Beulah warned her to rest up well and enjoy it while she could, it'd be her last bit of peace!
Junior came home to find Mary's mother in the kitchen. Not a discouraging sight; hey, it's not his mom.
"Hi, Mama B."
Beulah didn't like that, sounded too much like Homer's nickname for her and that was somethin' sacred between her an' Lumpy.
She'd rather he stick to callin' her Ms. B, like Penny, or hell, call her Beulah. But, ring or no ring, she was not his mama.
"I sent Mary up to get offa her feet."
"That's cool. What's that you got in there? Oh, looks good!"
"Bet' not eat this all up, it's Mary's. You don't even touch it 'til she's had her a piece."
"Aw, it smells good, too."
"You heard what I said."
Beulah wasn't playing. These Mann folks better be good to her little girl, that's all she's got to say.
She stopped off at home to pick up Delta for some mother-daughter bonding time with her littlest little girl.
That Woody sure is talented.
"Mama, I want a bi-cycle, can I have a bicycle?"
"This is just for show. See, it's all made outta wood, it won't go."
"Oh."
"You know how to ride a bicycle?" Delta asked Sharla inside. "What you need to make it go when the wheels are wood?"
"Like that one outside? I saw it, too! I don't know. Maybe oil?"
"Like any ol' grease or special grease?"
Sharla gave it a good think and then she said, "my grandma prolly knows."
"She said it's not made to be rode. Not even grease can make it go cuz the wheels won't turn."
"But can't we fix it? I seen wood wheels on a wheelbarrow and it goes. And my wagon from when I was little."
She was young but even still Delta didn't see problems, she saw opportunities. Kid-friendly transportation meant she wouldn't have
to wait for somebody to take her places and pick her up all the time and she was sure other kids, even bigger kids, would want 'em too,
once they figured out how to make 'em work. She'd be the president of the company and Sharla could be vice-president of D&S Bicycles,
unless Rocky wanted to. Too bad Mama wasn't gonna waste money on somethin' that don't work only for her to figure out how to fix it.
Beulah had promised Penny she'd be back to keep replacing her dining set
piece by piece, chair by chair, if it came to that funds-wise, and she meant it.
"So-you know the chairs I want-I'm gon' take a couple more o' those. And maybe-well,
arthur's actin' up again so I can't carry nothin'. If you hold off on closin' I'm-a send the boys."
"I can do it, Mama. I can carry 'em!"
"Maybe that table, too, and the other one I was showin' you. They can handle that."
"Sure thing, Ms. B."
"Thanks, Penny. I'll send 'em round right away. Now how much do I owe you?"
Back at home, Delta aimed to prove that she could help out, too.
(An allowance wouldn't come amiss but she knew better than to push it.)
Beulah was back in front of the oven. She preferred baking,
frankly, but her family had to be fed and who else was to do it?
Mama had insisted they come by for dinner with the family tonight
and after gobblin' up that dessert she made them Junior was all for it.
Junior loved family dinner time almost as much as he loved breakfast around here.
Boy, did he do right to marry a Land, they sure know how to feed a Mann!
While her husband was stuffing his face, Mary couldn't help noticing the new tables and (3) chairs.
"Ain't there something else new here you're forgetting? Me and River went and
picked up the tables right before you came. River." Scot didn't believe in subtle hints.
*Interesting how he keeps positioning himself at the head of the table, then. Just getting
used to it perhaps? But, you know, points and stuff for being a good brother.*
Old habits don't die unless you kill them. Mary immediately jumped up and started gathering up the plates.
"...she ain't in no fit state to be waitin' on y'all hand and foot..." Beulah was saying.
She shared the same motherly advice with Mary herself. It did not go over well.
"How can you say that, my husband-"
"Boy, what's wrong with you, sneakin' up on folks like that?" Beulah jumped to find Junior so close.
"Mama, I like takin' care o' my house. Me an' Junior's doin' just fine. I think you should...you should-"
Mary wasn't quite up to telling her Mama to mind her own business but Junior intercepted to calm her down.
(Sweet talking his wife out of her frustrations might not work as a long-term strategy, though. Just saying.)
Homer and Dixie looked on, with their different eyes and different feelings about the whole situation.
Mary might not look kindly on advice from the MamaBear these days but that don't mean she shouldn't take it.
River didn't think about it much but things were different without Mary around. He did miss her-how could they not miss her?
"Anything special you want for your birthday? Shoot, I ain't mean to miss it. I could fix you up with some real nice socks."
Mary grinned and River laughed, more because he wasn't sure if she was joking. "Thanks, Mary, but I'm okay."
"You sure now?"
"Yup, all covered for socks. But why don't you go put your feet up for a while. I got the rest of the dishes."
"...I don't know. Sometimes I think she's bored, sometimes I think she's...scared."
"You'd be scared too! You have any idea where that baby's gotta come out from?"
"Yeah, I think I got the lowdown on how this works. But it's what she wants! She was excited before.
I didn't expect us to get pregnant so soon myself but I guess when it works it works, you know."
"Dude, don't. No. And first off, y'all ain't pregnant, she is. Seems like the kinda thing you should remember.
Of course it's what she wants. That don't make it easy. Maybe that's your job. Y'know, y'know, y'know?"
River couldn't ask Mary for anything but he did figure on getting
himself a less kiddie bedspread...might be somethin' in the closet.
Dixie found Mary in their bedroom.
"Junior's ready to go, I think."
She did seem happy and sad at the same time. Same ol' Mary, she guessed.
Could be Junior was right. Mary was finally gettin' what she wanted and she was scared. Never happened before.
Her babies are all growing up. Beulah felt the slightest twinge knowing that they can't make more anymore. It was kinda bittersweet.
(She couldn't even entertain the possibility of not makin' it to see 'em all off on their way in the world.) But they can still have some fun!
~
This kaffee-klatsch has come to order.
(A clique, of course, being defined as much by who's not included as by who is...)
Homer didn't begrudge his girls their fun (they had to find it whichever way they could). He was mortified to find out just how much
they'd been puttin' on Mary. And that's the way it had always been, she took on a few more chores the older she got but she had
always been her mama's right hand. And all that entailed...it wasn't fair. Everything she said to him before she got married, about not
wantin' to be "Mama's L'il Helper" forever, he finally understood how real it was for her. He only hoped she knew what she was about.
"So we're agreed?"
River is the one who stepped up to get this place whipped back into shape. He didn't cook but he was learning to
restock for Mama's shop and he cleaned like the dickens. Dixie wanted to know what the hell that was all about.
"We all gotta do our part."
Dixie got a chance later to do her part. For the business.
She hadn't had any customers in the chair for a minute.
Lana was none too pleased about this! Being reduced to entrusting
her look to this slouching...urchin, but what choice did she have?
"Lady-I do not got any supplies to make you go blonde, okay?
"For heaven's-I was born blonde, it really shouldn't be that hard. And it's Mrs. Mann, thank you, not Lady."
"Oh, I know your name, we are family now and everything. But I still can't make your grey hair blonde. Sorry."
Lana noticed she didn't have any trouble finding a way to make her own hair coloured
with strands of purple, mauve, fuchsia-whatever that colour was-but she let it go.
"Do what you can, then. Makeup, too. I want a change. Do you understand?"
Sure, Dixie understood.
"What are you laughing about?"
"Nothing, nothing. I just, I got a l'il heavy-handed. I'll fix it, I'll fix it, sit back." Dixie snickered.
"I know you don't like her but it's good she's feelin' more comfortable around us, enough to come over an' let Dixie do her up.
It's good for Mary and it'll be good for the baby if we're all one big happy family. And since she's the one whose roof they'll be
under, it wouldn't hurt if you brought her in to the meetin' of the hens every now and again. Keep your influence, you know."
"Now, Homer Land, I resent that. Just 'cause a group of mature women get
together to be neighbourly don't make us no cluck o' hens. You take that back."
"All right, all right, easy now. I was only sayin' that if you can invite over that
Dora who you barely know you can share a cup with our Mary's mother-in-law."
"She ain't gon' mess with Mary if she knows what's good for her! Hoity-toity-"
"That's not what I said at all." But Homer gave up. "Come on over here and gimme some sugar like I like it..."
The elder Lands made their own fun.
When it came down to it, so did the younger ones.
Scot would've preferred they buckled under and got Dixie a TV!
~
Don't let it be said that Homer didn't do what he could.
The plumbing around here broke down more than seemed likely.
"Now I know you're not bakin' another cheesecake, MamaBear."
"Nope, but you know we can't go over there empty-handed. This is just a l'il
sum'n-sum'n for cheerin' up. Won't take but a minute once I pop it in the oven."
River dutifully restocked the hooch shelf.
"Ay, what time they headin' out?"
"Shouldn't be long. Mama's got some kinda pie or cookies or something going."
"Why don't you wanna go, Dixie?" Delta asked.
"Cuz I was over there yesterday."
"Yesterday! Why you didn't take me with you?"
Dixie shrugged. "Didn't want to, Delt," she told her, stating facts. "It was sister time."
Delta was deeply offended. She tried not to let it show, Dixie wouldn't notice no how. "How 'bout you, Scot?"
"I've got to finish up this extra work for Mr. Weiss."
But when the family's away...
"See, not every couple's gotta be glued at the hip..." Dixie said to Virgie.
"Don't start, Dix."
"What? I'm just sayin', a l'il independence is healthy. You hearin' this?"
"Don't look at me. You can call me Switzerland," Virgie said laughing at them and their weird dynamic.
"What did I even say? I didn't say nothin'-"
"That's not such a bad name," Scot chimed in, his head buried in the fridge, "say, for
one of our kids one day. We could call the first one Switzer. Boy or girl."
"-thought we were all bygones and kumbaya and shit. Chill."
"Dead body, Scot. Over it, 'kay." Switzer. Virginia shook her head.
"You could call him 'Po," Dixie jumped over to their conversation, " 'po little Po Land."
"No, those'll be your kids," Scot said.
Dixie resisted the urge to kick her brother (although she still flipped him off).
"See, look how chill I am," she turned back to David, "Be like me."
"Whatever you say, Dixie."
"Now this here packs a punch. Wait 'til you try it!"
This'll be a lesson learned for David, Dixie thought. She ain't no lightweight! But let's see how he does.
Virginia's not so sure about this stuff, like, what kinda proof is it? Must be 100 proof, right? Or, how did you factor-
"Down the hatch, bitchez!" Dixie interrupted her train of thought
Not so bad once you got used to the taste.
For some reason, Virginia always thought she was funny when she had a glass (or a tankard) in her hand.
She wasn't.
Dixie still thought David was hot but, hey, shit happens.
Anyway, she was versatile in that regard, Goldie could keep her boy.
"Si'down, hot pants," Dixie told her tipsy friend when she started making
sizzling gestures at the boys. (Of course, she couldn't read her thoughts.)
"How are you gonna age up in the middle of the semester?"
"I don't know, I'm just gonna. I've got an A anyway so it's not gonna matter."
"A-" Scot corrected.
"Uh, no, get your shit straight. I finished that last project," she said, "Not that
I couldn't flunk out and still get a job 'round here but when I move away-"
"Move away?"
"Oh please. She's not goin' anywhere."
"Maybe not no time soon," Dixie said, getting defensive, "but I ain't gonna be stuck in Widespot forever. Not me!"
" 'Scuse me," Virginia said a few minutes later, "gotta go kick over a trash can."
"What?" her friends laughed, confused.
"Trash can. Needs kickin'. I'm gonna go do that."
"Yo, she's wasted!"
Virgie stumbled to her feet and tried to leave.
Realising she was serious about her crazy, they jumped up and tried to block her, she wasn't making sense.
"Whose-"
Dixe spoke over him, "you're talkin' real reckless, Virgie. Why don't you
sit for a minute. We're not goin' out to, um, vandalise the town."
"Fine, fine, fine," Virgie slurred, "I'll go home."
"Thought you were gonna stay over?"
"Pssht. With Scot here? Like my dad was goin' for that."
"Come on, I'll walk you," Scot said, "it's getting late."
"Ssht-ssht. It's late, yeah. You can't go and, and...back, no. David'll walk me."
"Um, yeah. I'm going that way anyway."
"See? 'S cool, David and, and, it's cool. Promise I won't even kick over no trash cans even."
"Okay, crazy girl. Don't go tippin' no cows either. Straight home," Dixie said, glad she was the only one to figure
out what Virgie had meant. She needed to chill with this grudge 'gainst her mom or the shit was only gonna escalate.
"Get to it, Scotty. You're not stickin' me with this mess. She'll be fine."
Scot still felt like he should've risked getting caught breaking curfew to make sure his girl got home okay.
But he was overruled.
"This way," Virgie said as they neared her house, "through the back."
"Cool, you can sneak straight upstairs through the kitchen, right? Home free."
"Yep, 's nobody downstairs. No rush. So what's the? What's deal-the
deal, with you and Goldie?" she asked, still slurring but determined.
"She's my girlfriend."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But Dixie, what's all doin' with you and us and Dixie? What she's to you?"
"Dixie and me? We're cool, she's my friend."
"Am I your friend?"
"Of course!"
" 'At's good," she said. And Virginia kissed him!
David stood by stunned when she let him go and headed inside like nothing happened.
Girls. No more alcohol for her, man.*
They should've left well enough alone but Dixie had a taste and the way she saw it she obviously wasn't half so buzzed as Virgie.
So busted!
Their parents laid into them about responsibility. But Mama wouldn't let up. She got the worst because she's the oldest
now and she should know better and how can they trust her out on her own if she's making silly decisions at home. All that blather.
In one ear and out the other.
Dixie was her dad, so much her dad, but that wasn't nothin' new.
She couldn't hold her like Mary or mold her like Delta. Had to let her be.
And scrub, scrub, scrub away her anger cuz yellin' sure never got through. When she was younger
she'd try to out-yell you and nowadays she just rolled those eyes and shut down. *Scrub, scrub.*
(Beulah may be conveniently overlooking exactly where that short fuse comes from!)
Case in point: Brother/sister tête-à-tête. These never go well anymore.
"What the hell? I am not cleaning that mess by myself, I already told you."
"It's mostly your mess. You're so lazy! Your husband better-"
"Oh shut up, you always pull that bull when you know you're wrong and wanna win. It ain't my mess, we had friends over so we-"
"No 'we', Dixie, I'm goin' to bed."
"Fine then, go on. That crap'll be waitin' for you in the morning, too."
*Dixie's actually got 8 nice points, just like the rest of them, with Homer at 9 and Mary 10 (I think) to Beulah's 3. But the points aren't everything!
And a similar spread doesn't always mean the same thing for manifesting a personality. Dixie's a lot feistier than she "should" be. And I love it.*
Mama was livid to find that mess still outside come morning time but Dixie told her that was Scot's doing;
she did her half, she said. But she wasn't off the hook. She was ordered to help out with the other chores
(which she should've been doing anyway) but it's not so bad, she'd rather do laundry than milk freakin' cows!
River was still the only one really proactive about picking up the slack.
He offered to help as he rounded the back and saw what a mess they left.
"Don't you dare. Let the golden boy do it himself!"
"Least it looks like you had fun. You didn't tell me you were havin' a party party."
"Did too. And it wasn't a party. Not hardly. You said you didn't wanna stay."
"Only 'cause I thought is was couples only stuff, y'all hookin' up."
"Dumbo, why would I ask if you wanted to stick around then? And you know David's with Goldie now."
"So?"
"So? I'm not like that-no way. I don't like the girl, can't stand her, but
I'm not gonna be swappin' spit with her boyfriend behind her back."
"That's gross, Dixie."
"Not when you're doin' it!"
"What's wrong with you?"
They may share a room and get along pretty well but, when it gets down to it, River is Team Dixie all the way. Forever Dixie.
For one thing, Scot didn't even think to invite him to hang out with his friends.
He's not Popularity but he wouldn't mind being "nepotized" into the clique.
"I'm the only one who ever picks up around here. Mama can't do everything Mary used to plus the stuff she already does, you know that. But I
don't see why I should be cleaning up after you and your friends and if it don't get done Mama's only gonna step in herself and that ain't right."
River meant what he said but it was also way too easy preying on Scot's filial piety.
He took himself and his role in this family very seriously.
Even forgot to grumble about Dixie doing her part once it was re-framed as a duty to Mama.
Time to gather 'round, Land family.
Dixie is Dixie. Of course, she gets cake and celebration! This is a big deal for her.
River didn't even think to make the comparison. *But I did.*
"Make a wish, Dixie!"
"I'm wishin', I'm wishin'. Aha!"
Dixie took one last look around and bid a fond farewell to her whole childhood.
No more school and homework and curfews. Now nobody could tell her what (not) to do!
First thing Dixie did now that she was of age was head to The Dugout, after gobbling down her cake and
squeezing into these shorts again. What? It's what she's got now she can't fit Virgie's jeans anymore. Mary
had made her a shirt in her fave colour and winter's been like nothin', it only gets cold sometimes, she'll be fine.
"What up! Lay it on me."
"Uh, Dixie?"
"Yup, all good 'n legal now!"
Now whatever could be going through her mind?
Sweet procrastination. Hopefully, that didn't translate to a lackluster update.
*David didn't cheat on Goldie (really, when I tried to re-stage after they were officially hooked up, he was having none of it), he doesn't even consider Virginia to have cheated on Scot but that's between them. All he knows is his lips are sealed, it was no big deal, it's forgotten. One, she had too much that was too strong for her and got a little friendly, meant nothing; two, he really wants Goldie and her to be friends; three, he wants to stay friends with her and Scot and sees no reason to embarrass her; four, he's not about to willingly divulge anything that could jeopardise his relationship with Goldie, or so goes the David Ottomas reasoning. (And that snow, you'll notice, occurred on the Beech lot!)
Dixie decided upon aging up that she was a real fortune sim after all, rolling obligatory wants for stuff and more stuff...that she can, by no means, afford. She's still getting that pleasure secondary. (Also, didn't notice she's now wearing the same shirt at the end as Zephyr is at the beginning. With all the gazillion clothes I have you'd think that wouldn't keep happening.)
River is a pleasure primary (for now), he's going to be frustrated in this family. In fact, I'm not sure he rolled a single satisfiable want, which also tended to revolve around Stuff. That range-of-the-moment thinking might be fine for his youth but I don't see River doing that long-term, he'll probably completely invert Dixie's setup or "Renu" himself altogether. He wouldn't have minded some acknowledgement of his transition but done is done. And, while fairly neat, River is almost as lazy as Dixie (he took her as his model for his aspiration) so his stepping up to the plate around the house may be more complicated than that he saw a need.