look who goes there! is that NICOLAS ROJAS? i’ve seen them often around MAPLE TRACE, which may be because they are a TRAUMA SURGEON @ BEAR CREEK HOSPITAL. they’ve been in town for TWENTY YEARS and i’ve known them to be ASSERTIVE but also RIGID. for some reason, GHOSTS THAT WE KNEW by MUMFORD & SONS reminds me of them, as well as A LONGING FOR HOME THAT NEVER QUITE FEELS FULFILLED NO MATTER ALL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS + TRACES OF BLOOD THAT LINGER AND HAUNT LONG PAST ANY PHYSICAL EVIDENCE HAS BEEN CLEANED AWAY + ECHOES OF A CHILD'S LAUGHTER THAT PROMISE AN UNSTEADY PEACE.
᯽ ⸻ BASICS.
full name: nicolas mateo rojas
nickname: nico, nick, tba
age/date of birth: 45 / april 18th
zodiac sign: taurus
gender identity: cis man (he/him)
hometown: curicó, chile
current location: bear creek, colorado
time in town: 20 years
sexual orientation: bi-sexual
religion: lapsed catholic ( truly more of an atheist but doesn't want to admit it )
occupation: trauma surgeon, bear creek hospital
᯽ ⸻ PERSONALITY.
labels: the prodigy , the stoic , the phoenix
positive traits: innovative , charismatic , disciplined , steadfast , purposeful
negative traits: impersonal , private , preoccupied , abrasive , critical
hobbies: hobbies, what hobbies?? he finds it hard to take the time for himself, between being a parent and being on call for the hospital, there isn’t much room for anything else , football ( not the american kind, but he refuses to call it soccer - he grew up playing it and tries to find the time to coach sofías team ) , cooking ( while he learned a couple recipes from his mother, this is a relatively new skill for him as before he took on the role of a parent, he relied on take-out and quick deliveries, but he’s learned he enjoys the precision of using a knife without it needing to heal ) , outdoor hobbies ( since moving to colorado he’s fallen more and more in love with the natural beauty of the land, the hiking trails in saddle grove park and the other national parks in the vicinity, horseback riding is also a new interest, and with a bit more free time on his hands nowadays, he likes exploring what else life has to offer )
languages spoken: spanish , english ( still has a faint accent despite his attempts to perfect the language ) , latin , french
instruments played: guitar
favorite color: sapphire, maroon
᯽ ⸻ BIOGRAPHY.
trigger warnings: infertility, ivf, car accident, death
the expectation that he would excel was rooted in nicolas since childhood. he was the oldest, and therefore had to set an example. his parents might not have cared where he set his direction - as long as it was something that could be guaranteed success. to a child it might have read as overbearing, but with retrospect, nicolas knows it was solely to make sure he would be able to provide a better life for himself than they were able to. childhood hobbies such as playing fútbol with his friends or picking up the guitar were frowned upon - and so nicolas surrendered himself to his studies - his interest driving him down the path towards medicine and healthcare services.
his relationship with his father was always strained, the head of the household at odds with a young man wanting to forge his own path, and while there was definite love there - it always felt like it was one fight away from being broken. mateo held expectations for his son - that he would take after him, stay in chile and continue the family line, while nicolas wanted to see more of the world and explore who he was. he’d excelled in his studies, had scholarships lined up with universities who wanted to offer him a place in their halls - and while he might return home after he’d finished his schooling, nicolas knew that he couldn’t pass up the opportunities presented to him. after an argument with his father and years of feeling stifled in his hometown, he made the rash decision to leave home for university, finding himself all the way in us for his studies.
his first few years in the us were difficult - a combination of trying to adjust to a different culture and language, his studies often overwhelming, not to mention missing home and family.
the offer of a residency in denver was hard to resist - a job he’d been striving for, the promise of finding something high paying and respectable, in a city he’d grown to love and found love in. while the program was hard, nicolas flourished - feeling as if he’d finally found everything he was meant to achieve.
after several long years and countless exams later, he was offered a position on the trauma team at bear creek hospital. with his position set, nicolas finally felt ready to settle down and within a year he was married and had convinced his brother to come join him in the city he’d found home in.
to be changed based on plotting with wife (ex-wife) connection; their marriage was built on a foundation of love and shared ambition. building a home that was more joyful because the two of them were in it. it started crumbling long before nicolas realized, long shifts at the hospital followed by the ache for a child that seemed more impossible to achieve with every negative pregnancy test and round of ivf, and finally the silence that followed with each new pregnancy that was announced by family and friends culminating in a growing gulf between the two that nicolas didn't know how to bridge. to be decided if they were able to mend it or not.
the call came like any other - so frequent, it was almost normal. car accident. three victims. critical. he didn’t think anything of it until he was barred from the operating room, another surgeon taking over in his place and he was left with only his worries and fears.
while it might have been the right call - they were his family and who knew if he would have been able to operate without his emotions clouding his judgement, nicolas has never been able to forgive the doctors on duty who weren’t able to save his brother and sister in law, while at the same time being eternally grateful that the youngest addition to their family had managed to survive.
it wasn’t a question who would take the little girl in, and all of the sudden he was the person in charge of her future. a parental figure when he’d given up the hope of ever being one.
stricken with grief and a need for change, he took a year long sabbatical - focusing and recentering on his family and learning to parent alongside trying to juggle the grief that was almost suffocating. he's not sure who he is now, some conglomeration of every life experience he's ever had glued together - but there are days where he still feels like he's discovering parts he didn't realize were there before and others where he feels like he's falling apart by the seams.
as sofía’s guardian, he’s set himself to new standards, wanting to be the best replacement for his brother as he can. taking time off and being a playmate doesn’t come naturally to him, and while each day comes with new frustrations, it’s never directed at his niece for whom he'd do anything - even if it means donning the occasional tiara or painting his nails neon pink.
᯽ ⸻ CONNECTIONS.
relationship status: tba ( open connection ) .
current partners(s): tba.
past relationships / flings: tba.
family: mother ( valentina rojas, deceased ) . father ( mateo rojas, deceased ) . brother ( benjamín rojas, deceased ) . niece ( sofía isidora rojas, 7 )
᯽ ⸻ WANTED ( work in progress )
the best friend: either someone from his past who's been beside him for major life events or someone he's grown close to after moving to bear creek. someone who knows his secrets and haunts and who's perhaps shared in similar pains.
the old ghost: someone who knew nicolas before he came to bear creek, who remembers aspects of who he was before his brother passed and isn’t sure how to reconcile that with who he is now.
the fellow parents: open to anyone who's also experiencing parenting, he feels a bit out of his depth and although he's been navigating the journey for five years, he would love people he can turn to for advice or support or even just someone who can commiserate over the difficulties of trying to take care of a child.
the graveyard companion: someone who's also experienced loss of some kind, maybe they share the weight of that in silence, maybe they talk about it together. whatever the case, they're someone who nicolas knows relates to his own pain and although he'd never wish that on anyone, he's grateful to have someone who understands.
the failed case: potentially a more antagonistic relationship, this would be someone who nicolas either operated on or who has a relative/friend who was brought into surgery under his care. he did his best but sometimes that's all you can do and it still isn't enough. he does his best to keep a professional distance between his career and the people he knows in bear creek, but sometimes his cases haunt him long past the operating table.
the co-worker: open to anyone who also works at bear creek hospital or in the healthcare field - could be someone he’s got a friendly rivalry with, someone he’s mentoring, someone with whom he can decompress after a stressful day at work, etc.
the babysitter / helping hand: someone who nicolas trusts to watch sofía whenever he has a long shift at the hospital ; likely someone with whom he's grown close to and hopes that they'll be another positive influence on the girl when he's had to make up for both of the parental figures she's lost.
the generic: friends, enemies, mentees, unrequited crushes, people who look up to him, good/bad influences, rivals, exes, etc.
look who goes there! is that JASMINE HUANG-RAMOS? i’ve seen them often around EVERGREEN, which may be because they are a TEACHER @ LITTLE SAPLINGS. they’ve been in town for THEIR ENTIRE LIFE and i’ve known them to be NURTURING but also ANXIOUS. for some reason, VIENNA by BILLY JOEL reminds me of them, as well as FINGERS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY COVERED IN PAINT OR DIRT OR GLITTER + A BONE-DEEP ACHE YOU RARELY LET OTHERS SEE BUT YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO PATCH UP YOUR ENTIRE LIFE + SMILES THAT SHINE BRIGHTER THE MORE SOMEONE ELSE SEEMS TO NEED THEM.
𖤓 ⸻ BASICS.
full name: jasmine sienna huang-ramos
nicknames: jas, jem, minnie ( don't you dare call her that )
age/date of birth: 35 / july 3rd
zodiac sign: cancer
gender identity: cis woman (she/her)
hometown: bear creek, colorado
current location: bear creek, colorado
time in town: her entire life
sexual orientation: pansexual
religion: spiritual
occupation: teacher @ little saplings
𖤓 ⸻ PERSONALITY.
labels: the helping hand , the luminary , the paradox
positive traits: warm , caring , reliable , generous , nurturing
negative traits: secretive , anxious , guarded , hesitant , misleading
hobbies: horseback riding ( she loves helping out at her mom's stables and volunteering to help little kids learn to ride when she's off work in the summer ) , reading ( you will always catch a book peeking out of her bag, even if it's just a storybook that she's bringing into class from the library, they were a source of comfort when she was growing up and a habit she's never quite outgrown even though she does now own a kindle too ) , gardening ( has a little vegetable garden in her backyard and loves bringing fresh veggies to her friends to enjoy, has also implemented a life-lab at little saplings to teach her kids more about nature ) , TBA
languages spoken: english , spanish, asl ( currently learning )
instruments played: guitar & ukulele ( has a pair that she brings out for morning greetings and sing-alongs with the kiddos )
favorite color: the soft pinks, purples, and oranges of a colorado sunrise
𖤓 ⸻ BIOGRAPHY.
tw: neglectful parenting bordering on abuse, food insecurity
there are parts of her childhood that jasmine doesn't care to remember - ones washed over with love and affection but that haven't entirely faded. it started like this: a run-down home, two people who weren't ready or willing to be parents, and a little girl - taught to raise herself. the days when they forgot she existed were the best, and while minor injuries were sustained by trying to cook rice or patch up a torn piece of clothing - at least she had her peace to keep her company. the ones where they remembered were somehow worse, cementing the fact that she wasn't wanted with blame and frustration and yells.
it's a miracle that no one noticed the cracks, that she was able to skirt past detection with baggy clothes to hide a malnourished frame, too many afternoons spent in the library trying to teach herself what her parents could not, and band-aids covering small scraps blamed on playing too exuberantly rather than the fact that she'd gotten them at home. she learned very early on that a smile could distract from anything and that people were more willing to see the good rather than the ugly - and at least a home that was under her control was better than the idea of a free-fall.
she kept up the lie all the way until she was ten when an observant teacher noticed the signs and contacted the authorities. what followed was fear - the ache of being placed in the system and pulled away from the place that had still been a home to her in spite of all the pain, being torn from the friends she'd made she considered family, her life uprooting without her having any say in it at all. after all, she'd done a good enough job raising herself for the past ten years - what was another eight?
but life has a funny way of surprising you - and for jasmine, that teacher's decision turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her. in place of a mother and a father who were never there, she was placed in the huang-ramos household and for the first time she experienced what it was like to be cared for instead of having to fend for yourself. dinners were made, lunches were packed, homework was checked over, and someone cared where she was and what she was doing and the little girl who had always been self-reliant was able to learn to be a child.
it was a revelation, to not have the world placed on her shoulders - and while she was grateful to her new moms, there was also the crestfallen realization that her parents had failed her, that for them she hadn't been enough and they'd left her marooned on her own. those first couple years were difficult, jasmine desperately trying to please camila and vivienne and prove that they'd made the right choice in keeping her, while they tried to teach her that she didn't need to do anything to belong.
it's a lesson that she's never fully learned, no matter how many years have passed there is still a reminder of the little girl she once was. it's what catapulted her into pursuing childhood education, wanting to help other children who might be in a similar situation and ensure that they have a better childhood than she ever did.
after college she settled into herself in bear creek, becoming a preschool teacher at little saplings. she loves her job, and is dedicated to teaching the students under her care to be curious, brave, and kind. but mostly, she wants them to experience a childhood that she never got to live, and wants to be the person who might notice if there's someone in her class that needs support in the way she needed it all those years ago.
although jasmine feels like she's grown into her life, there's a weight that she still carries with her to this day, a self-reliance that's stubborn and that she can't quite shake. afraid of not being enough, of being left, of being disappointed. it takes a long time for her to fully trust someone and let them into her orbit completely - but the ones that have entered it are hers for life.
eventually she wants to find her own person, someone who loves her as completely as her moms love each other, and find a family that belongs to herself, even if it's unconventional like the one she grew up in.
𖤓 ⸻ CONNECTIONS.
relationship status: single.
current partners(s): none.
past relationships / flings: tba.
family: mothers ( camila huang-ramos + vivienne huang-ramos ) . siblings ( rosaline huang-ramos & tba huang ) birth parents ( redacted - she is no-contact with them and likes to pretend they don't exist )
roommates: none ( but open if anyone is interested ! )
𖤓 ⸻ ESTABLISHED
the soul sister: kenny li - bonded over equally traumatic childhoods, these two are family even if not on paper. she would do anything for her and will defend her with her life ( even when she's wrong. )
𖤓 ⸻ WANTED ( work in progress )
the childhood connections: jasmine grew up in bear creek, although she mostly kept to herself before she was adopted by the huang-ramos family. would love to have friends, acquaintances, crushes, maybe someone who bullied her, etc.
the college connections: jasmine went to the university of denver, both to stay closer to home and to save on out of state tuition. she's never regretted the choice, but college also wasn't the life-changing event it was for others. while she specialized in early childhood education, social work, and child psychology - she would have taken a fair amount of gen-ed classes.
the estranged friend: they were friends once upon a time, but something pushed them apart. maybe they wanted jasmine to seek help sooner than she was ready to, maybe they were jealous of how quickly her circumstances seemed to change, maybe they had a disagreement about something trivial. whatever the case, they drifted away from each other and a part of jasmine wishes that they could repair the bond they used to share.
the caretaker: so much of her own life has been spent taking care of others, this person is someone who ( however reluctantly on jasmine's part ) does the same for her.
the parents: jasmine adores children and they love her - she babysat during high school and college and now teaches at little saplings - if your muse is a parent, perhaps she's watched their child or been their teacher. she does watch out for any signs of trauma in the kids under her care, wanting to ensure that they get the upmost care, so maybe she's had a conversation with them if she noticed anything concerning.
the pen-pal: she finds something romantic about physical written word. this could have been borne out of a school assignment - where they had to exchange letters for a year and simply kept going, maybe it was someone who left bear creek but kept sending her post-cards, maybe a tourist who stopped through and has now returned.
the first love: her first real relationship, likely in the later years of high school or in college. maybe it was a bit awkward, with both of them learning how to navigate dating. maybe they were sweet and soft - but didn't quite end up fitting well with each other in the long run. maybe they laugh about how young and dumb they were now. but they are special to jasmine in their own way.
the situationship: what they are to each other has never been solidly defined, especially when a part of jasmine has always been afraid of falling in love. this is easier, or at least she tells herself that.
the almost: they were always just friends, never something that turned into anything more. but in the quiet lulls between long conversations, there was always that what-if. lingering glances, a fluttering of feelings, a sense that if either of them acted on it, they could be amazing.
the generic: friends, enemies, mentors, unrequited crushes, people she looks up to, good/bad influences, rivals, flirtationships, exes, etc.
