annie trudged through the puddles and wet walkways that covered yates’ grounds, glossy black hunter boots kicking up residual rainwater. it just so happened that her last class of the day—TDMV20, movement laboratory—ended the day, and thus her school week, at the spectacular time of eight p.m. an evening workshop. while most weeks that fact was met with relief and even excitement, the course being one of the girl’s favorites, tonight it meant inevitably walking into a kincaid party late—yes, late, considering they started as soon as the sun began to set—and completely sober. not the worst fate that could’ve been bestowed upon her, but it didn’t help that she’d told aiden she’d get there as quickly as possible. a promise she was technically keeping, though an excruciatingly long cooldown at the end of class had her running later than usual. windswept and surprisingly able to dodge more than a sprinkle of rain, annie came through the front doors of her society house in a flurry of black and blonde. in seconds her rainboots were abandoned at the door, the girl managing to escape upstairs to her room and change.
slick dark denim jeans and a white long-sleeve crop clung to her frame as she cascaded back down the stairs, eyeing the living spaces for the redhead. she was easy enough to find, thanks to the fiery locks, annie striding up beside her and resting her forearms on the kitchen counter. “if you’re already more than two drinks or shots ahead of me, i just won’t know what to do with myself.” one svelte arm was already reaching for a bottle and the stack of plastic shot cups that’d been perched atop the counter. “first order of business—we take the shots. then we make drinks, then we dance.” @aidenhollow
“You made the climb up like a natural,” he complimented, covering any surprise at her words. It was a place he never would have discovered on his own, but he was grateful she had found it. He liked trying new things; he liked finding new things that were his, that had nothing to do with his family. His hands were planted firmly behind him as he just watched, laughing a little as she framed the view with her fingers. “This sounds perfect. We can even add a bookshelf and a mini-fridge. We’ll never have to leave.” It was a fun thought if he didn’t dwell on the specifics, something he did with every idea. He had a need to pick everything apart, analyze it from every angle to decide how it would be perceived by others. He preferred this to parties any day. A small, intimate setting. Comfortable silence with jokes tossed around here and there. While he didn’t know Annie all that well, he enjoyed her company thus far. His brow creased as she posed the question. “That pretty much sums it up. I study. Sometimes, I go to the movies.” He’d built his life on cliches and stereotypes, treating it like some kind of equation. If he did a plus b, it would equal his father’s approval. But he never had a chance to explore other interests just for the sake of it. “What about you? Besides being an interior designer in your free time.”
study, movies. a thoughtful nod tilted the blonde’s chin, debating between pushing for more information or leaving his short answer be. while she, personally, was inclined towards the former, she knew that not everyone was keen on answering question after unending question and digging into their passions and life’s story off the bat. still, the curiosity stayed with her like stubborn cling wrap, present as she looked back at hugo—as he turned the question back at her. a breathy laugh managed to meet her lips, annie looking away for the first time since she posed the inquiry herself. “nothing nearly as interesting, i’d bet. i really do spend most of my time dancing—or doing something dance-adjacent. which,” another laugh followed, this one a tad fuller. a laugh like humility. “—is so typical of a dancer, but it’s true.” a bit of a groan had filled her voice, as though she expected him to become bored of the obvious answer quickly. “i guess, otherwise, i like to... play board games.” she chuckled. "anything fun and competitive, really. meeting new people. music, which sounds dumb, but i mean really getting into it. i like doing this.” annie shrugged, gaze landing back on his. “any specific kind of movie?” she asked, as if no time had passed since he mentioned going to the theater. “or is it more about the experience?”
Jamie had tragically made the mistake of forgetting about karaoke night. He had settled in for a quiet night at the bar by himself, tucked away on a stool with a beer in front of him and no company. But then halfway through his drink the backing music track starter, and he almost groaned audibly. Trying to just finish his drink and get out, he motioned frantically to the bartender. “Hey, hey! Can I close out? Check? He yelped almost desperately as he saw Annie approaching him, but he would have no such luck. The man couldn’t hear him over the wails of the singer. Turning his attention towards the girl, he gave her a look that said, well, guess this is happening. “No, no, I don’t dance. I wasn’t allowed to as a child,” he protested lamely, resisting her tugging on his arm. “I prefer ABBA, by the way,” he informed her as an aside, eyes refusing to look anywhere but her face. If he did, he might actually be convinced to join her. “I’m gonna at least need a shot first. If you’re going to take me against my will.”
with little effort, annie squeezed in between his seat and the next, her elbow coming to rest on the bar. then her forearm. “alright, chad danforth, i won’t force you,” she spoke, palms raising momentarily at her sides as her eyes once again found his own. “not yet, anyway.” at that she turned to face the bar, leaning over to get the bartender’s attention. “hi,” she called over, leaning almost comically over the surface in order to prevent shouting at them over the music. anyone outside of the two of them, however, couldn’t hear her voice. any attempt at figuring out what she was ordering would’ve had to be done through reading lips. one nod and a genuinely charming smile later and she came to resume her previous position while the man behind the bar pulled out three shot glasses and began to fill them. “so, how is jamie costello’s night going?” she prompted, attention turning back towards him and her forearm rising so that she could rest her chin in her palm. just then the shots were slid in their direction, annie quick to set one in front of him and two in front of herself. in a final swift movement she handed her card over, motioning for it to be kept on file.
He’d always hated when they had parties at the house. They were inescapable, cocooning around him, pinning him to the place, and he’d become unable to catch his breath. Parties had always been suffocating to Hugo if only because he found himself overwhelmed with all the freedom they offered, a chance to let himself go, but it was a step he’d never take. Annie had become somewhat of a saving grace to him at parties as he often found himself searching for her on the rare occasion he voluntarily went out. She carried herself in a way that she seemed sure of herself, that she moved on from her mistakes with a smile, which he admired about her off the bat. Standing near the window, he watched her carefully, searching for signs that she would fall, ready to catch her if she did. “That sounds like a challenge,” he teased. If it had been his brothers saying that, he probably would try to fall only to prove them wrong. Immediately relaxing after she made him up, he took a deep breath and hoisted himself up. Surprisingly, he wasn’t worried about the climb, driven by his desperate need for escape. He crawled up next to her as he looked across the campus. “Much quieter,” he agreed. The party felt like a million miles away. “Can you believe I’ve never been up here? You just showed me my new hiding spot. Maybe I’ll try to get my desk up here.”
“can you believe i’ve never actually been up here, either?” annie inquired back with a smile that was simmered eagerness met with some nervousness. like she’d just pulled a cloth from over a top hat and hoped hugo wasn’t angry about the rabbit now inside of it. the big reveal. ta-da. she then gave the immediate area a scrutinizing scan, holding both hands out in capital Ls, as if she were a film director framing a scene. “but i could see a desk,” she nodded, “and right... there, i’ll place one of those rich, grand leather chairs that i see in practically every corner of this house. and we can... i don’t know, read novels or discuss philosophy or the universe or stargaze or swap dad jokes or whatever it is you like to do.” she shrugged, leaning back so that she was now propped up by her forearms. it comforted her greatly that hugo had even allowed her to pull him away tonight in the first place, the two seeming to find some sort of steady ground as of late. a great relief considering their initial meeting—a hastings party, much like this one. one drunk annie luelle cohen, accidentally stumbling into his room. the hasty apology, the more solid one a few days later when she’d spotted him on campus.
a pause followed her words, the girl’s brows creasing just noticeably. “what do you like to do?” she then asked, turning to look up at him. a simple question with genuine intent. “i really just threw the hastings stereotype out there. my bad.”
“tell me i’m not the only one digging through show costumes for the party this weekend,” annie spoke at a low volume, sitting on the floor of the brightly lit dance studio. one leg extended at her side, torso leaning down to meet it as her arms reached out to gently grasp her pointed foot. even during a cooldown stretch she possessed the grace that was quite literally built into her throughout training and rehearsals growing up. her form came as naturally to her as speaking or walking would to another—it was just how her body worked. pulling her long flaxen hair over one shoulder, annie’s eyes settled on lana, one of the students closest to her—and also a fellow member of kincaid, which mean society party talk wasn’t off-limits. “i’ve procrastinated so much it’s either that or the classic bedsheet-turned-into-a-toga,” she added, chuckling quietly under her breath. “—and i know i wouldn’t be the only one trying to pull that off.” @lanajvmeson
“i promise, it’ll be worth it,” annie called over her shoulder, one foot on the ground and the other perched at the bottom of a window frame. not the first place you’d imagine someone to be during a hastings’ house party—kick back?—but perhaps just the situation one who knew the blonde would think her to be in. an interesting mix of some niche indie-electronic music pumped through the society house like a pulse, giving life to the scene that started in the living room and spilled out into the kitchen, hallways, stairway, and even some of the bedrooms. even now, in one such room, you could hear its dulled thud through the walls. soon enough it’d be blocked out even just a little more, if all went according to plan. “the roof hardly slants, so there’s zero chance of falling unless you really try,” annie picked up, stepping up fully and ducking through the open window. in seconds she was gone, cool night wind meeting her face as she settled onto the exterior of the library-turned-house. she waited some seconds to see if hugo would follow, looking back through the window while her knees bent to meet her chest. “much quieter than inside, isn’t it?” @hugorafferty
karaoke nights at the brass monkey were tragically underrated as far as annie was concerned. there was no other place in town—at least that she was aware of—that could give you the hyper-specific combination that was a sophomore from the theatre department belting out cher’s believe while you inhaled a shitty tap beer far too quickly. it was electric in the way that only the least frilly and fancy things could be. there was a spontaneity that fueled everyone in the room that you just couldn’t capture when wearing an extravagant gown and sipping champagne out of a coupe. “yes!” annie shouted, flat palm banging against the table, as the sophomore girl carried the song into its first chorus. do you believe in life after love!? the blonde sang along with what sounded like the rest of the bar, sliding off her chair and coming to stand. her legs slipped out from under the table, little pleather skirt accentuating their length as she walked towards a familiar mop of dark curls. “jameson! jemima!” she shouted, reaching a hand out in his direction. “don’t say no! don’t even think about—actually, don’t even think, just move!” it was always a special effort to get a reaction out of jaime, but the fact had become more of a motivator than a deterrent. besides, there was always the chance that he’d been drinking and the alcohol was on their side. maybe it’d loosen him up. @jamiecostello
Lazing on a chaise lounge conveniently positioned in front of a window, sun warming her like a blanket, Darby turned her head upon being interrupted from the box of old Italian records she was thumbing through. she had put on an opera from a composer she didn’t recognize, a soprano’s voice climbing dizzying heights as it spun around on the vinyl. As she propped her head up on the back of the lounge, the straps of her lacy slip fell off her shoulders, looking like she had just been woken from her starring role in a perfume commercial. One in French and populated by half-dressed models. :What are the tasting notes? Does it half a good body?” She questioned, seriously, before breaking into a laugh, face crumpling. “Kidding. Of course. Crack it open. And for reference, I prefer wine when it’s poured directly into my mouth. Tastes better that way,” she informed Annie with a wink, sliding over on the chaise to offer her a seat. “Want to pick out some different music? I think this lady’s trying to shatter my eardrum with her voice.”
annie’s brows rose, straightening up where she stood and once again taking the bottle into her grasp. a quick glance around the kitchen revealed a readily available cork screw, undoubtedly left behind by one visiting student or another. swiping it with her free hand, she made her way towards darby, a smile painting her face as the wine inside the bottle sloshed about just a little. for a quick moment her gaze flickered over the albright girl, lashes flitting in a way that could’ve suggested she quickly checked her out or was merely blinking. even if it were obvious, it was always hard to tell with annie whether she was flirting or just being friendly. you know, friendly in the way that some young women were towards other young women they found unquestionably beautiful. a chuckle tumbled from her lips as she neared the chaise, stopping short to set the bottle on a nearby coffee table and beginning to work the screw into the cork. “how dare she,” annie teased, though the space between her brows creased in such a way it appeared as though she were personally offended on darby’s behalf. “—but sure thing, just give me a second...” turning back to the wine, she made quick work of uncorking it, a clean pop echoing throughout the space. “beautiful, not a drop spilled or sprayed. this shit can’t go to waste,” she noted, practically beaming as she walked over to behind the chaise lounge’s back, prompting the other girl to lean her head back. she imagined that it’d be difficult for anyone to so easily turn down or forget the silly request, though it was especially difficult for her to resist. even if darby had been joking, she’d get what she’d asked for, annie was intent on that much. chuckling a bit, she bent over some and began to carefully tilt the bottle just over her mouth, stopping after a small pour. she then stood there for a moment, clearly satisfied. “so,” her voice picked up again, walking back around and taking the offered seat, “how’s it taste, beautiful?” her eyes not-so-subtly moved from darby’s eyes to her lips and back.
a long pair of legs emerged from the villa’s lower-level wine cellar, bare fee almost silently padding back up the staircase. a little further up were a pair of hands clasping a rather large wine bottle. it contained a burgundy liquid and was adorned with a minimalistic label that all but disappeared as the girl turned it in her grasp. “so,” annie called as she strode into the kitchen, revealing her little black dress-clad frame and a flash of flaxen blonde strands. her voice, drawn out in a way meant to encourage anticipation, carried through the large space, eager to meet any welcoming ears. “i’m not calling myself a wine connoisseur of any sort, but i do have a pretty lengthy history with these bad boys.” at that she set the wine atop the kitchen island, leaning over so that her elbows too rested on it. “and this happens to be the best thing i could find down there. but, mind you, that makes it dangerous. the makings of an unpredictable evening.” she shot the other a smile, tapping the side of the glass with one fingertip. “care to share? call it a pre-game.” @yatesstarters
(romee strijd, cis female) - have you seen annie cohen? annie is in her senior year. the dance major is 22 years old & is a sagittarius. people say she is disarming, playful, compulsive, and volatile. rumors say they’re a member of kincaid society. i heard from the gossip blog that she dropped out of this past summer semester last minute to check into a psychiatric unit.
it’s me, tessa, back again with an older muse of mine! she holds a big ol’ chunk of my heart, so we’re testing the waters and seeing how she does at yates. ~big fish, big pond~ i’m going to try and keep this bio brief(ish) and then just run with things, so bear with me, we’re throwing everything to the wind with maybe, potentially very little information :D fun! if we end up chatting about our muses i’ll be able to tell you more, this is just what’s coming to me.
name: annie luelle cohen
nicknames: a, lu
age, birth date: about to turn 22, december 1, 1998
hometown: napa valley, california
major, university: dance, yates university
sexuality: pansexual
pinterest!
HISTORY
annie is the only daughter to jameson cohen, single father and vintner. they live on their winery in napa valley, a large expanse of land with neighbors such as domain chandon and beringer vineyards.
annie’s parents had her young—at the ages of 21 and 22—which resulted in her mother leaving shortly after her birth. she doesn’t know much about her, save for her name (emmeline), how she looks in a few old photographs, and the shit talk comments her paternal grandmother mutters under her breath about how she must be galivanting off in italy or greece to this day.
growing up with her father had its difficulties, seeing as he was plenty busy running the business and estate. still, he did his best to prioritize her upbringing and devote a lot of time to her. and when it got to the point where it just wasn’t possible to juggle everything, he hired an au pair (fr). madeleine, 24 and from france. she quickly became something of an older sister figure, even teaching annie almost perfect french over the years.
seeing as she was still pretty lonely in that big ol’ house, madeleine suggested that james enroll annie in dance classes at a very young age. this would end up being a cornerstone of the girl’s life, from your standard baby’s ballet class (well, pre-ballet) to advanced pointe technique.
insert montage of this bright blonde kindergartener girl running around a stage, dad and maddie in the front row, to twelve year-old annie in the role of clara in the nutcracker, to a young adult seventeen year-old annie as juliet in romeo and juliet.
she was definitely ‘the dance girl’ throughout middle and high school, taking four sick days in a row every winter to perform in the annual nutcracker production. carrying her dance bag around so that she could go straight to rehearsal after school. always saying, sorry, i can’t, i have dance.
truly, though, she adored it and still does, which is why she’s pursuing it as a career (as well as taking some business courses here and there in the case that she has to manage the winery at some point).
MENTAL HEALTH / SECRET
tw: mental disorder / bipolar: around her sophomore year of high school, annie started experiencing rapidly changing moods and confusing emotions. for a small while everyone deduced it to “hormones,” but after what was revealed to be a manic episode, she was diagnosed with bipolar I and put on medication by her new psychiatrist.
however, she kept the situation on the DL, only her father and maddie being aware.
enter university. annie graduated, got accepted into yates due to stellar grades and her impressive pursuit of the arts, and was off to the east coast.
however exciting, the downside was that she started slacking on taking her medication. not often or for long periods of time, but still. everything seemed to be going along seamlessly, though, so she didn’t take it as seriously as she should’ve.
that is, until this past summer. she’d registered for classes throughout the summer semester, but a week long episode that resulted in spotty memory and regrettable decisions prompted her to drop the classes just before they started and check herself into a psychiatric unit a few towns over.
now she’s back for the fall semester and her senior year, giving the cover story that she decided last-minute to take the summer off and visit home after all.
PERSONALITY
tiktoks for a bit of a vibe: one, two, three
and my personal acc tag for her: here
+ sweetheart, playful, outgoing, a bit of a flirt - in that fun, lighthearted kind of way
- compulsive, stubborn, withdrawn when upset
emotional, which really can be here or there, depending on the situation
looks like a hiiii girl, often acts like a bruh girl
“sorry i told you about my trauma, do you still think i’m hot?”
“noo, don’t take care of me, it’s rotten work aha”
romantically calls you dude, platonically calls you babe
but also
stay away from people who make you feel like you’re hard to love
you are such a soft and messy thing, nobody knows how to take care of you
???? you know ????
the kind of person that doesn’t act out for attention, but doesn’t at all mind attention, either
she’ll get up and dance on the table with you, she’ll approach someone and tell them they’ve got pretty eyes, she’ll repeatedly raise her hand in class, she doesn’t mind being looked at
loves horror films/shows, but especially the type that are driven by story or are psychological (think the conjuring franchise, hill house, midsommar). one of her favorite things about watching or reading anything is talking to someone about it afterwards and going in-depth.
is either wearing sweats and a basic crop top type deal or knee high boots and a short skirt, there’s no in-between
CONNECTIONS
honestly awful at WCs, so i started a tag on my personal acc and am slowly starting to reblog with random ideas
maybe a kind of darker counterpart to her brighter personality. sort of like unexpected friends?
guy friends she fucks around with (not literally!) like fun idiots
girl friends she takes out on friend dates and calls beautiful 24/7
down to just plot the basics (oh, they’d recognize each other from x! they’re in the same society! maybe she probably, most likely would have a small crush on them! etc.) and then just go with chemistry from there.
believe me when i say i’m down for almost anything, though, do your worst (best?)
