bia arantes | they/she | genderqueer | hey, you know [ LEAH GIL ]? i’m pretty sure they’re [ 27 ] and have lived here for [ 8 MONTHS ]. they spend most of their time at [ CINDERSAP FOREST ] but also go to [ THE STARDROP SALOON ] a lot. if you ask me, they can be [ CREATIVE ], but also [ SHY ] at times. if you want to get on their good side, give them a [ POPPYSEED MUFFIN ] next time you see them! | maric, 26, he/him, cst
BASICS
FULL NAME: leah calista gil
ALIAS: n/a
AGE: 27
FACECLAIM: bia arantes
GENDER: genderqueer
PRONOUNS: they/she
ORIENTATION: demisexual
OCCUPATION: artist
RELATIONSHIPS
PARENTS: florinda gil ( mother ), oscar gil ( father , deceased )
SIBLINGS: n/a
CHILDREN: n/a
SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): kel ( ex )
PHYSICAL
EYE COLOUR: blue
HAIR COLOUR: red
HEIGHT: 5′3
BIOGRAPHY
leah never had an easy life, per say, but it wasn’t as hard as it could have been. they were raised by two relatively nice parents who supported them in most of their pursuits. their parents enjoyed their artwork, but they assumed it’d go nowhere. leah set out to prove them wrong.
when they were in high school, they were proud of their art, showing it off with little to no problem. however, the school bullies never really liked it, and at one of the art shows leah had signed up for, the bullies trashed their art. after that, leah had a lot hard of a time showing off their work.
when they went to art school in zuzu city, though, they tried to find their rhythm. leah got a job working at a joja mart to pay for their apartment; then, they met kel who was fairly well off. wanted to marry leah, but leah never really committed as much as they could have.
kel never really supported leah’s art, but even still, leah decided to leave the city and head for quieter woods. they asked kel to come, but kel said no. so, leah left for pelican town anyway, picking up and not telling kel where they went at all.
leah only told their parents where they went, and the past eight months have been bliss. if leah could only get over her fear of publishing or selling her art... oy...
“It’s SO weird! It’s like cous-cous if cous-cous were worse. And cous-cous is already super gross!” Haley exclaimed in obvious disdain, her nose wrinkling up unpleasantly. “I don’t mind black bean burgers, but I have to drown them in sauce or other toppings to mask the texture. It isn’t the best ever.”
“Oh you have the cilantro-soap gene?” she asked. “I always thought Alex was just being dramatic about that - because you know how boys are with greens. So dumb.” She rolled her eyes. “I guess it’s, like, a genetic thing and I should probably apologize to him for making fun of him… but I’m definitely not about to do something like that.” She tugged open the door for them as they got there, letting Leah walk in before her.
“cous-cous is so gross, actually,” leah said, wrinkling their nose with haley. “i can agree with you on that 100%.” leah linked arms with haley and leaned their head on her shoulder. “i will make you black bean burgers. you will love them, and i will be sure to drown them in sauce.”
then, leah nodded. “my dad had it too,” they supplied. then, “don’t apologize to alex. as much as i love the guy, i’m sure it’d go over his head, and he wouldn’t know what you were apologizing for.”
the stardrop saloon was just as warm as inviting as it always was. leah waved at gus and emily happily before going to sit down at the bar. “your outfit looks cute, by the way. i wish i had half your style, haley.”
Shane wasn’t particularly having a bad day or in a bad mood for any reason. Being grumpy was just his constant state of being at this point in his life. Usually, someone stopping to talk to him about literally anything, would have just further soured his mood. At first, his expression did fall to an annoyed expression, but it then went back to a more neutral one when they held out the pepper poppers. They definitely had gone out of their way to get these for him, for whatever reason, so the least he could do was be as kind as he could muster up. “Thanks, Leah,” he said with a small nod and very forced closed-mouth smile as accepted the gift. He then shrugged his shoulders, eyes focused on the pepper poppers, “You can do what you want, you’re not bothering me,” he said.
they smiled faintly back at him, happy to at least get something of a smile on his face. the annoyed look had worried the artist just a bit, but it’d all worked out in the end.
“soooooo,” leah started, kicking their legs as they sat next to shane. “done anything fun lately?” leah was probably pushing it at this point, but they didn’t care.
besides, everyone in pelican town had been nice to her. she could be nice too, even if the person she was nice to was a tad grumpy from time to time.
or all the time. still.
“i’ve been making new art. it’s coming together really well. just not sure what to do with it when i make it. i can only give it to elliott so many times.”
“hey shane! you looked a little down in the dumps today. i brought you some pepper poppers to maybe cheer you up?” leah’d never been a really outgoing person, but they’d always enjoyed giving gifts to other people. art. food. post it notes with words of affirmation? you name it, they’d gifted it. so, pepper poppers seemed well within leah’s league.
“if you don’t want me sticking around, i won’t, but i hope these help.”
When Leah casually defended the quinoa burger, a downright appalled expression crossed Haley’s face. Honestly, how could they? “I mean, sure, I guess it’s sweet, but her health kick shit is so nasty. Why would you take something so yummy and make it… quinoa?” She shuddered, like the thought was genuinely shaking her to her core. “His muffins are super good, but I’m spoiled on the ones Libby’s mom makes now. I’m feeling like maybe a pizza, so if you wanna split one, I got you.”
“yeah. health food isn’t always the best. quinoa has a weird texture to me too. black bean burgers are good though! if you can manage to make them keep their shape. also difficult to do.”
leah pursed their lips, tilting their head to the side. “ok, but i haven’t tried libby’s mom’s muffins yet. i may have to sneak over and swipe some.” leah shoved their hands in their pockets as they walked alongside haley towards the saloon.
“pizza sounds good. i’m not too picky, so you can pick the toppings too. just...no cilantro. it tastes like soap.”
“Guess what Emily made for lunch. Go ahead, guess.” Haley didn’t give them enough time to guess, bursting out with an answer before they had any chance to speak. “Quinoa burgers. Doesn’t that just make you wanna hurl?” Her eyes rolled melodramatically. “Anyway. Come to the saloon with me to get something more edible to eat. I hate going in there by myself. But I’ll buy you whatever you want to eat to say thanks or whatever.”
leah opens her mouth to answer, prepared to give a decent guess, but she blonde quickly barrels through and responds. leah didn’t mind quinoa burgers. sounded weird, but leah had tried a thousand different food items.
“i mean, a quinoa burger doesn’t sound that bad. plus, emily made it for you. that’s sweet, at least.” leah tries to smile, but it’s brief. “but yeah, we can get something from gus. his muffins are really good... plus, i need some coffee.”