desert rose.

Carina Flores Garcia. 30. Nurse at Lakeview Hospital. "She was everything real in a world of make-believe."

[carinagarcia]

TASK ONE: ABOUT ME

Carina Flores Garcia (Priscilla Quintana) was always a little different from the rest of her siblings. But it wasn’t until the age of fifteen that she finally realized why. A confession from their father lead to the truth behind her mother’s affair and the nature of her birth. She had been the result of a shameful mistake. In an attempt to earn her family’s respect, Carina threw herself into her school work, finding fulfillment in nursing and hoping that by helping others, she could finally feel a sense of purpose.

BIOGRAPHY | PINTEREST | WANTED CONNECTIONS

[carinagarcia]

MATTY RAZO

Liking someone was nerve-wracking, let alone liking someone that you have already been with and decided to become friends with. Matty never expected things to happen like this between them; after all, he knew that he had hurt her a lot when they dated years ago, and he was content with them being friends. Anything to make sure that she was happy and that she was in his life. Things had definitely turned around after Valentine’s Day and honestly, Matty was happy with it. They had promised each other to let it flow and that’s what they were doing. They were still Matty and Nina, best friends, but now there was a never-ending tension back in their interactions. It was almost as if that spark had never left, honestly.

He was equally giddy and nervous about showing her what he had drew for her, an original design just for her that no one else would ever have. Especially made for her and with her in mind. A smile appeared as he watched her step into Sea of Ink and Matty walked around the front desk to greet her, hugging her gently and kissing the side of her head. “I heard that he’s waiting for a very important client today, so he might be too busy to see anyone else, ma’am.” He retorted playfully as he pulled away from the hug. “I’m really glad that you’re punctual, if I wait any longer to show you the design, I think I might lose it.”

–

      Carina couldn’t help but laugh at the man’s joke, feeling her cheeks burn a bright shade of red under the weight of his gaze. It was hard to explain the affect he had on her, or the way their energy had suddenly shifted back to what it had been so many years ago. “Wow, you’re that excited? In that case, it must be a really big dick,” she teased. Truth be told, she was rather looking forward to seeing what the artist had come up with and if it was anything like his usual work, Carina knew that she was going to love it. After all, she had trusted him with this project for a reason.         “Well, what are you waiting for, Picasso? Show me this masterpiece of yours. I’m dying to see it!” Bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, the woman gave his arm a playful nudge, hoping to prod him along. “How big is it and where are you thinking of putting it? Tell me everything!” 

[carinagarcia]

HOLLY HAWTHORNE

starter for: @carinagarcia​ location: the 401

“Okay, now Carina, come on! What is the point of having friends who have the inside scoop if they won’t tell you??” Holly may or may not have been trying to convince her friend to spill the details about the recent crime spree and even murder in Mystic for a good half hour now over drinks. With very little else going on, this was by far the most exciting thing to happen in this tiny town since the brunette had been there and it was killing Holly not knowing more. 

–

      Although Carina welcomed the distraction and was always happy to catch up with a good friend over drinks, Holly had yet to learn that as a member of law enforcement, there were certain things the detective couldn’t disclose. No matter how much she was sometimes tempted to. Holly was the definition of a gossip and beyond the rules and legalities, she was probably one of the last people Carina would have trusted with such top secret information. Not that she had much to share as it was.

       “We’ve been over this, Holls! Everything is still under investigation and you, and the rest of the public, will know information as it becomes available. The last thing we want to do is stir things up and let potential suspects know we’re onto them. We’ve been able to confirm very little thus far.” 

[deepveined]

PRISCILLA QUINTANA via Instagram.

[carinagarcia]

marcustcrner​:

starter for: @carinagarcia​ location: mystic police department

It wasn’t the first time Marcus had been to a police station for questioning. He’d gotten into his fair share of trouble in his partying days, but he usually had a hot shot lawyer very quickly talk him out of whatever situation he’d gotten himself into. It was, however, the first time he’d been in a police station as the victim of a crime. As Marcus followed the cop from reception to an unnamed detective’s desk where he was supposed to give his statement about the break in at Retrograde, he stopped dead in his tracks for a moment. He’d forgotten that Cam’s sister was a cop. This was sure to be awkward. Taking a few tentative steps towards her desk, he waited for the other cop to introduce him and explain the situation and then walk away. Letting out a breath, he stepped forward, leaning towards her a bit before glancing over his shoulder. “Look, you can ask them to reassign me to someone else or something, I won’t be offended.”

–

         With the rather sudden rise in Mystic’s crime rate, the police department had been working harder than ever to get to the bottom of things. As a detective in a small town, Carina was used to petty crimes and the occasional missing person, not a number of potentially linked break-ins and certainly not a homicide. 

         Though she had been focused on some rather important documents for the past half hour, it didn’t take her long to notice the two men approach her desk before the brunette’s gaze quickly fell upon the familiar face of Marcus Turner. Although he certainly wasn’t the person she’d wanted to see, the detective knew that she had to try and keep her own personal problems and opinions out of the way. This was about doing her job. “That won’t be necessary. I’m a professional and your relationship with my sister has nothing to do with this case. Take a seat. You can start off by telling me where you were the night of the break-in.”

[carinagarcia]

WILL HOLDER

       “Oh.. you’d be surprised. Your sister can handle herself,” he arched a brow, knowing not to tread too heavily with the Garcia sisters. His facial expression quickly dwindled, however, at her latter comment. Whilst he was happy to take care of the siblings of one of his own, he wasn’t going to withstand any sort of assumptions about his character. It hit a sore spot, really, given the many assumptions that had been made about him over the years. Being a part of the Holder family did that to you, and then some. “Is that really what you think of me? That I’m that kind of a guy?”

–

         Much to the woman’s surprise, Will hadn’t laughed or even cracked a smile in response to her playful comment. While she hadn’t always thought the best of him or the Holder family, there was certainly no reason for Carina to believe that he would do her any harm. “Will, c’mon. It was just a joke. Of course I don’t think you would do anything like that. I’m just not used to you being so friendly... or smiley around me. A girl’s gotta be suspicious.” With a small chuckle, she gave the man a reassuring look. “Why the sudden change in attitude, huh? 

[carinagarcia]

STARTER: @mattyrazo​ LOCATION: Sea Of Ink TIME: 6:00 PM

For Carina, the promise of seeing her best friend put a smile on her face like no other. While the romantic tension had definitely risen between the two of them as of late, there was no doubting the fact that they enjoyed each other’s company and she couldn’t wait to see what the tattoo artist had whipped up for her. 

As she entered the shop, Carina could feel her heartbeat quicken and and a toothy smile spread across her face. For somebody who knew her so well, she was absolutely positive that Matty had picked something she would love. “I’m here for my 6 o’clock appointment with a Mr. Matias Razo. Do you perhaps know where I can find him?” the woman teased as she approached her friend, barely giving the man a chance to answer before she was wrapping her arm around his frame. 

[carinagarcia]

STARTER: @celestina-mf LOCATION: Celestina’s Apartment TIME: 3:30 PM

        For two sisters who hadn’t always seen eye-to-eye, Carina had found herself spending more and more time with Celestina as of late. Whether it was the beach party that had changed things, or giving her the occasional ride home from work, Carina’s new perspective on life had certainly changed things for the better. That was, at least, until there had been a sudden rise in Mystic’s small crime rate and she felt her mind shifting back to the same topics and questions over and over again.

        “I’m really worried about your safety with all of this stuff going on, Cel. People in your line of work are often targeted for this kind of thing. Plus I don’t know what Will’s doing over at The 401, but you can’t convince me there isn’t something at least a little sketchy going on there. Admittedly, I’m also worried about Sage. Maybe it’s a good thing Marcus knows now. He can help protect her.”

[carinagarcia]

YASMIN SOLAK

       Yasmin’s features lit up upon seeing Carina standing before her, breathing a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I’m so out of it, but I just can’t believe they’re putting it down to an alien invasion. That isn’t even the worst of it.. the comments are just so insensitive. I mean, nobody wants to deal with such a heavy situation close to home, or to think it’s anyone we know that could be wreaking havoc upon the town, like you said.. but I just—” She was lost for words at that point, conveyed by the shaking of her head and the lack of continuation of what she was saying. Heaving a weighted sigh, Yasmin offers something of a warm smile, accompanied by a curious, and lowkey concerned, expression. “How come you’re here? Is everything okay?”

–

          Aside from the obvious stupidity of those who had decided to blame the murder on an alien invasion, Carina had yet to consider just how disrespectful and insensitive it was to the victim and their family. The killer needed to be held responsible, whether they were a friend or family member. Otherwise, there was a rather great risk that something like this could have the potential to happen again. 

          “Yeah, everything’s fine. I was working when they brought the body in this morning and an officer accidentally left their cellphone behind. I just stopped by to return it and–” Carina thought about disclosing her curiosities to her friend, though she didn’t know if Yasmin would like the fact that she was snooping. The two of them had always been fascinated by this kind of thing. Although for Carina, her job didn’t provide her with any reason to know more information. “I guess I was also wondering if there were any updates. I was going to head home and crash, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep knowing that there’s a killer on the loose.”

[carinagarcia]

cosmos, reminder, nightmare

cosmos – what's one thing you wish you could say to someone you are no longer friends with?

“Luckily most of the friends I care to keep have since returned to my life. If I’m no longer friends with someone, it’s usually for a reason. But I’ll always treasure the good memories.” 

reminder – who is someone you will never forget?

“Abby, I guess. She was the first person I ever felt comfortable exploring my sexuality with and despite how much she’s hurt me, I’ll always be thankful for the things she taught me about self love.”

nightmare – what are you most afraid of?

“I’m most afraid of not being good enough. Of being insignificant or an  unmemorable part of other’s lives. I want to leave my mark on this world and feel at peace with myself. But no matter how hard I work or how much I accomplish, I feel like I can’t truly be happy until I’ve gained the approval of others and that in itself is terrifying.”

[carinagarcia]

MATTY RAZO

Matty wanted to play it cool, so he just looked away as he laughed lightly. “You know, that sounds an awful lot like flirting and I’m not sure how to proceed because my brain stopped cooperating with me for a second.” Matty finally looked back at her as a soft pink hue covered his cheeks, not being able to do anything about his reaction. It was silly, because it wasn’t anything new for them, but ever since they had kissed on Valentine’s Day, he feels like they’re in a little bubble where they are too many things at once, therefore they have developed some sort of skinny love that they both refuse to acknowledge, despite the fact that it’s written all over their faces every single time that they look at each other.  “Regardless though, your nudes would be safe with me.”

“Hey, aliens are cool!” He defended as he tried not to laugh but then grabbed his bicep, dramatically holding onto it after she punched him. “Damn, you been working out?” He eyed her playfully before he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him to kiss her forehead after she punched him, almost as if in retaliation for her actions, but more clearly an excuse. “No ideas yet, but now that I kinda have an idea of what you don’t want, I can work on it. I do have some style ideas that I think would fit you, maybe something very minimalistic but…meaningful, that you know, reminds me of you.” He offered slowly, already getting some ideas for his sketches.

–

      Carina’s cheeks couldn’t help but redden as she listened to him speak. Whether she had been intentionally flirtatious or not, there was definitely something going on between them – something that neither person could seem to wrap their head around. Butterflies filled her stomach whenever he was near and the smile on her face always appeared to shine a little brighter.

      With a small chuckle, the brunette raised her hands in surrender, though it wasn’t long before she felt herself crash against the man’s body. His lips had always felt so good against her skin, making her feel safe, no matter the time or place. Matty was home to her. And even if just for a moment, it was hard not to slip into those old familiar feelings – the sweetness of their love, the playfulness of their relationship. All thoughts of the tattoo exiting her mind, Carina tipped her head back to gaze up at him, an innocent smile creeping onto her lips as she spoke.

      “You missed.” As her dainty fingers combed back through his hair, the woman felt herself slip into an almost trance-like state. She had promised her best friend that if she kissed him again, it wouldn’t be a mistake. And while Carina had definitely sipped on enough margaritas to feel a buzz, it wasn’t the alcohol talking this time around. Just as the tip of Matty’s nose brushed up against her own, the sound of a familiar voice called her back to reality. It was Holly. 

       With a small sigh of frustration, Carina couldn’t help but chuckle at the inconvenience. Even if it was probably for the best. “I’m sorry. My friend is having boy troubles and I think she needs me. But I’ll see you later, okay? Try not to have too much fun without me.” 

[carinagarcia]

ELIAS RICHMOND

Elias was startled, perhaps pleasantly so, to learn that Carina remembered his late night ramblings, at least enough to comment on them. Especially considering she was quite literally sewing him back together at the time. It was an impressive level of recall, to say the least. He blinked, then almost barked out a laugh, before turning his head away from his counterpart, to take another long drag from his cigarette. The man exhaled the accompanying plume of smoke, before speaking. 

“It’s actually quite impressive that you remembered that, but no. Didn’t hear back from anyone, but I didn’t exactly do much besides spout off pipe dreams to the poor nurse who was stuck stitching my ass up. Thanks, by the way. I’m good as new.” He laughed again, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. “I shouldn’t tattoo anyone. I could probably handle like a word or two, but a portrait? Nah. A memorial for Grandma would come out looking like one of the kids from South Park.”

–

      “Your ass? I thought it was your hand,” Carina teased, an airy chuckle floating out from between her lips. “Although, I’m sure there’ll be a next time. Who knows what tattoos you keep hidden on that thing.” It was rather interesting to see how well the conversation flowed between them – Carina taking note of every smile or laugh they shared. Sense of humour was something that had attracted her to Abby in the first place, and it was easy to see that the siblings had that in common. 

       “If it helps, I’ve never understood why people get family portraits. Who wants to look at their partner’s dead Grandmother while they do the nasty? I’d take a South Park character over that scenario any day.” With a warm smile, Carina glanced up at the older man before lowering her gaze back down to the floor. After so many months of radio silence, it was taking everything in her not to ask him how his sister was doing. But in doing so would be a line of questioning she didn’t know she was ready for. “I suppose I should let you get back to your evening plans. Are you heading over to The 401?”

[memesgaloor]

ask my character about anyone in their life!

playable characters, npcs, anything! ask about relationships, current ones, failed ones, poke and prod them for answers about people that mean a lot to them!

[carinagarcia]

CARINA | JAMIE | TRAVIS

[carinagarcia]

late night self reflective asks 🌙

cosmos: what's one thing you wish you could say to someone you are no longer friends with?

galaxies: what are three things you want to do before you die?

waxing: what is your proudest accomplishment?

waning: what is your biggest regret?

full moon: what type of person do you hope to be?

contemplation: if you could wake up one morning and everything in your life was perfect, what would that look like?

night light: who/what makes you feel safe?

ponder: what do you want to do with your life?

sunset: who is someone you thought would be in your life forever, but you no longer talk to?

midnight: are you a different person late at night than in the early morning?

candle light: are you an indecisive person?

reflection: have you ever changed something you liked about yourself to satisfy someone else?

sweet dreams: are you happy?

nightmare: what are you most afraid of?

constellations: who is someone you could talk to for hours and never stop?

reminder: who is someone you will never forget?

11-11: what's something you want, but feel like you will never have?

shooting star: who is someone you trust to help you make the right decisions?

earth: where do you feel most at home?

soothe: what's one thing that always makes you feel better when you're upset?

slumber: what's one thing that helps you fall asleep when it feels impossible?

[carinagarcia]

XAVIER PRICE

One of the things Xavier liked about Mystic was the people who had impacted the lives of his grandparents, no matter how big or small. Even though his hometown was only an hour away, the demands of his job often kept him away from coming to see his grandparents in Mystic and would even take him out of state. The times when Xavier or his other family members couldn’t physically be there for his grandparents, there was always a friendly neighbour or a kind stranger that would step in and help them out. Some were even faces from Xavier’s own past, such as Carina, who had been helping out his grandparents from when they were in school. He could easily recall plenty of evenings after school where he would try to get his hands dirty by helping Carina with some garden work but ended up creating more work for the two of them.

Her presence on his doorstep was a welcome surprise even considering the circumstances and the fact that his apartment looked like it had been flipped upside down. “Thank you…for everything, really” Xavier told Carina and he meant it. The gesture of showing up meant a lot to him and even made Xavier a little remorseful for keeping his reservations about Mystic. He stepped out of the way to welcome her in properly which was more of an awkward manouvre to the side given he had not-so-smartly left a box behind his the door. 

“Uh…I’ve been managing. It’s just weird, going over there and seeing all his stuff still there but not him” Xavier answered after a long sigh. It was still a lot for him to process and it was hard to watch his mother process the loss of her father. He noticed the flowers and the card Carina was holding, the smile returned to his face. “…are those for me?” 

–

       Working at the hospital, Carina had witnessed her fair share of death and witnessed the way it had torn apart more than just a few families. While it was an unavoidable part of life, that didn’t make it any easier on people to deal with. Death would always leave behind a void – some un-fillable hole in people’s lives. It was just as hauntingly beautiful as it was devastating. “You have no reason to thank me. I’ll always be here for you. It’s what friends are for.”

       With a warm smile, Carina stepped through the small threshold and into Xavier’s apartment. While it was easy to see that the man still had a long way to go as far as unpacking, the progress he had made was enough to make the place feel lived in. Although her eyes took in the space around them, the woman was sure to keep her attention focused on what her friend was saying before her gaze landed back on the flower arrangement she was holding. “I can definitely see why that would leave you with a weird feeling. I’m sure it’s not easy on your grandmother either. And they are, yes. I had my sister whip something up for both of you.” Extending her arms out toward him, Carina offered him the flowers as a sign of sympathy and respect. “I suppose they’ll also serve as the perfect way to brighten up your new space.”

[carinagarcia]

WILL HOLDER​

       As she turned around, Will couldn’t help but smile upon recognition of the woman’s identity. A smile of amusement, really, as though he felt like he were in on a secret she wasn’t aware of.. considering the last time they’d interacted, the energy between them contrasted the air of disappointment on her end now. It only further confirmed his suspicion that she truly wasn’t aware of his identity at the ball; and that was amusing enough, knowing how well they’d gotten along. “Well, well, well.. and here I thought I’d never see a Garcia at The 401. Other than Cel, of course.” Narrowing his eyes some, the smile on his features refused to soften any as he takes a sip of whatever concoction remained in his glass. "Can I at least offer you some water while you’re waiting?” 

-

       Carina couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Will quite this smiley. At least while he had been in her presence. While the youngest Garcia sibling had overlooked the feud between their families, her and Cam had proven to be far more stubborn. With a hint of a laugh, the brunette shrugged her shoulders. “If I’m being honest, I’ve spent quite a few evenings here lately... Helps me unwind after work. And I get to make sure that there are no creepy men hitting on my sister. Kind of a win-win situation.” 

       Whether she had wanted to admit this information or not, Carina felt a small smile settle onto her lips in response to her own confession. Knowing Will, he would likely take it as a win. “That would be great, actually. Thanks. Only how you have to tell me why you’re being so nice... Are you about to drug me? Should I be concerned?”

[carinagarcia]

YASMIN SOLAK​:

« ☽ starter for @mysticstarter​​ »

STATUS: open LOCATION: mystic police department PLOT DROP: #1 robberies/murder DATE/TIME: the afternoon

           Yasmin had been waiting all afternoon. Patiently, of course, she didn’t want to be a burden upon any of the police officers who’d been scurrying around all afternoon, tending to all of the reports and complaints. Besides, it seemed there were many civilians who were in far more dire situations than she. So she turns to her phone, where she’s already gotten at least twenty notifications in the last ten minutes. It seemed the town was running rampant with the latest news story, opinions and theories of the homicide flying left right and centre. “Some of these are just ridiculous.. an alien invasion?!” All the while, she hadn’t realised she’d been speaking aloud, let alone that the person standing nearby would hear her. 

          After working an overnight shift at the hospital, it wasn’t uncommon for Carina to spend the following afternoon in bed. Especially knowing that she would be due back at work that evening. News of the murder, however, had quickly derailed those plans, making it absolutely impossible for the brunette to rest knowing that there was a killer on the loose.

          When paramedics had wheeled the body into the mortuary early that morning, nobody had been able to believe what they were seeing. In their happy, supposedly safe small town, this was completely unheard of. Everybody knew everybody, and somehow that made things all the more unsettling. It could have been a neighbour, a teacher, somebody’s parent, a friend – and although the killer’s motive was rumoured to be linked to the robberies, there was no telling whether or not this victim would be their last. 

          Although many people had advised Carina to stay in her lane, the woman’s curiosity was rather hard to extinguish. If there was any chance of her feeling safe in her own home, she had to find out more. And luckily for her, an officer’s forgotten cellphone seemed like the perfect excuse for a trip to the police station. 

          Upon entering the building, she couldn’t help but notice a familiar face seated in the waiting area. And although Carina had to assume that Yasmin was there on behalf of the Gazette, it also made her wonder if she knew any more than the rest of the town. “Man, I don’t want to believe that it's anyone I know either, but aliens? Really?”