A playlist for the sensitive girl who never had it easy but managed to pave her own path forward with a smile on her face
She ain't got no money, Her clothes are kinda funny, her hair is kinda wild and free
Oh but love grows, where Birdie goes, and nobody knows like me
She talks kinda lazy, and people say she's crazy, and her life's a mystery
spirits were high and chaotic at babylon during the entirety of june. it was their busiest month of the year for a good reason and that night was no exception with no one but two drag shows and an obvious and colorful theme cocktail night joey had grown to despise.
after the seventh cocktail of the night, joey walked towards the newest patron waiting for their attention, flashing their usual teasing grin at their direction. "hey, what can i get ya?" then they paused, looking around for a brief second before leaning in closer to the person in front of them, eyes still focused on the crowd. "tell you what. three rounds of two truths one lie and if you win whatever you order for the rest of the night is on me. just don't put me into debt and don't get kicked out for being a bad drunk. deal?"
"Okay, you're on," Sky laughed. He'd gone home only long enough to change out of his work uniform before coming out for a beer. He was planning on staying in bed all weekend, but he needed something to help him relax aka a beer or two... or three. Depends on how he was feeling after the first two. Sky loved a game, so despite his exhaustion, he'd play their game. "I'll go first..." Pursing his lips in though, Sky tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I've been bit by a sea lion, I got robbed in Portugal, and... I auditioned for Survivor and almost made it all the way." He waggled his brows, a grin spread across his lips. "Go ahead and get that beer ready for me, there's no way you've got this." Sky was teasing, but a little friendly taunting made a game that much more fun.
"i just call it as i see it," she offers a smile in response as they moved for lemonades, and then to settle onto the beach, khadija taking the moment to spread out enough so that the sun was hitting her face. there was nothing like sitting in the sun on a weekend morning, she decided. "forever, huh?" she asks, and then "the other day i snuck into a secret society meeting for a story i'm working on" and perhaps khadija should not say things like that out loud, perhaps khadija should keep things like that close to their chest, but instead she's telling birdie, who she knows won't go and break her story to anyone, really. "but other than that, nothing too exciting, what about you, how's summer break going?"
"A secret society?" Birdie's mouth fell open in genuine surprise. "I didn't think those actually existed!" She'd seen them in the movies and shows, but it sounded so far-fetched to be true in real life. Birdie lived a pretty sheltered life. She didn't go out of her way to discover new things out of her normal comfortable bubble, so it was fascinating to have friends like Dija who were doing such cool and crazy things. "That is extremely exciting," She laughed. "Can't wait to read all about it when you finish your story!" Birdie took a long sip of her drink and shrugged one shoulder. "Nothing too exciting for me," She said. "I'm taking a few weeks to relax and get my head on straight before I start summer tutoring... I'll probably find a part time job to keep me busy, oh and pick up some more volunteering shifts... anything I can do to make the summer go by faster." Birdie loved summer as a season, but hated summer break. She'd always thrived in a school setting, so she couldn't wait to get back to it and meet her new batch of students.
divya has to fight the urge to roll her eyes — she could be a bit of a cynic, but she had earned the right. it wasn’t birdie’s fault, and she certainly wasn’t going to unload on the sweet, adorable first-grade teacher because she had been forced to desensitise herself to mean, ruthless comments from trolls on the internet. divya was in the public eye, and it was a decision she made. she knew what came with being a public figure, and while she didn’t like it, she had to accept the reality of this part of it.
with a short sigh, she places her coffee cup on the table separating the small space between them, then brings her hand together. clutched in her lap, divya gives a closed-mouth laugh, that sounds more like a ‘hmph’ than a ‘haha’ but the intention is there. lips pull into a smile, and she gestures towards her phone camera, “you know what’s great about technology these days? you can film content without ever having to be on camera.” she nods, encouragingly, pointing at the pipecleaner ribbons, “i’m not saying do something that makes you uncomfortable — but if you did want to share your teacher talents with the internet… there is a way to do it without having to put yourself all the way out there.”
The reaction from Divya is a bit confusing to Birdie. She knew what the other woman did for a living, and maybe she should have considered that before saying anything but... well, she was just making conversation and answering the question Divya had proposed. Birdie was sensitive to criticism and she always had been, so she wouldn't put herself in a situation that would welcome it. The other woman clearly had tougher skin than she did.
"I don't think it's for me," Birdie replied, shrugging again. Not only because she didn't want complete strangers to perceive her online, but also there seemed to be a lot of effort needed to put out quality content. She was too focused on creating a safe and happy environment for her students, there was no time to film every new idea she put into action. "There's a teacher conference in the city this summer that I'm going to, I think I'll share some ideas there. Maybe another teacher will have a thicker skin than me and put them out there for the teachers of the world."
there she goes; eyeing him again. unable to hide the genuine curiosity that seemed to settle upon at her at realising one, undeniable fact: he was the anti-divya. it was becoming glaringly obvious that this man would not know his elizabeth taylor from his taylor swift. it was almost endearing, in an oddly concerning kind of way. was he disconnected? or did he focus the use of his brain on things that actually mattered to him? that was a nice thought, but it had to be somewhat disconcerting when a bombshell dropped on him, completely devoid of its gumption, because — maybe, by the time he learnt it, it was old news.
“what must it be like in your head, collin?” the words tumbling from her in a rush of wonderment. “i think i need to start mentioning random major world events from the last six months to truly gauge how not up-to-date you are. because right now, if you were paying attention, you would know the nba finals are happening, and it may just be a fairytale win for the new york knicks,” her wide eyes remain on him, scrutinising his expression for any indication he was messing with her. when he doesn’t, she leans over her drink to take another drink, though she never takes her gaze off him. “the spider-man movie premiere,” divya offers with a nod, “but since they’re also having one in la… they might just send me to that instead.”
Collin wasn't completely in the dark. He knew things about things. He just didn't put much time or effort into things he didn't care about. He didn't put emotion behind things that had to do with things he didn't care about. Collin had seen videos of people freaking out and crying over meeting a 'celebrity' and he just didn't get it. You could enjoy someones art and not be obsessed with them. Collin watched a lot of movies and TV. He listen to a lot of music. But there wasn't a single person that he would die to meet.
Collin shrugged his shoulders, chuckling. "I know there are games happening, I just don't care." He wasn't staying on top of the schedules for teams he didn't care about, even if he'd been born in New York. "Besides, how many Knicks fans are on a small island in California? Come back when the Dodgers are playing and you won't be able to find a seat." And, yes, Collin knew the Knicks and Dodgers played different sports. "LA sounds like a better option, save you from having to get on an airplane." Surprise, surprise, Collin didn't love getting on a plane. They were too small, his legs never fit, airports stressed him out, and being that close to strangers was a nightmare in itself. He was a homebody through and through.
"𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖼𝗈𝗅..." rhiannon rests both arms on the table as she clasps her fingers, putting on a playful expression that meant, what am i going to do with you? all in good fun, though. it wouldn't be them if a joke isn't cracked every five minutes. "how are we supposed to be business partners in crime and give gordon ramsay a run for his money if we don't put the fried pickles on the menu? work with me here," slowly but surely, she cracks a wide grin. if anything, she trusted his decision on everything. it's one of the many reasons why she looked up to him. "it's all about being adventurous when it comes to different cuisines. what would you do if one day a bunch of brits come in to the grill asking if you have a jacket potato with beans and cheese? you're visiting me at the bnb tomorrow and we're having a proper bri-ish experience."
"Is that what we're doing?" Collin laughed. He cooked well, he knew that, but competing against Gordon Ramsay was a bit of a stretch. He considered her question, spooning more ice cream into his mouth. "If a bunch of Brits came into the grill, I'll introduce them to the All American cuisine we serve..." He replied, his tone still light and teasing. "Why would they come all this way just to get the food they have at home?" Collin did a quick run through of his menu, trying to think of his most 'American' items. "I'll give them the chicken and waffles and max & cheese... they want beans? I'll slap those right on a plate with my barbecue ribs... they won't even know what hit them." Collin laughed again. "But hey, what do I know? Maybe I'll change my mind after a proper British experience..."
"merlot, please," she seemed to deflate just so in her chair, leaning heavily on the bar top. luckily, the place she rested her arms on wasn't sticky. the question was one she didn't really want to answer, as all the days recently had been a little hard to get through. but since seeing joey, her world had been turned on its head. "i just haven't been sleeping well lately," shrugging, she sighed and watched him move around the bar. "an.. old friend came back into my life. or rather, we ran into each other - literally - at a cafe not long ago. i... i missed them dearly. but of course, me being who i am, can't really stop thinking incessantly about the past."
Collin pulled the wine that she'd selected and pulled her a heavy serving of it, sliding it across the bar. It wasn't a surprise that she was opening up so easily to his question. A lot of people did that. On the rare occasion that Collin was behind the bar for more than an hour or two, he heard a lot of stories from a lot of people. It was true that people came to bars mostly to drink, but they also came in hopes of unloading whatever was troubling them. "That's tough," He mused, leaning against the back of the bar and folding his arms over his chest. Collin was giving her his full attention. "Are they bad memories?" He asked, his tone curious but not prying. She didn't need to go into details. "Or a mixed bag?" Often times, people from the past brought back both good and bad memories. He had a few people from his past that would do that if they showed up here.
"mhm - typically it's a break you take to refresh your mind and reset. haven't you heard of it?" there's a teasing lilt to her tone, although truthfully, she never took more than a week or two off in a year either - and those big dreams of planning a vacation abroad typically fell by the wayside. besides, with the beach only a short walk away and the citrus-tinge constantly in the air, it was hard to picture a place that could offer more relaxation than mirabella itself. "just don't work yourself to the bone, alright?" a burst of laughter comes at the confusion ( or was it revulsion? ) crossing over collin's features and she can only hope her face hadn't been as transparent when the couple had mentioned it to her. "trust me - some of these events have become more about ego than anything else." still, there were those couples who really seemed to be in love and believe that it might last a lifetime for them, and while tessa was doubtful about the whole institution itself, she did love bringing their visions to life. "oh, they're definitely not getting that add on for free. i'm still trying to convince them to ditch the idea altogether. i don't think it'll be a fun time for anyone. how about you, any crazy behind-the-bar stories? or has it been relatively sane?"
"Nope, never heard of that before..." Collin chuckled, shaking his head. "Sounds like a made up story." Living on a literal island and steps away from a beautiful beach, Collin didn't even know where he'd go if he were to take a vacation. Sure, there were places in the world that he'd like to visit, but he wasn't in any hurry to. He always imagined that he'd become a world traveler once he retired. Spend the last years of his life seeing everything this planet had to offer. "Some people, I swear..." He shook his head again, knowing full well that a petting zoo wasn't even the craziest request Tessa had received, most likely. At her question, Collin shrugged. He didn't spend a lot of time behind the bar usually, but he did hear some crazy things from his staff. "Just the typically," He replied. "People getting too drunk and stupid to remember that they are in public and not their own homes." Collin rolled his eyes. "Just the other day some guy sent back his appetizer three separate times saying something was wrong with it..." Collin had eventually had to come out of his office himself and see what the issue was. "The last time he tried the plate was empty..." Rolling his eyes, he ran a hand down his face. "Crazy people in every profession, it seems."
Len wasn't the biggest night owl, but he certainly wasn't afraid to be out late, especially not when his job required it more often than not. Some nights he went straight from the Church to his cozy bed, but other nights, he tried to make the most of them and get out and about. After all, Len was still relatively new to the town, so he was still trying to learn all of its ins and outs, and he was still trying to meet more people and make more friends.
Before he made his way home after a small show at the Church, Len made his way to the bar. What better place was there to make new friends? He walked in a little shyly, but he was excited for what could potentially come his way. "Evening," he greeted the person behind the bar, smile widening slightly. "Ooh," he hadn't thought that far, hadn't thought of a drink to order. "What do you recommend?"
"Hmm..." Collin hummed, looking around him at the selection of liquor. Manning the bar wasn't what he usually did, but that didn't mean he didn't have a rolodex of cocktails in his head. "Well, if you like beer, we've got a few new ones on tap for the summer..." He motioned above him to the 'what's on tap' sign had just been redone by one of his employees. "Or I can make you a cocktail..." Collin looked the guy over, pursing his lips slightly in thought. "Whiskey sour? A mojito?" He snapped his fingers. "I make a mean Long Island Ice Tea..." He tapped the bar with his knuckle, pointing a finger at the customer. "Tell you what, I'll just whip up the first thing that comes to mind and if you don't like it... it's on me." It was a slow night, but they'd already met their sales goals. He could spare a drink on the house.
open starter for anyone! feel free to assume a prior connection
where?: on the ferry heading back to mirabella
@mirabellastarts
It had been a long day and a longer week for Sky. It was officially summer vacation so the aquarium had been over run by wild children and their already exhausted parents or nannies. During the summer, they doubled the daily marine mammal shows so he'd been talking nonstop. It was going to be a long summer. Sky was ready to be home in his bed for the next two days. As much as he loved living on Mirabella... Sky really hated this fucking ferry sometimes.
"Mind if I sit here?" He asked, finding an empty seat next to someone looking out at the ocean. Sky sat down before he even finished asking. He was trying to be polite, but he was sitting regardless. He let out a yawn, covering his mouth with his hand. "God, it's been a long week." He sighed. "There's a beer and some buffalo wings with my name on it the second I get off this boat."
Mason Gooding / Male / He/Him ——— ☀︎ no way is that SKY RAMSEY .ᐟ rumor has it they’re 30, born on DECEMBER 3rd, a true SAGITTARIUS .ᐟ seems like they’ve been in mirabella for 3 YEARS, working as an MARINE MAMMAL SPECIALIST AT THE LONG BEACH AQUARIUM. i’ve seen them around DRIFTWOOD lately; they’re notoriously known for being FICKLE & UNFOCUSED but some people have seen them being UPBEAT & INQUISITIVE when the island is quiet and the ferries stop running .ᐟ if you ask me, they remind me a lot of a loopy smile and honest heart, the perfect summer night, your favorite song playing on the radio, no lines at check out, ultra lazy sundays spent in bed just keep an eye on them & see if their true colours shine through .ᐟ
basics:
full name: Skyler Bennett Ramsey
nicknames: Sky
pronouns: he/him
sexuality: heterosexual
age: 30
date of birth: December 3rd
zodiac sign: Sagittarius
occupation: Marine Mammal Specialist at the Long Beach Aquarium (Aquarium of the Pacific)
personality type: TBD
face claim: Mason Gooding
backstory:
A California native, he's lived in the state his entire life. Born in North California and stayed there throughout his childhood and teenage years.
After taking a gap year, he moved to San Diego for college and obtained a degree in Marine Biology,
At 23, he moved to Los Angeles when he got a job at the aquarium in Long Beach. There's a port out of Long Beach and he would take the ferry to Mirabella and found that the island vibes suited his personality. After living and working in Long Beach for a few years, he ultimately decided to move to Mirabella when the lease of his apartment was up.
He's a very carefree, goofy kind of guy and doesn't take anything too seriously. Not super dependable, like you're not calling him if you need help with something. He's loyal and a good friend, but not the most responsible
Had a very typical upbringing, his parents are still married, he was raised comfortable middle class, had all 4 of his grandparents until very recently
Marine life is very important to him and is the one thing he takes very seriously. Taking the ferry to Long Beach every day for work has gotten a bit old but he doesn't want to give up his position working with the marine mammals there.
Relationships aren't easy for him because his girlfriends often don't feel like he's putting enough into the relationship. He does the best he can, but it hasn't been enough in the past. So, he's more comfortable with short term dalliances that are broken off before anyone's heart can get broken
Sky is an easy going dude and won't engage in drama, he simply doesn't care enough to
if there was one thing divya loved about mirabella island, it was that she wasn’t surrounded by the usual circus of hollywood: people faking niceties to garner some clout or making some connection they hope will be mutually beneficial in the future, or manipulating and backstabbing to get one over another person. no — people here could be genuinely good. so, when she spent time around birdie, she thinks she’s capable of being good too. divya’s been told she can be quite brusque, a little severe, and downright pretentious… they were probably right, but it still hurt her feelings. despite popular opinion, divya did, in fact, have feelings too.
birdie’s bright, almost nauseatingly adorable recollection of how these pipecleaner ribbons came to be brings a warm, truly endeared smile to her face. divya nods along, mildly convinced that she could probably try this at home, but homecrafts had never been a particular interest of hers. but it suited her friend very well. it felt very… birdie. “you know, you could probably post a tutorial on tiktok too — let other teachers learn from you in the same way you’ve learnt from others. the internet has a wealth of knowledge, and i think you should contribute to it!”
"I've thought about it," Birdie mused, shrugging noncommittally. "But then I'll see a negative comment on a perfectly nice person's video and remember how sensitive I am to criticism..." Sensitive as in, she couldn't handle it. She'd heard her parents yell such vitriol at each other all her life, and even when the words weren't directed at her, Birdie took them to heart. And when people were behind a keyboard and anonymous, they could be vicious. Birdie didn't want that negativity in her life, even if it meant she couldn't post her fun ideas online.
"Like, there was this teacher talking about cleaning out her classroom before summer," Birdie continued. "And there were all these comments about what she looks like..." She shook her head, a genuine twinge of pain for that woman in her heart. "Even the idea of a negative comment hurts my feelings!" Birdie laughed, rolling her eyes at herself and her too gentle heart. "Are blogs still a thing? Maybe I could write a blog... and just not post anything about myself." Perhaps that was something she could work on during the summer.
“what is ‘industry talk’ in your world?” she asks, truly fascinated, and somehow, shocked by the concept. who knew? bartenders partook in industry talk too. the industry for divya was worlds apart from the industry for collin. after all, his involved alcohol and talking to people one might not normally. oh, wait. that sounded exactly like divya’s industry. so, same concept different job titles?
she clicks her fingers together, her head cocking to the side in earnest, “what do you mean it’s been a quiet night? i thought you’d be up to your arms in basketball fans, wanting to watch the game and drink, and be surrounded by like-minded sports fans.” ignoring the questionable sticky spot inches from her glass, she leans forward to pull several spirited swills from her drink, then straightens. her posture is reminiscent of a horseback rider; she mirrors collin’s smile with her own. “well, i may be heading back to london at the end of july for a job, but that’s a tbd.”
"Schedules, supply orders, money, drama in the break room," Collin shrugged. "The typical things just apply it to a restaurant." He figured every industry at the same type of talk, it was just a matter of the subject. In his case, it was how many pounds of beef he needed to order to get him through the rest of the month. Or figuring out who was going to cover the bar if there were multiple requests off on the same day. Luckily, Collin had a good manager working under him who took care of a lot of things. But there were still owner responsibilities that fell on his shoulders.
"Couldn't tell ya," Collin lifted his hands, motioning around to the quiet room. There were a few patrons still lingering, but most of them had already left. "Maybe there's not a good game on." He wouldn't know. Despite owning and operating a bar and grill, Collin didn't much care for sports. He'd watch them if they were playing on the televisions hanging up around the room, but he didn't keep up with schedules. "Ah, yes, the jet setter life style..." He teased. He also wasn't much of a traveler. "What's happening over there that needs reporting on?" It shouldn't come as a surprise that Collin also didn't keep up with pop culture and the going ons of it. There could be some royal getting married at the end of July and it would be news to him.
birdie launched into characteristically excited chatter, and eliza smiled fondly as she rested her chin in her hand and listened intently. "i'm sure of it! all you teachers have more than earned a break," she mused. her ears perked up at the notion of a suitor, wondering just who was out to woo her dear young birdie. "really," she said, drawing the syllables out slowly. "well, if he doesn't, he's a complete git. if he does, only time will tell if he actually deserves you." eliza had felt protective of the younger woman ever since they'd met, finding her so kind and sweet and good that she feared someone taking advantage of her. "oh, just fine myself. ollie's out of school now, too, of course, so he's been volunteering at the cat cafe again and - well, he's actually been going out with friends quite a bit lately. i'm happy that he finally has mates, of course, but - i dunno, it feels like he's all grown up already. anyway," she said, shaking her head to reset herself. "he sends his love."
"I'm not holding my breath," Birdie said, fluttering her hands about in a dismissive manner. "I don't trust guys who say that until we're actually on the date... but, hey, he's cute, so if he does make the trip then I'm sure we'll have a good time." She was only dating casually these days. She'd been in a few difficult relationships in the past, and wasn't always the best at seeing when someone wasn't treating her right. So, it was just easier to keep it fun and casual. If she were to get into something serious with someone, they'd need to be living on the island. And, likely, be vetted through her friends, first. "Oh, Ollie!" Birdie gushed, clasping her hands against her chest. "That is so exciting! Please tell him to call me and tell me all about them and what they've been getting up to." She could relate in her own way about Ollie growing up, because he'd grown out of needing her. They were still close, and spoke on the reg, but he didn't need her to babysit him anymore. That had been a hard pill to swallow at first. Birdie reached across the empty space and clasped Eliza's hand, squeezing it gently. "He's still a kid, don't worry... he loves you too much to go all 'I never want to hang out with my mom, blech' on you..."
"hiya," caz answered as she settled, "can't complain. how about you?" while her irish brogue had faded some it was still very present as she spoke. the phone in her hand had been placed screen down on the bar top in front of her, she didn't want to look at it and be tempted by anything pertaining to work. "have you got beamish or murphy's stout?" even if irish beers were hard to come by at most places, caz still tried.
as she rested her forearms against the bar her eyes wandered around the space a bit, took in the games on the tvs and remembered she'd just interrupted him watching one of them. "so, who're you rooting for?" it was her interest in the reply that lifted her brow. "i've gotta admit it's been fun seeing the rise of footie in here in the states."
"I probably could find something to complain about," Collin admitted with a chuckle. "But I won't." When she made her request, he grimaced slightly and shook his head. He hated having to deny a customer, but there were only so many types of beer they could keep on tap. "I've got Guinness... but that's it for Irish stouts." He tried to switch out the types of offerings he kept on hand, but Guinness was one of the regulars. He'd have to look into the ones this customer mentioned, though. Collin grabbed a glass, then glanced back at one of the TVs. He shrugged his shoulders, "Whoever is winning..." Maybe it was strange for an owner of a bar & grill to not care much about sports but, he didn't. He knew enough to follow along with basically every game played, but he wasn't the type to go diehard fan for anyone. "For this one... I think I'll go with Panama." And that was only because that's who some guys who worked here wanted to win. As he slid the drink in front of her, Collin leaned against the bar again. "Lemme guess... Ireland native?" It was easy to assume considering what she'd ordered, but he could hear the accent, too.
germansingergirl
kianamaiart
snowghoul
turnnoffyourmind
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
yousharknotpass
