his attention is , yet again , on the assortment of drinks sprawled on the table , blue eyes far too focused on the cup in front of him as able hands find the right amount of this and that liquor to add to the concoction archie was calling a cocktail . he gives a satisfied grin , more to himself than any of the other attendees , before he tastes the drink . “ perfect , ” he muses . his back to the table , he lets his eyes move through the party and almost misses the voice coming from right in front of him . “ oh , hey . yeah , yeah , sure . ” he is moving as he talks , a grand gesture with his arm opening the way to the table for the girl . “ what kind of host would i be to leave a pretty girl without a drink ? ” he grins mischievously . “ actually , ” he starts . “ how about i do you one better and make you something ? i promise i’m the resident mixologist . ” self-appointed , of course .
" host? " winnie's brow furrowed for a moment before realisation dawned. " oh, right. you live here. " her gaze followed the sweep of his arm toward the drinks table before returning to him, amusement already dancing in her eyes. the stained shirt was all but forgotten the second the compliment left his lips. it wasn't that she was unfamiliar with compliments. the problem was that she never quite knew what to do with them. every attempt at a graceful response usually ended with her cheeks turning pink. at least tonight she could blame it on the alcohol. " a pretty girl? " she echoed, pointing lightly at herself as though checking there wasn't someone standing behind her. " i think you've been sampling your own creations a little too generously. " the joke came easier than it once would have, accompanied by an awkward laugh. her attention drifted back to the drink he'd been meticulously crafting moments earlier. the focused concentration, the quiet look of satisfaction , and the effortless confidence. it was admittedly a charming combination. " resident mixologist? that's a pretty bold title. " one brow arched in mock skepticism. still, curiosity had already won. stepping closer, she rested her hands against the edge of the table, studying the collection of bottles and mixers. " but sure, surprise me. just nothing that tastes like straight gasoline and regret, okay? " she said with a grin. " i'd like to survive the night. "
"aw, shit, i'm sorry." it was a rare moment of sincere contrition for reed. he liked to mess with his friends and/or fellow rich people, but this girl seemed really... anxious? regular? "i'll pay so you can replace your shirt. would $100 be enough?"
winnie smiled at his apology, dismissing it with a quick shake of her head. " it's fine. really! " it was only a t-shirt, after all. one she'd owned since freshman year and was probably overdue to replace anyway. if anything, it gave her an excuse to spend an irresponsible amount of money online shopping the next time she needed a distraction from studying. she expected that to be the end of it. an apology exchanged, and then she'd go back to wandering aimlessly through the party. instead, her eyes widened at his offer. " oh my gosh. " the words dissolved into a soft laugh as she waved her hands in protest. " there is absolutely no need for that. seriously. " as the daughter of a surgeon and a medical researcher, replacing a stained shirt wasn't exactly going to leave her struggling financially. " you can hand me another drink, though? " she offered, a small smile tugging at her lips.
trixie wanted to ask, why do you need to ask me? even though they'd done this a bunch of times, she still wasn't used to the whole roommates ordering food with one another thing. almost like they were... gasp... friends. which she wouldn't mind, she was just a bit distrustful. she held her tongue, though, and instead replied, "i'd go for the thai restaurant." patting her tummy, she said, "i'm craving the moo palo. mmm." her stomach really rumbled at the thought of the delicious pork belly stew.
trixie was reserved. at least in the sense that she kept her cards close to her chest. maybe that was part of why winnie liked her so much. she never pried, never pushed, never crossed lines that weren't hers to cross. still, something had shifted, at least on winnie's end. she'd grown unexpectedly fond of her roommates and the quiet companionship they offered. the awkward distance she'd clung to when they first moved in together had slowly worn away, replaced by something far more comfortable. " i gotchu, " she replied, already pulling out her phone and opening the app to place the order. as she scrolled through the menu, she glanced up. " how's everything going with the team this year ? " when she'd first arrived at michigan, she couldn't have cared less about hockey. she'd been far too consumed by lectures, lab reports, and maintaining the grades expected of her. but somewhere along the way that changed. now she found herself at nearly every game, especially when there was someone in particular she was there to support.
closed starter — tanner sullivan
location — the quad coffee house
when — early morning
it was peak hour at the café , every table occupied and the line snaking halfway to the door as students crowded in for their morning caffeine fix . it only reinforced winnie's growing conviction that she needed to start saving for a coffee machine in her dorm room . anything to avoid standing in line for twenty minutes and make it to the library a little sooner . drink ordered, she lingered near the pickup counter , shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she waited for her name to be called . her attention drifted across the room before catching on a familiar face. " tanner! " the greeting escaped her before she could think better of it . rarely was winnie the one to approach someone first, and enthusiasm was hardly her default setting . but she liked tanner . his company came easily in a way most peoples didn't , likely due to trixie . there was no pressure to perform , no expectation she had to be cleverer , funnier, or more impressive than she felt . “ did you go to the party the other night ? ”
open event starter — open & accepting replies
location — hockey house
when — late evening
she had considered going home after her second drink , a pleasant enough buzz to go home and curl up on the couch and mindlessly binge some trash television until she fell asleep . and she had also lost track of trixie somewhere between the staircase and the crowded living room earlier . instead of utilizing her favoured irish exit being a social recluse , she decided it was best to hover in the corner watching the games of beer pong get progressively more sloppy the more people drank . her own drink was knocked out of her hand as she moved away, dark eyes too focused on scanning the crowd for one of her friends. winnie’s lips curled into a grimace , delicate hand wiping at the stain on her white t-shirt . “ sorry … can i just grab another , ” winifred gestures past a person in front of her and to the table of drinks before looking down at the empty cup in her hand . “ i’ll try not to spill this one on myself . ” she mutters with a huff of laughter, more to herself than the person in front of her .
closed starter — trixie howlett-soo
location — dormitory
when — early evening
“ i’m ordering food! ” her voice sounded through the dormitory from her space on the couch, textbooks opened and sprawled out on the coffee table, her notebook filled with meticulously written notes now ignored. she’d hit a wall, her brain reaching that point where the words on the page began to blend and blur together and winnie knew if she kept pushing, she would tip into one of those lovely mental spirals. so instead she would opt for food and company, signaling for trixie with the promise of takeout as she peeled herself away from the couch and reached for her phone. “ pizza? ” she asks before wrinkling her nose. no, they had that a few nights ago. “ or maybe thai from that place just off campus? i don’t know, my brain is mush. ” she rambles, at the point where every thought in her mind tumbles from her lips.
full name: winifred elyse reid
nicknames: winnie, freddie
age: twenty-2
birthday: october 28
place of birth: seattle, washington
gender: cisfemale
pronouns: she/her
sexual orientation: pansexual
major: bio-med
physicality —
face claim: courtney eaton
hair color / style: dark hair, a slight wave. usually tied up with a claw clip that’s fighting for its life by noon or styled in meticulously clean bun. will sometimes cut chaos bangs when she is feeling particularly out of control.
eye color: brown
height: 5'5"
piercings: ears
tattoos: none
style: winnie's style sits somewhere between curated basics and eclectic pieces. she gravitates toward timeless basics elevated by thoughtful details: oversized knit sweaters draped over pleated skirts, well-worn straight-leg jeans paired with over-sized suede jackets, basic tees layered beneath crewneck jumpers, and loafers that look expensive without being flashy. her wardrobe leans toward neutral tones: cream, navy, charcoal, olive, and soft browns—with the occasional pop of burgundy or forest green.
winnie treats her planner like scripture. every hour accounted for, every task carefully inked into existence as though organisation alone can keep her from falling apart.
there is always something restrained about her. a smile that never fully reaches her eyes. a laugh cut short before it becomes too loud. emotions folded neatly away like pressed flowers between textbook pages.
she moves through campus with frightening efficiency, balancing impossible workloads and impossible expectations from her parents with the grace of someone who cannot afford to fail.
an overachiever built from nervous energy and impossible standards; fueled equally by ambition and the fear of disappointing everyone around her.
winifred will answer messages immediately, remember birthdays, submit work early, and carry everyone else’s burdens with graceful efficiency, but leave her own feelings abandoned in unopened drafts.
beneath it all —
beneath the colour-coded schedules and impossible standards is a girl who loves lazy afternoons sprawled across her dorm bed, laughing too hard at terrible reality television with her friends while half-finished assignments wait forgotten beside her.
when she finally relaxes, she becomes softer somehow with oversized hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands, hair messy from naps, humming quietly while baking for her friends at midnight.
she keeps a playlist reserved for train rides home and golden-hour walks across campus; songs that make her feel twenty-one instead of endlessly responsible.
there are moments where she forgets to perform competence. moments where she snorts when she laughs, steals fries from her friends’ plates, and lets herself exist without the expectations weighing her down.
her camera roll is an odd little collection of beauty and chaos: blurry concert lights, annotated textbooks, sunsets from library windows, drunk selfies in bathroom mirrors, screenshots of poems she’ll never admit made her emotional.
summary —
winnie grew up beneath the long shadow of excellence. the daughter of two celebrated seattle doctors, she was raised in a world of academic achievement, polished dinner conversations, and expectations that seemed as natural as breathing. medicine was never presented as a choice so much as an inheritance, a legacy waiting patiently for her to claim. while her parents excelled with an effortless brilliance she could only admire from afar, winnie has always had to work twice as hard for half the certainty, surviving on meticulous organisation, sleepless nights, and sheer determination.
at twenty-one, she is the picture of success from the outside: colour-coded planners, immaculate notes, early mornings spent in the library, and grades respectable enough to keep disappointment at bay. yet beneath the polished exterior is a young woman quietly buckling under the weight of expectations she no longer knows how to separate from her own desires. she is constantly exhausted, measuring her worth through achievements and terrified that one misstep will reveal she was never exceptional to begin with.
the pressure only intensified after her older brother walked away from medical school. once the golden child destined to follow their parents' path, he burned out spectacularly before abandoning it altogether. now he spends his days backpacking across the world with his partner, seemingly free from the expectations that still tether winnie in place. though she loves him dearly, his departure left a void she feels obligated to fill. every success feels less like an accomplishment and more like a responsibility. if she fails, she fears she won't just be disappointing herself but she'll be confirming her parents' worst fears that neither of their children were meant to carry the legacy they worked so hard to build.
wanted connections —
academic rivals, somebody she is competitive with who challenges her and always seems to just best her. from annoyance it has grown into a friendship that both exasperates her but also allows her to open up about the expectations placed on her. could develop into something more depending on chemistry!
an ex? perhaps they dated and broke up because of her emotional avoidance and always prioritising every other aspect of her life, neglecting them. the break-up would’ve been initiated by the ex, humbling winnie and causing her to reflect on the hurt she caused them with her emotional avoidance.
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