was thatย ABIGAIL COWENย spotted in the lobby of the infamous arconia hotel? must just be, DAKOTA FRASERย theย TWENTY-THREEย year oldย SERVER. whenever i hearย SWEET THING BY VAN MORRISON,ย it reminds me of them. they are known for beingย PHLEGMATICย andย CRITICALย but they make up for that by beingย ALTRUISTICย andย ARTISTIC. they have been working at the arconia forย TWO MONTHSย while they are visiting the big apple. we hope they enjoy their stay.
BACKGROUND :
TRIGGER WARNINGS: brief mention of child neglect
dakota was raised by a single mom who had gotten pregnant right out of high school. her mom had her sister, delilah, not long after that. it was a few years later that their dad was completely out of the picture.
her childhood was far from perfect. dakotaโs mom had worked a lot of hours in an effort to provide for two kids, but she was also rather neglectful of them. afterall, she wasย young. she had no business having kids and dakota sometimes wondered if sheโd ever wanted them, often leaving the two in the care of their grandmother so that she could still go out and some semblance of a life with her friends.
times were tough. money was tight, and after all the arguments about her mother needing to be more responsible, her mom grew resentful enough to move them so that they saw their grandma less and less. we donโt need her, weโll do okay on our own, her mom would say. without their grandma around to watch them, they were often asked to be kept an eye on by available neighbors or their landlord, but as they got a little older, it was really justย dakota and delilah.
it was dakota who was the one to always make sure delilah was fed, washed up, and brushed her teeth. it was dakota who helped delilah with her homework and who helped her sister through any nightmare. and she took care of her mom too. after break ups, long nights out, helping her find new jobs, keeping track of bills.
in spite of all that, dakotaโs always been a touch more sympathetic to her mother and their situation. she knew every single one of her momโs issues. she knew things weโre far from perfect, but given the hand she was dealt sheโs tried to reason that their mom did her best. it wasnโt as if her mom had never attempted trying, it was just a little futile. almost as if she didnโt know how. but then, sheโd never quite resented her the same way her sister has. maybe she should have.
the hardest thing dakotaโsย everย had to do was leave delilah with her mom when she went off to nyu on an art scholarship. dakota all but raised her sister and it absolutely gutted her being away and under another roof.
itโs been a few years since sheโs been out of the house and on her own, but she still feels guilty about leaving. if you asked, sheโd probably tell you its most selfish thing sheโs ever done and a part of her worries that her sister resents her for it.
TRAITS :
ALTRUISTIC โย dakota is probably one of the most selfless people you will ever meetย !!ย so much of who she is revolves around the well-being of others. making sure that theyโre happy and that their needs are taken care of before she can even think to consider her own. sheโll go out of her way to show love and support to those she cares about.
PHLEGMATIC โย sheโs not emotionless, but dakotaโs veryโฆcollectedย !ย she just has this very calm disposition that makes you think sheโs got all her shit together and a lot of that has to do with the way she grew up. she never had the time to show those cracks in her armor. she was too busy being the glue that was keeping everyone and everything together. and sheย hatesย fretting over herself. she deflects a loT. she might get frustrated with you and want to yell or argue, but because she doesnโt always know to express that part of herself sheโll justโฆtake a deep breath and be like โits all goodย !!โ itโs v unhealthy.
ARTISITICย โย dakota fell in love with artย early on in her childhood. it provided a comfort to her that her mother seldomย could, and she was good at it! where words so often failed her, her art had allowed her to express herself. the goal is to one day have her own gallery, but right now sheโs just trying to get her name out there and her work in the hands of the right people.
RANDOM FACTS โ
with the help of a friend, dakota got a job working at the arconia about two months ago. sheโs often seen around trying not to look like sheโs in a rush coming from another job, or quietly sketching some of the residents on breaks.
dakota has a few scars on her inner wrist and along her index finger from burning herself on hot pans one too many times while trying to cook for her and delilah at a young age.
sheโs a plant momย โข
has dreams of seeing the world, traveling with just her sketchbook in tow, but she's never been outside of new york
seldomly wonders about her dad, but is more eager to get into contact with her grandma.
has an orange tabby named milo after a character from one of her favorite childhood books.ย he's always getting into trouble around her building and her last roommate was not a fan. but super cuddly, we love himย !ย
enjoys cooking and wine nightsย !ย a bonus if hanging out includes both.
sheโs always go, go, go and currently working a few jobsย !!ย gotta pay the bills yk. of course, sheโs a server at the arconia for the better part of her week, teaches an art class twice a week in the mornings at a local elementary school, and is occasionally an instructor for a paint & sip company on select weekends.
loves kids but unfortunately wonโt ever be able to have any biological children of her own. she just found out a couple months ago and hasnโt told anyone. lowkey pretty heartbroken about it, but tells herself that after the way she was raised, it was probably never really a good idea anyway.
puts a small amount of money away every month to send to her mom.
has a 1971 volkswagen beetle convertible named betty that barely manages to get her around half the time. she is so proud of that carย !!!ย but betty is fairly loud, sheโs been breaking down a loT lately, and the maintenance isnโt cheap :/ still, she refuses to get rid of her just yet even though she knows she shouldย !!
POTENTIAL PLOTS/CONNECTIONS โ
the good friend or friendly acquaintance that got dakota the job at the arconia.ย
best friend!
roommate(s)!ย possibly someone she clicked with before or not long after starting at the arconia. following the nightmare of her last roommate, it feels nice to share a space with them. even miloโs a fan!
honestly just an ex, mayhaps someone she dated for a few months after first moving to new york! we can plot out all the fun stuff like how it ended and where theyre at with each other now, but Iโm a huge fan of angst!
my friends talked me into having a one night stand with a stranger at a club/bar, something i never do, and i lied about my name and entire life when we met.ย but after we hooked up i kept thinking about you. weโve been out since and now iโm in too deep to tell you the truth so iโm just living this fake life whenever i see you but i think i could really like you. could also be reversed!ย credit!
someone who loves ridding dakota of her comfort zone and loves to drag her out for a fun night on the town.ย drinks, good food, karaoke...whatever it is, itโs always a good time even if dakota likes to pretend and say otherwise.
someone she was set up on a blind date with?? maybe they felt being friends suited them better. maybe it was so awkward that they now avoid talking about it. or maybe it was a total disaster and after getting off on the wrong foot they canโt stand each otherโฆ.ooo but thereโs underlying chemistry and theyโve got more in common than they think!
bickering coworkers! could be frenemies, could just really not like each other and constantly pushes her buttons for no other reason than to be amused.
someone whoโs taken one of her art classes or a muse for her art!
neighbors! ( 1/? )
someone she went to high school with??
former friends/acquaintances! perhaps they had a falling out for whatever reason, maybe one was crushing so they pushed the other away, or they simply lost touch over the years.
childhood friend!ย dakota met this person back during her sandbox days, but lost touch when they were still children. its been many years since then, but dakota still thinks about this long lost friend. imagine her surprise when the familiar face sheโs been seeing around the arconia turns out to be the only good thing she remembers about her childhood.
someone dakotaโs close to that just feels like family!ย whether theyโre arguing like siblings, being protective, or lending an ear to one anotherโs problems, this is someone dakota lets herself lean on a bit more than anyone else in her life without feeling too guilty about it.
