âThank you, both of youâ Avianna said, making sure to include the little boy as well. âIâm sure Iâll learn my way around quickly enough, but Iâd prefer not to wander in circles while lugging this thing around.â Avi kicked her suitcase lightly for emphasis before tugging it along after her guide. âItâs nice to meet you, Iâm Avi. And if you live in the graduate dorms, I guess that makes us neighbors, huh?â That was a reassuring thought. Di and Evander seemed kind, and very helpful. It was a bit of a surprise to learn a child was living in the student dorms, but that information only did well to improve Aviannaâs opinion of the school that they were willing to accommodate their students.Â
Di nodded sympathetically as she glanced at the suitcase. It had been interesting trying to move her things and Evanderâs, though sheâd been lucky enough to find help with the worst of it. âItâs lovely to meet you as well, Avi. I suppose we will be neighbors.â Her eyes dropped to Evander and she frowned, adding quickly, âI hope you donât mind that I brought my son. I need a business degree and I couldnât bear the thought of leaving him while I earn it. The university was accommodating in that, and heâs usually very quiet.âÂ
Avianna hadnât noticed the little boy until his mother recalled him to her side and she couldnât help but smile as he chattered about the ants on the sidewalk. Glancing up at his mother, Avianna lifted her hand apologetically and shook her head in a silent apology at the interruption. It was clear she had her hands full with more important things than to direct her around campus. âSorry, I didnât mean to interrupt you. Iâm just looking for the graduate dorms, if you could point me in the right direction Iâm sure I could find my way.âÂ
âOh, itâs quite all right. We were about to go back ourselves. And weâre never to busy to help, right, Evander?â His head popped up and he nodded enthusiastically, although given his obsession with the ants, Di wasnât sure he knew what she had said. âWe actually live in the graduate dorms as well, so itâs no difficulty to show you the way. I think the campus is fairly easy to navigate, once youâre used to it. We can go this way.â Gesturing, she began walking toward the dorms, pausing just long enough for Evander to pay attention and start skipping beside her. âIâm Di, and this is Evander.â
Who: Avianna Brooks & Anyone.Â
When:Â Friday, September 1st, 2028. 2:20pm.
Where: Campus main entrance.Â
Avianna took a moment to double count the crisp Genovian currency before handing it to the taxi driver, unused to the look of the foreign notes. It was thrilling to be in a different country with its old cobblestoned streets, low buildings, and rolling green landscape. It felt as though Avianna had fallen into an illustration in a childrenâs fairytale picture book, and she couldnât help glancing around as she waved at the driver to stay seated and pulled her own bags out of the trunk. âThanks!â She said, shouldering her backpack and kicking her suitcase so she could drag it behind her.Â
Glancing down at her phone, she scrolled through her emails for her dorm information and began walking. âHey, sorry, you donât know if thereâs a welcoming committee or something around here, do you?â She asked a nearby student, hoping someone might be able to give her directions.Â
âGive Mummy your hand, Evander.â Di was beginning to think bringing her son out on this walk had been a mistake. He was always curious and while she had been comfortable enough at home to allow him to run ahead of her when they were out - sometimes - here at the university it was a different story. He didnât appreciate it, but dutifully came and took her hand, chattering about the ants marching on the sidewalk near them. His stream of conversation didnât even halt at the interruption, and Di let him keep rambling as she glanced at the newcomer. âIâm not sure about a welcoming committee, but I could probably help you find your way around if thatâs what you need.â
Letâs welcome [ Dione Wakefield ] who is part of the [ Graduate ] class this year. Isnât it freaky how much they look like [ Gemma Chan] ?! Well, this [ Artisan ] is majoring in [ Business ]. People say they are [ +Scrupulous ] and [ +Enterprising ] but can be [ -Demanding ] and a [ -Officious ]. They are [ Cis female ] and would love it if you used [ She/her ] as their pronouns. â This student is a [ 30 ] year old commoner from [ England ]⊠Things are about to get interesting in St. Amelie !!
Aesthetics: sharp suits, stilettos, glittering jewelry, piles of crystals, cramped handwriting, sticky notes filled with information, piles of childrenâs books on the floor
History:
Di spent the first year of her life in a less than secure flat in London, under the less than steady supervision of two people who werenât at all equipped to raise a child. But when she was just over a year old, she was removed from the situation and placed into a foster home, where she lived until she was three, when Genevieve and Michael Wakefield met her and knew she was meant to be their child. Di, along with several adopted siblings, was given a very different life from the one that was waiting for her; though her new family wasnât wealthy, they were financially secure and she had everything she needed.
After earning a degree, Di found work as an accountant and was happy, though not particularly fulfilled. She took to making jewelry on the side, a hobby that soon turned out to be far more lucrative than she expected, and after several years of ever-increasing popularity on Etsy and Instagram, she received the chance of a lifetime: the opportunity to design a necklace as a birthday gift for Vivienne, crown princess of Genovia. Di took the job without hesitation and earned a place in the spotlight for herself; her creation made her a household name, as did the simplified and less expensive version of the necklace she made available for the every day consumer. With her business booming, Di made the decision to return to school and earn a business degree so that she would be better prepared for her new life.
When she moved, she brought along her four year old son, Evander Orion Wakefield. He was born after a short-lived romance with a visiting consultant at work, who came in and left without enough time to really build a relationship with Di. It suits her just fine; she adores Evander and does everything she can to keep him healthy and happy, although she considers contacting his father with ever increasing regularity.
Personality:
+ Scrupulous & Enterprising: Di has always been a very driven person. In her primary school days, she always won any fundraiser that required selling things because she was determined to get as many people to purchase her items as possible. She never took any setback lying down and always looked at failure as a chance to grow. Any time an opportunity presented itself, Di grabbed it with both hands and pushed herself for further growth.
- Demanding & Officious: Since she knows exactly what she wants from life - both on her end and from those she encounters - Di has a tendency to be blunt and often harsh in her demands. She expects the best and settles for nothing less, even when it reflects negatively on. Bossy was a word often used to describe her when she was younger and itâs still accurate today.
Extracurriculars: N/A
Connection Ideas:
Evanderâs father (I have thoughts about this and Harry Shum Jr so . . .)
