katy o'brian . lesbian . nonbinary . they/them . muse c .* | omg … was that tasha williams (the l word) i just saw pull up on their 2018 triumph bonneville bobber?! no ?? oh … i guess it was just alexandra ‘alex’ mariano. you know? the thirty two year old firefighter i was telling you about. i heard they’ve been living in caldwell park for ten years, even though they’re originally from boston, massachusetts. around common ground, they’re known for being stalwart and reserved, but i wouldn’t be surprised if their impulsive side shows up after one too many flat whites 👀. when they’re not taking their bike out on long rides or working out, they’ve got half by pvris blasting in their headphones — fitting, considering they struggle to find their place in the world outside of work. let’s hope their favorite leather jacket lasts them until halloween. seeing as they’re an aries, it shouldn’t be too hard.
hair: raven. wavy. kept short and out of her face.
eyes: hazel brown. almond shaped. dark circles. intense when focused.
eyebrows: thick and dark. frown lines.
nose: straight. freckled.
lips: full. dimpled smile.
other: square face shape. strong chin. high cheekbones.
physique: powerful. athletic. broad shoulders and slim hips. long legs. history of natural body building and powerlifting. strong core with undefined abs. built for action, not for aesthetics.
other: tan skin. black-work phoenix on upper left arm. pierced ear lobes.
ABOUT. (MORE TO BE ADDED.)
third generation firefighter. father was a firefighter, paternal grandfather was a firefighter. as an only child and a tomboyish daddy's kid, naturally stepped into their father's boots as soon as age would allow it.
athletic from the moment they could walk. wrestled in high school, did martial arts, took to building their physique and powerlifting early. did well academically and had their sights set on joining the fire department fresh out of high school.
their teen years were rocked when their father was discovered to be the married patriarch of a second family. him stepping out on their mother darkened their view of him immensely, leading to them becoming estranged and alex moving to chicago. new state, new fire department, and zero connection to their father's influence.
completed the fire academy with ease and excelled during their probationary period. obtained various certifications, became a licensed paramedic, and is now working towards promotion to fire lieutenant.
while their working life thrives, their personal life has stalled. has experienced a handful of short term relationships that fizzled out quick. is wary of romantic entanglements, due to fetishization of both their identity and job. is out as nonbinary to close friends and colleagues, but hasn't yet made steps towards being fully and completely open. is worried about potential backlash.
they avoid their half sister like the plague and will often leave as soon as she turns up at the commons or elsewhere. they struggle with this because they had always dreamed of having a sibling, but not like this. since they refuse to speak with their father, they're also not certain if there could be even more siblings out there.
FUN FACTS.
owns and maintains a 2018 triumph bonneville bobber, which is their pride and joy. often takes it for long rides when they're off work.
they're a big fan of PC gaming, especially metroidvanias and soulslike games.
won a bodybuilding competition in their early twenties. gave up the hobby due to its dietary restrictions.
shared their apartment with their best friend and fellow firefighter, michael bowman, up until he moved in with his now wife.
their signature leather jacket was previously owned by their paternal grandfather.
frequently visits their mother back in boston.
their favorite food is their mother's curried mutton with rice and peas and macaroni pie.
her eyes narrow, teeth sinking into her inner lip. she can’t tell which stings worse, the baseless assumption that she was stealing alex's chance at freedom, or being lumped in with their father. a man whom she hadn’t spoken to since the day she moved out of his house thirteen years ago. a man had cost her everything. ❛ you think i wanted to see you again? that i wanted to move to a new city —a big city, by the way— and still be reminded of that day? ❜
spine rigid, she cranes her head up toward the looming darkened visor. she's not short by any means, yet it take and is faced with everything she isn’t. everything her father wanted her to be since she was a little girl who dreamed of painting instead of running into fires. ❛ i lost everything. ❜ her mother, her home, respect for her father — all of it had slipped through her fingers like sand.
something bitter coils in her chest, gaze flickering between the pointed finger and the helmet. ❛ but no, you’re right. of all the stupid places i could try to start over, i had to end up here. with you. ❜ her eyes prickle with hot tears. ❛ shame on me for thinking you could relate. ❜
they've always wanted a sibling. they can remember asking their mom when they'd be getting one. they'd had dreams about it as a small child. that they'd have a bundle of joy placed into their arms and look up to see their mom's smiling face and the pride in their father's eyes. but alex had been a one off. a lucky lightning strike that was never going to hit twice. an only child. their father's pride and joy. he'd wanted a son, but alex had filled the role well enough to salve his wound. and alex had chased his approval like a moth to a flame.
but then he'd ruined everything. alex hadn't been enough after all. not as an infant, at least. and maybe not ever. is nelle the only other sibling? does he even know? they watch the tears form in nelle's eyes and feel the weight of unshed emotion in their own. it's not fair. but they're not gonna cry. alex doesn't cry. "i was here first." first to chicago, first born. and honestly? it's a pathetic statement. one that sounds childish even to alex's ears. and they hate it.
heavily, they swallow the pressure building in their throat and press their lips into a firm line. perhaps too aggressively, they pull the door to the cafe open and exhale sharply through their nostrils.
now, if she were smart, maybe she would have taken that as an answer. or if she were caffeinated, maybe she would think more rationally. or perhaps it's the violence of the reaction, the constant avoidance to engage, culminating in such an abrupt departure as if she'd burned them that drives her forward. whatever it is, nelle feels something click into place. no, actually, we’re not doing this today.
❛ wait. ❜ the word is out before she realizes it, with more timbre in her voice than she feels. she's only a few strides behind, not much space between them and the door. ❛ you don't have to run from me. ❜ she's grasping, she knows it, but she doubts she'll have another opportunity. ❛ you can hate me all you want, but... i didn't know. ❜ we didn't know sits wedged in her throat, choking her. if her voice cracks… she hopes the espresso grinder is loud enough to swallow the sound.
run? from her? nelle thinks alex is running from her? no. no. if anything, nelle is following them. not only can alex not have their own damn father, they can't even have their own space either. moving to chicago was supposed to be an escape from it all. a new start. but then she turned up. because of course she did. years later, just as alex was getting comfortable. like a fucking shadow.
if nelle could see alex's eyes, she'd see the warning in them. but she can't, so she walks right into what's about to happen. a finger pointed at her face, and a tall figure hunched over with venom dripping from their lips. "i came here... to get away. away from him and away from you. but you couldn't even let me have that, could you?"
a pause, before their voice lowers to a dangerous rumble.
who: closed starter for @flameward
where: common ground
eleanor was half-awake, a common occurrence on her morning trips to common ground. most days, she arrived early, just after opening, to escape the crowds. today, however, she had been stalled by her dog's stubborn insistence on taking a longer walk. the café line lurched forward just as nelle turned to grab a napkin, and she collided with something solid. a leather-clad shoulder, she realized. coffee sloshed over the rim of the cup, miraculously missing either of their shoes. ❛ sorry, i swear i’m usually more coordinated than this— ❜ the words died on her tongue when she looked up to meet familiar hazel eyes. she would have known them anywhere; she had grown up staring into them, seeking warmth, praise, answers. they were her father's eyes.
she blinked, taking an involuntary step back as she recovered. ❛ al-alexandra. ❜ suddenly, she wished she had listened more when her father tried to explain himself, to explain them. ❛ sorry, i- hi. ❜
their first instinct when bumped into is to try and steady the other person. to gently reach out a helping hand and prevent things from getting worse. but, there's a moment when their gazes meet and alex finds recognition, followed by a sudden drop in the temperature around them. fuck. not you again. they'd moved to chicago to escape from this bullshit. but, joy of joys... here the bullshit was, and all friendly warmth is drained from the firefighter within the space of a split second. cold and tense, alex flinches at the sound of their own name. protector of mankind. their father had chosen that.
"nope." response is terse, short, and followed by alex turning tail and storming towards the cafe's exit. by the time they get to the door, they've already donned their helmet. a shield to protect them from those damn eyes.
echo had been staring out the window, admiring her bike, when another bike pulled up right next to hers. it was a beautiful bike, and it didn't take long for it's rider to dismount and head inside the coffee shop. echo flashed them a small smile when they spoke, grabbing her coffee from the woman behind the counter. "it's almost too cold for the bikes. once the snow hits, i don't know what i'm going to do." she whined softly, as if she didn't have a decade of experience dealing with the snow. it wasn't enough, though, and she often missed la. or more, the lack of any real winter in la.
it takes a moment for them to recognise echo's voice, since they're off in their own little world. once they do, however, they let a smile cross their features and claim their coffee with a low 'thank you' to the woman behind the counter, before sauntering to a nearby table. they pull out a chair and gesture to it, silently offering echo the opportunity to join them. a thoughtless habit. after all, they want the company, and they like to be chivalrous.
once echo is seated, alex flops into their own chair and slouches comfortably. "why do you think i'm still riding? once the snow's here, i'll stop." they always do. it sucks, but it's not worth the danger.
"next coffee's on me, by the way. americano, right?"
the shine in her eyes was hidden behind a dark, fake cloud when the stranger’s question was met with a terrible answer: “ a demon. i’m trying to escape a demon. ” the wobbly sign of the cross was formed with two index fingers, and her good nature came back to make the offer of a good hand shake possible. “ diana. ” she introduced herself, waiting for a semi mimic to happen, and walking backwards to get the line moving. “ tell me your order so i can pay for it and invite you to my seance, if you fancy that. ”
as a laugh is pulled out of them, alex removes a hand from their pocket so calloused fingers can grip diana's. it's a gentle grasp, but one with a lot of power behind it. hazel eyes are warm as they dance their gaze over the woman's features before eventually settling on her eyes. pretty. "not a demon." comes the amused drawl. obviously, alex just saved diana from a terrible fate. what a hero. "alex. and i'll take a flat white, please." the handshake is released in favor of a casual gesture around the commons. "i dunno if this is the most appropriate place for a séance. don't we need more candles?" smile widens to reveal dimples as alex sidesteps out of the queue. time to find a place to sit.
celeste paused mid-cut, scissors hovering above a page of architectural digest as the door swung open and the cold rushed in behind the stranger. they glanced over their shoulder, cheeks a little pink from the warmth inside and the oversized scarf wrapped around her neck twice. fingers still tacky with glue, they brushed a curl behind their ear and looked out the window, the corner of their mouth lifting.
“i like it,” she murmured, almost to herself before looking back at them. “can’t wait for it to snow.” her gaze flicked to their gloves, their helmet, the way they were half-thawing against the counter. they set their scissors down, the pile of magazine clippings shifting slightly, and worked up the courage to add, a little quieter but curious. “doesn’t it get… miserable? being on a bike in weather like this?”
they remove their gloves and replace their warmth with their first flat white of the day. it's a welcome heat, and one that fills alex with relief. mm, coffee. they're about to lift the drink to their lips for a sip when a voice draws their attention. curiously, they bounce their gaze from celeste's face, to the magazine clippings, and back again. a dark eyebrow lifts. miserable? far from it. when they're sat astride that bike, they feel free. come wind, rain or shine, they're always ready to take a ride... maybe not in snow, though.
"nah. helps clear my head." utterance is stated matter-of-factly. "not in snow, though. even i'm not that crazy." a corner of their mouth hitches upward in a smile before alex decides to do something they usually wouldn't do. their colleagues have been bugging them to get out more. talk to people. so... they tap their nails nervously on the counter for a moment before gesturing to celeste's drink. "you, uh... you want a refill?" a pause. "m'alex, by the way."
There's always been a disconnect
Running from my heart to my head
And no it's never made much sense
And I've been feeling so distant
Can you be the one to connect?
Pick up all the pieces again?
