Stress and anxiety were Charlieâs ever present friends, oft felt but rarely ever articulated. He kept their relationship under wraps, never letting on to anyone else at Broadripple that they spent so much time together. He was easy and carefree with a head full of cotton balls. That was all anybody needed to believe. The rest, he could drown with one vice or another. Nobody had to be wiser for it.Â
It was harder at that school. More difficult to acquire the means of getting blitzed out of his mind. Not impossible, of course, but it wasnât home where he could pass out in the basement of his house with indifferent parents ignoring each other in the house above him. That afternoon, he found himself, for no good reason at all, with the Kentucky Derby in his chest and no proper way to send the horses to the glue factory.Â
Heâd been told, once, that animals made for good therapy. Petting something so soft and fluffy and happy had a way of transferring that feeling through osmosis. Charlie didnât have a strong opinion on the validity of any psychiatric theories, but petting a dog could never be bad, so it was worth a shot. He rolled up to the animal shelter that afternoon with the express purpose of burying himself in a mountain of puppies.
âUh, hey,â he said in greeting, to the girl at the counter. âYâall got any dogs?âÂ
Desk work wasnât as boring to Hazel as it could be to others, or that they might just assume it to be. Standing behind a counter all day while other volunteers got in on the action behind the doors. Really though that consisted primarily of cleaning kennels and scooping poop. Like most people she was a definite animal fan but at least up here the air smelled clean; to a point. Even on slow days she had company anyways. A cat, named Yam, that rested pretty far on the chunky side couldnât be kept away from the counter top. Not when it was peak placement for scritches and required no work besides to exist on that spot. Which Hazel doled out all day during her hours.
He made the time go by when no one frequented the shelter, she was already on her last hour by the time someone actually walked in. Resting on the quainter side of towns Nighmore never held an air of finesse. The only wholefoods theyâd had was family owned and she couldnât think of any chains that came through here. So, when Hazel heard someone walking up the counter while in the midst of stroking Yamâs soft gray head, she didnât clamber up to appear professional. Casual with chin in hand and smile on her lips she peeked up to welcome them with a started, âWhat can I hel-â
Then she saw who it was and her voice pitched upwards, not returning until loudly clearing her throat and standing up straighter. Â
âY-Yes. Yes of course. Umm..â Keeping her smile to a minimum brightened state was a bit difficult, biting a lip a few times as she smoothed out her simple volunteer shirt. Ugh, she was pathetic but that didnât stop the butterflies inside. âIs there any particular kind youâre looking for?âÂ
Ella had never been the best chef. In fact, her perception of a sufficient meal was a tortilla swathed with peanut butter or kraft mac and cheese. Which was why if she wasnât getting her meals in the dining hall, her favorite place to go had been the Copper Kettle. Their quiche was freaking legendary and Ella had raved about their Mediterranean sandwich on more than one occasion. But the true prize, in Ellaâs eyes, had always been their home-made cinnamon rolls. Breadwinnerâs Bakery generally had a monopoly on the Best Baked Goods In Nighmore, but in Ellaâs opinion, nothing could beat the Kettleâs cinnamon rolls.
So when the Kettle inexplicably shut down, in the wake of Izzy and Maggieâs disappearance no less, Ella was left to try and fend for herself. If she baked the cinnamon rolls herself, then she could totally season it until they tasted like the Kettleâs. A feeble act of desperation perhaps, but as Ella scrolled through recipes on her phone, her thoughts shifted from replication to reality. Even if the Kettle remained abandoned, maybe some things had been left behind.Â
âOkay so, just hear me out,â Ella began. A wry smile ghosted against the corner of her mouth. âI know the Kettle is closed, but like, we could still probably get in right?â It wasnât that she intended to do anything bad. The owners didnât seem to be coming back any time soon and she didnât intend to steal the recipe for redistribution, just to tide her over until a reasonable replacement showed up ( if that was even possible ).
A fleeting thought darted across her mind, that the Kettleâs inexplicable closing aligned so neatly with the disappearance of Izzy and MaggieâŚtoo neatly. There was a high probability that it was just her over-active imagination - the mind of a writer perpetually seeking her next story. But the possibility only stoked the flames of her curiosity further.
Hazel glanced up in the midst of organizing ingredients across the counter, which only consisted of a few things. Eggs, milk, flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. There was also a pilfered bag of chocolate chips thatâd been opened but that was for snacking purposes. So, they only managed to collect the basics that were mentioned in every recipe. Clearly a few were still lacking but now they could at least make a list. Stopped mid process by Ellaâs question the junior curiously wondered where such a question came from. Trying to connect the slight escalation of looking up cinnamon roll recipes to casually suggested breaking and entering.
âYouâre not hoping that there are, like...â Eyes narrowed with an amused curl of her mouth â..leftovers in a freezer somewhere are you?â
With a sizable period after the Kettleâs closing that Ella bemoaned the loss of any more of their delectable treats, her friendâs desire to try and replicate a recipe of theirs didnât' surprise Hazel. But an eyebrow peaked up to think Ella might be willing to.. It wasnât dumpster diving but it certainly wouldnât be like any remnants of food left would be fresh by a long shot; freezer foraging? The five second rule but itâs five weeks instead? Dropping a small handful of chocolate chips in her mouth Hazel munched while walking over to the couch and plopped down beside her.
HAZEL RUMFORD is a 17 year old JUNIOR student at Broadripple Academy. She is originally from SEATTLE, WA but moved to Broadripple 2 YEARS ago. She is ARTISTIC and SELF-RELIANT but can also be OBLIVIOUS and UNSURE.Â
1. Full Name?
Hazel Renee Rumford
2. Preferred Names or Nicknames?
Hazel is already nice and short but sheâs had some people call her Zel from time to time. Parents would call her their Hazelnut and brother would just call her âa dense nutâ when on his nerves.
3. What does their name mean? Does it have any significance in their family? Do they like their name?
Hazel was the name her birth parents gave to her and unfortunately, she was never able to find out if it did have any special meaning to them. Renee was picked out by the couple that adopted her though. Her mother saying sheâd always thought it a romantic name when she was younger and hoping to have a daughter named that.
4. Age and Date of Birth?
Seventeen and May 14th
5. Gender and Pronouns?
Female. Her/She
6. Hometown?
Hazel was born in Salem Oregon but the Rumfords lived in Seattle Washington when they adopted her as an infant and so sheâs grown up there ever since.
7. Does your character fit into any well known archetypes or tropes? Â
Peacemaker, The Innocent, The Advocate, Renaissance Woman.
8. How long have they been at Broadripple?
She came part way into freshman year.
9. What led them to apply to Broadripple? Was it a decision made by them or by their parents/guardians or somewhere in between?
Her parents were the ones to offer it. Originally, they were going to have their son go first and continue the family legacy since he is the eldest. Yet when health issues held him back from applying, they approached Hazel the following year with the offer. She wanted to make her parents proud and gladly went, excited at the opportunity.
10. Whether theyâve been at Broadripple four days or four years, do they enjoy it? Do they like Broadripple?
Two years in and Hazel is enjoying it plenty. Sheâs a fan of all the activities and clubs she can be part of, the bit of free elbow room from her family was a bonus she didnât realize sheâd like as well. Not that her parents ever tried to really hold her back but Hazel feels less restrained and able to pursue as many interests as possible.
11. What house are they in? Do they care very much about their house?
Melleray and very much so. She likes connecting with different kinds of people and their interests, so she was very excited when she got to be Junior Captain of Melleray. She takes pride in the position but isnât a competitive person so while she hopes they could win Clary Cup each year, sheâs just as happy for any other house that does as well.
12. Who do they share a dorm with, or are they on their own for the moment? What are they like to live with? Are they clean or messy? Early risers or night owls?
Wendy Sanderson shares the dorm room with her for now and Hazel wonders if the contained chaos she brings annoys the girl from time to time. Everything thatâs Hazelâs is in her own space but that doesnât mean itâs always the most organized; at least not to an outside eye. Add in that Hazel pulls late nights even when she has a reason to rise earlier in the morning; sheâs always hoping her peace offerings of coffee and pizza make the set up tolerable.
13. How is your characterâs dorm decorated? Is it bare or bursting at the seems with personality? Any particular sentimental items from home?
One of her favorite things to put up are the drawings she does. While being an artist isnât her set goal, she enjoys what she can create on a blank piece of paper and the cathartic feeling tied with it. She changes them out as she either improves or her subject changes. Thereâs also a large bulletin board taking up the wall beside her bed thatâs full of notes, flyers, letters, anything sheâd find important to remember. Things can slip her mind from time to time so she likes to have them in eyesight so she might recall them better. There are a few framed pictures from home that have a fond and set place on her dresser, professional photography grade of the four Rumfords.
14. What is their favorite subject at school? Do they even have a favorite? Why?
Itâs hard for her to pick just one as she prefers to dabble in a little bit of everything but she is drawn to her business management class most at the moment. Hoping to absorb any helpful knowledge for the future if she wants to start her own non-profit.
15. Are they involved in any clubs? Which ones?
Hazel loves being a member of SWAT. Being active and always looking for ideas and activities to involve others with. Thatâs all sheâs in for now as most of her hobbies take up plenty of her time.
16. How does your character feel about Broadrippleâs Unofficial Clubs? Do they know about them? Are they a part of any of them?
She finds them all interesting and a bit amusing at times. Some have her raise a brow like the Chasity Club but she knows itâs just a different point of view from her own. The Unsolved catches her attention from time to time but so far not enough to pursue it. Sheâs heard a boys club exists but thatâs the extent of what she knows and cares about anyway.
17. Does your character participate in any sports? If so, what made them join the team?
Hazel is in swimming and track, since theyâre usually in different seasons so sheâs able to solely focus on one at a time. Both have a bit of a history of testing her body and keeping it fit, started by her mother. Â She believes â almost certainly knows â that she was coerced if not pushed a bit into them because of her brotherâs poor health. Maybe it was transferring some their hopes for him onto her or just in a fear of having another child held back by physical limits.
18. What afternoon activities does your character do? Do they just do the one mandatory one or are they involved in multiple? Why?
One of her favorite activities is to volunteer at the animal shelter; who doesnât love to be around animals? Pets were also never allowed in the family home so she gets her own personal pleasure of getting to cuddle a cat or play with a dog. Another favorite is drawing. Still art is her best and charcoal is her choice, which unfortunately can often stain her clothes and face if sheâs not always aware.
19. Do they miss their home when theyâre at Broadripple? Do they often go home for the weekends or do they only go home during holiday breaks?
She does, so at times it saddens her when the majority of her weekends are spent at school. With busy parents sheâs realistic to know they have limited free time, and at least she gets most major holidays with them.
20. Did your character know Izzy De Santis or Maggie Monroe? Â
She knew of Maggie but not personally, Izzy was a fellow Melleray and while they might not have been the closest she was still affected by his disappearance.
21. Has your character heard of Edith Lynch? Do they know the story?
Hazel has heard some of the stories but sheâs not the best at keeping up with gossip and stories, or absorbing the details. While sheâs probably heard the story a number of times she wouldnât be able to recite it herself off the top of her head. She finds it interesting, if not just sad, but nothing has ever prompted her to ponder any more on the subject.
22. How does your character feel about Nighmore? Have they noticed the recently closed shops yet?
She finds it a charming place, certainly a change from Seattle. While she might miss the variety and liveliness of the city she enjoys the small cozy feel Nighmore has; even if there is an occasional eerie tint to it. The Cooper Kettle was one of her favorite places to go so she was very aware when it closed. She only just recently heard of Hillâs closing but nothing has made her very suspicious yet.
