[cisfemale and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [HECATE MARLEY]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [VANESSA KIRBY]. You must be the [THIRTY FOUR] year old [ANESTHESIOLOGIST]. Word is you’re [CONFIDENT] but can also be a bit [EVASIVE] and your favorite song is [KNEE SOCKS BY ARCTIC MONKEYS]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [CRYSTAL COVE CONDOMINIUMS]. I’m sure you’ll love it! (@aurorabayaesthetic)
— basic info.
full name: hecate ruby marley age: thirty four birthday: january 3rd sexuality: pansexual
— tidbits.
birthplace: brighton, england
occupation: anesthesiologist at aurora bay hospital
positive traits: confident, independent, candid
negative trains: evasive, self-indulgent, pessimistic
— bio.
hecate was born to two young, middle class parents who's relationship often took precedent over their children. from toddlerhood, hecate remembers being left with babysitters or grandparents along with her two brothers (one older and one younger) while their parents took themselves on candlelit dinners and romantic weekend getaways. it wasn't a lonely childhood exactly, but it wasn't one that ended with a secure attachment either.
the woman's teen years were uneventful — friends, heartbreak, all the usual milestones. she wasn't as close with her brothers as she used to be (it seemed they created some type of 'teen boy club' and she definitely wasn't allowed to participate) so, when at home, she had plenty of time to dedicate to her studies. and maybe consume an unhinged amount of nature documentaries.
hecate very much as a deep need to count only on herself so as soon as she could leave for university in the capital, she did. one chilly morning at eighteen years old, she left her childhood home to never return again. summers were spent crashing with friends and even to this day her communication with her parents boils down to a quick phone call on holidays and birthdays.
the list of reasons why hecate moved to the states is long: her schooling and training were complete, her (at the time) boyfriend wanted to return to his home country, she wanted to have a natural tan without having to travel abroad every year, the friendships she had made in university had mostly dwindled to social media check-ins and once a year brunches — there was nothing keeping her in london.
now, with a cushy job at aurora bay hospital, single, lovely modern apartment with a fully stocked cellar, hecate is just looking to build a life for herself.
alfie: this is why i wanted you to just log out because you'll just guess it eventually
alfie: i love jokes hecate
alfie: but finding and ordering ten different types of hazelnut coffee pods and signing up for a subscription of three extra small condoms every six months i think is a bit much
hecate: it's more fun this way x
hecate: oh sorry must've clicked the wrong flavour :(
hecate: i did think you wouldn't get through them all in six months but i'm sure they have a long shelf life
alfie: i've changed the password now so you can leech off of somebody else
alfie: as always you have succeeded in ruining my day
alfie: enjoy your beans on toast
alfie: whatever
alfie: idk about you but i don't give out personal log in information to just anybody
alfie: also apart from you i don't know anyone psychotic enough to buy baked beans with sausage in it in bulk
hecate: well i'm still logged in so maybe you're just obsessed with keeping tabs on me
hecate: who am i to deny you that ?
hecate: some of us understand the value of a bulk discount alfie
Her nose crinkles when she smiles. 'I love that. You're right, it is very ritualistic. You have to believe be when I say it's all totally sentimental on my part, though. I just loved digging holes as a kid.' Tricia looks around, although enthusiasm is there, energy dwindles by the second; the hole may cease to be dug. She looks back at Hecate and her towel. 'You trying to set up shop? There's good sun over here if you need a spot and I don't think today's a hole digging day so you don't have to worry about any mating dances or sand flying your way.'
Hecate looked down at the sand, suddenly aware of any holes that could trip her up. "Did you ever find anything? In the holes you dug I mean." Maybe she'd missed out on an essential childhood experience, and she was just now realizing it. When the other woman explained there'd be no flying sand, she relaxed a little. " Oh thank God. But yeah, um..." she pointed at the free spot, taking a moment to consider if her words were an invitation before settling on a yes and, with a smile, setting down her towel. "Mating dances would be funny though, if you get the urge."
"Alright, welcome back! This is the last song for me so I hope you're ready to dance, dance, dance, and let all your energy out! Goodnight from Kerem at Kids Corner, don't forget to brush your teeth!" He spoke so confidently into the mic, and for a moment he was really vibing with the song, nodding at the person asking him to move on. He pulled the headset off and hung it up on the mic, ready to relax after a long day.
He picked up his gear and made his way out of the building, waiting by his car for a few moments, sending a few texts, and thinking about picking up some food for he and Tori to eat instead of worrying about making something. He let out a soft sigh, looking down and seeing a dog running toward him with a ball in its mouth. "Uh oh, looks like someone wants me to throw a ball." He looked around for a moment, "Hey! Looking for your dog?"
The Hecate who left the hospital after a particularly stressful shift wasn't the same woman who walked in in the morning. Outwardly, she made sure to maintain an air of put-togetherness — hair combed, well ironed clothes, heels that didn't really go with the whole beach town vibe. But to someone with a keen eye, the exhaustion in her eyes was clear.
Rummaging through her bag, Hecate let out a yelp as a dog on the run crossed her path and nearly made her fall face first. "Who-" She whipped her hand around trying to find the clearly carless owner, only to find a man who, thankfully, spoke up before she could make any dramatic remarks. "Oh, no I don't have any dogs. Maybe if you throw the ball it'll just come back to where it came from?"
There’s just something about the beach. Isn’t that what they say? It should be weird, returning to a great expanse of nothing but sand and sand and sand and water and water and water over and over and over, but just somehow isn’t. Tricia kicks the sand she had buried her feet under when she spots someone coming. She looks up from her comfortable spot, perfectly built (see: blanket, phone, headphones, book, green grapes) apart from a pair of sunglasses. She always seems to forget those. Her hand acts as a shield as she looks at them. ‘Hey,’ she says, ‘I’m tinkering with the idea of digging a big hole. It’s just the lack of tools. Of, uh, reason… that seems to be stopping me.’
It wasn't that the concept of a beach was new to her, not even of living near one, it was just sand and the unnecessary abundance of it that still caught her off guard. Hecate felt lucky though — Aurora Bay was straight out of a Hollywood production, so she would endure the grainy bastard for the sake of taking in her blessings. The first step on that journey was to find the perfect place to lay her towel, which changed every other week, but she was adamant she'd find the true perfect sunbathing spot soon enough. At the sight of, honestly, some gorgeous green grapes (the perfect beach snack, she'd learned), the woman lowered the massive pair of sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. "I've heard that's what guys do when they get together at the beach. It's more like a group project, no? I don't know what the point is though, maybe that's how they communicate. Like birds and their mating dances."
“My worst fear is being stuck. Being stuck in a place that isn’t comfortable, or that bores me, being stuck with people that I don’t care for, being stuck doing a job I can’t stand.”
— swellvisions, my worst fear is that I will let my life get away from me and forget to really live it (via wnq-writers)