j. b.

﹕✦꒷₊˚ฅ・jonie baek・ฅ˚₊꒷✦﹕ incomplete somehow. ex-child actress

[joniebaek]

[female she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [JONIE BAEK]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [IM JINAH]. You must be the [THIRTY THREE] year old [EX-CHILD ACTRESS]. Word is you're [STEADFAST] but can also be a bit [STUBBORN] and your favorite song is [SUNDAY MORNING BY THE VELVET UNDERGROUND]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [CRYSTAL COVE CONDOMINIUMS]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

pinterest. [ciara, 25, bst/gmt, she/her].

Tw emotional/financial abuse

Jonie Baek was born into the glitzy, high-pressure world of Hollywood. From a young age, she was thrown into the spotlight by her overbearing father, an unsuccessful actor who lived vicariously through her. Jonie’s mother, a famous director, facilitated Jonie's early acting career to appease her father and was just glad to not be hearing nonstop complaining about his unsuccessful career anymore. Jonie, a people-pleaser by nature, went along with their plans fitted with immense pressure to succeed. This relentless pursuit of fame led to significant mental health issues.

Despite her struggles, Jonie became a recognisable child actress, starring in several TV shows and movies. However, by the age of 20, she could no longer endure the demands of her career and decided to disappear from the industry. She fled to London, wanting a fresh start. Jonie dabbled in teaching acting classes, but her lack of passion (and talent for that matter) for the craft rendered her ineffective as a teacher. She also tried her hand at writing, producing a debut book that fictionalised her childhood in the industry. While the book garnered some attention, it wasn’t actually all that good and she stopped doing that too.

She attempted painting, but her works lacked depth. She ventured into photography, only to find her skills were mediocre at best. Graphic design, jewellery making, and even a brief stint as a musician followed, but none of these pursuits worked out. Defeated, embarrassed, Jonie relocated to Manchester, hoping to carve out a more conventional life away from her past.

At 27, tragedy struck when Jonie's mother passed away, leaving her a substantial inheritance. Her father, divorced from Jonie's mother and still obsessed with controlling his daughter's life, pressured Jonie to let him move to Manchester, eager to exploit her newfound wealth. He did, leaving Jonie feeling trapped once again in that little house with him, so she took the inheritance and set off to travel with no particular destination.

A month into her travels, Jonie found herself pregnant after a hookup. She continued to travel, anxiety growing, until accepting her child needed stability. Jonie returned to Manchester just before giving birth to her daughter, Jackie. The oppressive presence of her father made living in Manchester unbearable, as he continued to guilt her for abandoning him and traveling. When he died suddenly shortly after Jonie turned 32, she saw it as a chance to start anew.

Determined to provide Jackie with a happy and stable upbringing, and still grieving the complicated death of her mother and now father, Jonie used the remainder of her inheritance to move to Aurora Bay, a place far removed from her past. Here, she hopes to build a new life, free from the shadows of her father's expectations and her own failed pursuits. Though unsure of her future, Jonie wants to create a loving and peaceful environment for her daughter, finally prioritising her own happiness and well-being.

Extrassssss

Moved to Aurora Bay at the end of July.

Has Jackie in lots of clubs/after school activities&holiday clubs because Jonie needs to focus on what she's doing with her life. Right now that amount to wandering around the town aimlessly. So productive

Can come off as rude/standoffish but she's just straight to the point! (or that's what she says)

Will run if you mention her flop of a writing career

@aurorabayaesthetic

[themeixhuang]

open - @aurorabaystarter

where - the carnival

Mei always loved these events the town put on, especially as her daughter got older and couple experience more of things. So after an afternoon of riding rides and playing games, it was time to eat something. Or so she thought, because as Mei was heading towards some of the food vendors, Luna was suddenly tugging on her arm, emphatically talking about seeing a game stall with plushie unicorns and she just needed one. "Luna, not right now--!" Her daughter's tugging resulted in Mei smacking right into someone and she stumbled a bit, wincing at the impact. "Geez..sorry."

[joniebaek]

Jonie’s grip on Jackie’s hand tightens the second someone bumps into her. She glances down at her daughter, who was momentarily distracted by the bright lights and noise of the carnival. 'Watch-' where you're going, Jonie nearly says but catches herself and tried to dial back her irritation. 'It’s fine,' she adds, a little more evenly, her eyes flicking over to this woman and her daughter. Jonie noticed the unicorn the daughter was so desperate for and gives a small smile. 'Kids, huh?'

She gives Mei a half-hearted shrug and nods towards the stall. 'Guess we’re both headed in the same direction.' There's a flicker of something less guarded in her eyes, though she quickly looks away. 'Let’s hope this isn’t one of those rigged games,' she adds, her attempt at small talk. Stiff, but sincere.

[callme-harris]

That was a pretty good question considering it was what Harris often wanted to do. He couldn’t fault her for being in it up and gave her a small smile. “ sometimes I have bad days physically and it wouldn’t help me if I hiked and then got stuck up there for the night. You know we’ve got coyotes right?” @joniebaek

[joniebaek]

'Oh,' she says. The thought to apologise for poking into this man's business quickly visits her brain but breaks away just as fast. She looks a little sadly at him then looks away, then of course back again when she moves onto the last thing he said. It took her a second long than it should've to clock that, but when she does she physically jolts. 'No. No? I didn't know that?' She says it like he planted them there. 'You're joking?'

[reaganmurphy]

Usually words for songs at least came to Reagan easily. It seemed today wasn't one of those days at all. Maybe she needed some time away to gather inspiration and the song would come to her. "Yeah, I am. Been doing music for a bit now and even have a few songs out." Her fingers instantly twirl the pen around as she starts to bit at her lip. She doesn't wanna brag even if a part of her brain was ready for her to do so.

[joniebaek]

Jonie always wants to see into the creative mind. The truly creative mind. Not this faux version she's told herself she has. So excuse the sudden perkiness and interest. She looks intently at the woman, the fumbles for her phone in her pocket. 'You're on Spotify, no?' What? She's excited. 'Give me a song.'

[reaganmurphy]

Maybe cooler weather would occur where she didn't have to pull herself out the door to be outside. The sun was fine but having the heat with it made her wish she had been a vampire so she could avoid situations like this. The cool air in her home sounded so appealing and she wouldn't mind be there instead at the moment. Looking back at her notebook, she can't help but let out a sigh. "I'm trying to write lyrics for a song I'm working on. It's been a challenge even figuring out where to begin."

[joniebaek]

Lyrics for a song: Jonie internally shudders. Pen to paper has never been her forte. Similar to brain to mouth, words seem lost on her. She doesn't pull her gaze from the empty page. 'You're a musician?'

[xoimani]

Imani was not expecting the person near her to drop her basket. "Oh shit... girl you good? Having like a medical thing?" Imani bent down to grab the basket for the women, and held it out for her. "I was only asking about the quinn-noah." She said, having no idea she was pronouncing it incorrectly. "I can't reach it and you look a little taller... but girl if you need to sit for a minute, I will sit with you." @joniebaek

[joniebaek]

All Jonie can do it blink. After too long, she takes the basket (this probably does look like a medical thing). Then, though, Jonie starts to piece it together. Her head whips back to the shelf and she spots what she suspects this woman is looking for. She heard it right. 'That's not what that's called,' she says coldly. There's no real reason she should be taking mispronunciation so hard. It's just one of those days.

[claudiahuxley]

"Yeah," She said with a nod, "I should've dyed my hair a crazy color but with my dark hair that's a lot of maintenance and if I do it myself I'll more than likely fuck it up." Claudia waved at her hair before chuckling, "I'm more of a graphic designer but I guess the term would be freelancer."

[joniebaek]

'No,' Jonie shakes her head, falling immediately into unbreakable opinions (she often does). 'You suit dark hair.' She breathes a laugh out of her nose. 'I bleach and dye mine at home, it's horrible upkeep.' A beat. 'If you're artistic why do you think you'd mess it up? Creativity is supposed to transfer, no?'

[oldamara]

Taking time for herself wasn’t something Amara was accustomed to. In fact, it was a direct order from her therapist - a suggestion that seemed absurdly simple on the surface. As a single woman living alone, the concept of solitude should have been second nature - but it wasn't, especially trying to find it in something other than soccer.

Birdwatching at the botanical gardens hadn't been her first choice, but it was a low-commitment option that could fill her free time. It's how she ended up surrounded by strangers, binoculars dangling from her neck, while clutching a pamphlet about native birds. It was an unfamiliar voice that drew her attention to the stranger. "No," She says as a chuckle escaped her lips as their eyes met. "I feel like a sixty-year-old man with these binoculars," she confessed, gesturing to the accessory. "Why do people actually come here?" she asked, genuinely curious. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a houseplant or two, but..." Her sentence trailed off as she looked around.

@joniebaek

[joniebaek]

Jonie can't help but laugh at the sight of this woman and the binoculars hanging awkwardly around her neck. There's something endearingly out of place about the whole situation—like they'd both wandered into a world they didn't belong in. 'I missed some kind of memo on how to enjoy this," she replies, her sarcasm lightening into something more playful. Without really thinking about it, Jonie moves closer, her curiosity piqued. 'I'm starting to think the plants have it more together than I do.' She gestured around them with a vague wave of her hand then rests her eyes back on this woman. 'Do you normally bird watch?'

[jaywinstcn]

Jay doesn't even know why the fuck he walked into this place. He wasn't a flower person, certainly didn't give a rat's ass about them either. He brushes his tongue along his lower lip as he stares at one of the flowers, scrunching up face to try and figure out what the fuck was so special about it.

He turns when he hears a voice. "Absolutely fuckin' not. I do not understand what the fuck we needed a botanical garden for." Of course, he wasn't a flower person either so that was probably the issue.

@joniebaek

[joniebaek]

Suddenly she brightens up. 'Exactly,' she says. 'Who decided this was a thing? Walking around looking at plants when we could be…I don’t know, doing something that makes sense?' Her voice carries a hint of sarcasm, but there's an underlying note of camaraderie in it. She looks harder at this man, almost as if she's sizing him up, before continuing, 'What are you doing here? You don't look like the flower-appreciating type.' There’s a challenge in her tone, daring him to admit he’s just as lost in this moment as she is.

[elaxkaya]

Ela had been sitting quietly on a nearby bench, soaking in the peace of the gardens when Jonie's voice cut through her thoughts. She looked over, surprised but not entirely put off by the sudden, blunt question. After a beat, a half-smile crept onto her lips.

“Enjoying this?” Ela echoed, raising an eyebrow as she glanced around at the flowers. “Eh... I can appreciate the whole ‘nature is calming’ vibe, but honestly?” She leaned back against the bench, letting out a soft laugh. “I’m more of a ‘stay inside with a good book or movie’ type, so I get it. Flowers don’t exactly solve anything, do they?" She gave Jonie a quick, curious look. “Maybe you just need a different kind of scenery. Something a little less... floral?” @joniebaek

[joniebaek]

Jonie smiles weakly back. Reading, movies. Those are things she tells people she likes, but in reality, Jonie doesn't really like much of anything. This is to be presented plainly when her brain to mouth system becomes one way: 'I tried listening to calming beach sounds last week.' She gives a hum of a laugh. 'It was all shit. I thought it must be because it was a recording and the real thing would be better, so the next day I went and sat at the beach and it honestly felt even worse.' See? Jonie doesn't like much of anything. She's not sure if she ever did.

She looks briefly back to the flowers in front of her, tries to listen to the breeze. But botanical gardens don't exactly have the same unique sound that waves crashing on a beach have. She could be at a park, a street...they'd all sound the same except on a street she'd be watching out for cars. 'Why didn't you bring a book here with you?'

[reaganmurphy]

Reagan looked up from her notebook that she had been tapping against like lyrics would instantly appear on the page. The joys of being a musician and not knowing where to even start with a new song. "I don't enjoy this at all. Guess I got tricked by what my phone said the weather would be like. Just wanna get out of the heat now." She answered as she started to chew at her lip. Usually a little fresh air did her good when it came to new ideas for music but now she was thinking she would have better luck in her studio instead.

[joniebaek]

Ah, yes - that's one of those things that's been quietly nagging in the back of Jonie's brain, unable to fight its way to the forefront. She looks to the sky and squints: the sun, the heat. That's what's been bothering her, more than any rose bush would. 'Shit.' She slinks off her jacket; being so chronically sullen leaves one susceptible to weather. 'Me too.' She rests the jacket beside her on the bench and gives a proper look over to this woman, then promptly zeroes in on the empty page of her notebook. 'What are you trying to do?'

[callme-harris]

Harris hadn’t had plans to show up at the botanical gardens but having a night job meant he had to fill his days with things till it was time to clock in. He wasn’t seeing Gwen or his family today, and he needed to take a break from drumming since his hand was giving him trouble so that meant quite a few things were off the table today.

So that left Harris walking through the main streets of the town and he found himself at the botanical gardens and just filling some time until he heard someone address him. “‘Uh yeah and no. I go hiking a lot and there’s a lot of obvious nature there but I’m not normally here “ @joniebaek

[joniebaek]

If Aurora Bay were any steeper, hillier, Jonie would consider herself a hiker, the way she traipses up and down and all around the town near daily. She pulls herself briefly out of her self induced misery for a moment and thinks, then asks the man: 'Why are you here today and not hiking instead?'

[xfionapalomox]

Trevor looked over at the woman who spoke to him, brows knit together, "I only did this because my family is coming to visit and wanted to make sure it wasn't lame." He glanced around before turning back to the woman, "Which it kinda is. I'm also not a big flower guy."

[joniebaek]

'Hm,' Jonie hums in amusement, glad to concur. She thinks to follow his gaze to the flowers, but decides quickly that it's not happening. Her next outing has to be anywhere but here. 'Do you have other ideas of where to bring them?' She might take a few of them for her walks.

[jaspermorgan]

@joniebaek

The Botanical Gardens were a place that Jasper wished he could come to more often. Amongst the hustle and bustle of the town was a natural paradise, a place where one could forget about their worries and walk amongst stunning flora. There were so many unique species with their own unique scents and it reminded Jasper of his visits to Kew Gardens growing up; it was one of his grandmother’s favourite places and if she were alive she’d be spending days on end just sat meditating or drawing the flowers she was most fond of.

As he listened to her ramble, Jasper couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew the woman who had struck up conversation with him. There was something incredibly familiar about her: her eyes, her voice, her presence…

“I am enjoying this,” he replied with a light laugh. “I’m not sure how you’re not. There’s nothing better than being surrounded by nature and I say that wholeheartedly after spending my entire life living in cities. I love coming here just to switch off for a while.”

He then glanced at the younger woman again and it quickly dawned on Jasper who she was. Jonie Baek. He had worked with her when she was only a child on a medical drama called 'Heartlines', which was filmed in Los Angeles. She was very talented, but was always overshadowed behind the camera by her overbearing and demanding father.

“Jonie?” Jasper then piped up the moment he realised. “My word, you’re all grown up! Well, of course you are. It’s just that I’m so surprised to see you in Aurora Bay, of all places. You remember me, right? Jasper Morgan. We were in ‘Heartlines’ together when you were about ten years old. How time flies, huh?”

[joniebaek]

Switch off. Oh to dream. Jonie feels like she's been on standby her whole life, hovering between actually getting to settle for a few minutes and the dreaded action. She takes another look around, trying to find that sweet spot he's describing in the natural beauty around her until she hears her own name repeated back to her. Then her undeniable connection to this man. And Jonie is stuck with a sudden paralysis. The idea pops briefly into her head to pretend he had got it all wrong. She was not Jonie Baek, nor had she heard of the name. Then she realises it would be a total disservice to a really, actually, quite nice surprise reconnect in a place where she thought she knew no one in the world.

That, and her memories of Jasper Morgan were all golden tinged. Filled with smiles, the occasional laugh. Most importantly: no judgement. At least no judgement a ten year old could pick up on. Moments she messed up lines, brushed away, because of course they could reshoot. The complete opposite to her father's reaction on the car ride home about how she was wasting everyone's time if she couldn't remember a few silly lines.

'Yes.' The paralysis breaks - though no one tells her face, which still seems shaken. 'Jasper?' she says, 'Jasper Morgan?' Then his life story comes flooding back through wikipedia pages and news articles popping up on her phone the past twenty years. tv shows. Movies. Awards. Mor awards. She's tempted to feel inadequate sitting here on this park bench.

'Wow!' she says, shaking her head, a breadth of a smile, attempting to put herself all back together as a human capable of good, worthy conversation. 'Yes. Yes! It has. I have. You-' she starts but can't quite latch onto the next few words. The last time they had been in the same room, she was a tween, small for her age, and him, awaiting a long successful career. Instead of a overdue congratulations or anything resembling warmth, she remembers herself as a ten year old, looking up at him on set: 'You seem smaller now?'

[cloverdisclosed]

It was a bit suspicious. Clover is sure she has seen this woman at least four times already today. And Clover is just randomly walking around town, no aim, no pattern. Still there is she again. Weird.

"I am just taking pictures." She taps on top of the camera hanging around her neck. "You know, of the flowers." She lets a silence drop, creating space for the other to give away more information. The pictures were in fact, pretty important for her current research, but she wasn't going to shout that from the rooftops. "Why would you be here if you hate flowers?"

[joniebaek]

Maybe Jonie would've noticed constant bumping into and around this woman had she ever lived outside her own head. But she never has, and if she realised efforts were needed for it, probably still wouldn't be able. Noticing has never been part of her charm. Probably why what she assumes beguiles people about the gardens, just doesn't for her.

Jonie looks at the camera around the woman's neck. She tried her hand at photography once, though that endeavour brought her as far as a too expensive camera for her skill level, one trip to the beach, and a less liked than average instagram picture and rejections from the first five googled galleries around town. Perhaps, she thinks, her daughter would have the creative flair she does not.

'I thought I liked nature,' she says plainly. 'Are you a photographer?'

[carter-harris]

"Don't tell me that." Carter made a face when he responded, knowing that if this cat really didn't have a place to call home, he was going to take her in himself. He'd always wanted a cat but wasn't allowed to have one, so maybe this was fate or maybe this was him being a total idiot. "She has to belong to someone around here. How do you go about finding a cat's home, just start knocking on people's doors? That sounds like a good way to get murdered, honestly. Take her to a vet's office, maybe?"

@joniebaek

[joniebaek]

Hunting for the owner? Jonie envisions that any average person that answers the door would feel the immediate jealousy she felt over this cat and lie to take the cat from him: Jonie's decided she's woken up better than the average person today so she says, 'Don't knock. Anyone could just say it's theirs. You could be handing the cat over to a weirdo.' She nods at the cat. 'You should go to the vets. It might have a...' She waves her hand searching for the word. 'A chip. With the owners information. If there's an owners.'

[thewildrosebriar-a-deactivated2]

Tess didn’t particularly understand the other’s curiosity about whether or not she was enjoying her time here, but she assumed it was merely an attempt at small talk, which she was happy enough to partake in - especially considering the fact that she could really use a distraction right now. “Well, I’m not having the best day, to be perfectly honest with you,” she found herself admitting, “but I’m enjoying it here as much as I can, yeah. I love flowers, especially those lovely red roses over there,” she gestured towards the rose bush opposite that she’d been admiring for the past minute or so. “And I love the sound of running water from the fountains.” It has a calming effect on her. “Being surrounded by all of this greenery is, well… for me, it’s a pleasant little reminder of home.” There was no denying how much she loved her new life in Aurora Bay. Tess couldn’t get enough of the sandy beaches and glorious sunshine. But the homesickness was painfully strong for her today. When their gazes met again, a vague look of recognition dawned across the older woman’s features. “You know, I can’t help but think we’ve met before.” Her brows pinched together slightly as she attempted to recall if that were true or not. “You just look rather familiar. Do you go to Aurora College?” She wasn’t a student of hers, that much she knew - she would’ve remembered - but perhaps Tess had seen her around campus before. 

[joniebaek]

Jonie smiles. How beautiful. She's nearly inspired to change her stance on the gardens and decide she will in fact return on her next walk. But she looks at the rose bush and she tries to relax into the sounds of running water from the fountain - they just irritate her more by reminding her how not relaxed she is. Her shoulders tense and she looks back at the woman.

It's an uncanny feeling living in the catalogue of eerily recognisable people, so buried in tv memories and reruns that she's a memory of an every day figure instead. No, she doesn't go to Aurora College, nor had she been to any college. The idea lights her, though, which she may now cling onto as her lifelong plan for the day. 'No,' she says, 'but I'm...' She thinks for only a second. 'I'm considering college.' Like the idea hadn't only just been put in her head. She looks back at the rose bush then, like she's travelling into this stranger's psyche and tapping into her type of relaxation. 'You're from England? I lived there for years. London, Manchester... I didn't care for London.'