For: Victor ( @scrtissues )
Location: Bender's 10th NYE Bash
Charlotte hadnât planned on being here. Which was, unfortunately, something sheâd made very clear to more than a few people earlier in the dayâand, okay, maybe for most of the past month. You would too, if you were sitting comfortably at the top of the VIP list for one of the hottest DJs in town, with rumors that Samantha Ronson herself might show up. That kind of plan didnât just fall through. It vanished. Quietly. Cruelly.
So, when she slipped through the front of Bender Records nowâsequins catching the light, coat still on like she might leave at any secondâthere was a brief, practiced look of surprise on her face, as if this had all been spontaneous. As if she hadnât just watched her other plans evaporate in real time. She didnât linger long enough for questions. Smiled, waved off a few looks, said she was just âshowing faceâ and wouldnât stay long. Social survival depended on it. Even if it meant ringing in the New Year alone when she inevitably would leave for her "other plans".
Still, there was one person she wanted to find before 2004 hit. Victor. Relief softened her posture the moment she spotted him. Charlotte crossed the room carefully, unhurried, graceful even while her chest felt tight. When she reached him, her expression smoothed into something easy. âHey,â she said lightly, offering a light smile. From the pocket of her jacket, she pulled out a small bag of M&Mâs, the plastic crinkling softly. A thin pink bow was tied neatly at the top. âI canât stay long,â Charlotte added, holding out the bag to him, offering a small smile. âBut I wanted to give you these before 2004. Happy holidays, Victor.â
â§ Name: Charlotte Dubois
â§ Nickname: Lottie
â§ Age: Late 20s
â§ Pronouns: she/her
â§ Nationality: French
â§ Residence: Atlantic Landing, NJ
â§ Occupation: Cashier @ Bender Records (by choice)â§ Relationship Status& Sexuality: Single & Closeted Bisexual
â§ Aesthetic: cherry flavored glossed lips, pop music junkie, iced coffee lover, late night toker, a slight shopaholic, and strawberry scented a lot of the time (or vanilla)
â§ Reputation: pretty, opinionated, harder to read than she looks,
đ Charlotte learned early that perfection was expected, but originality was optional. Her parents prized polish, not personality; success was measured by how well one blended into the correct circles. Charlotte, on the other hand, wanted edges. She wanted noise. She gravitated toward whatever felt a little too loud or too glossy or too emotional to belong in those roomsâpop music blasting through headphones during car rides, fashion choices that leaned deliberately off-script, opinions formed too quickly and held too confidently. She was never punished for it. That was the problem. Her rebellion was absorbed, softened, turned into a charming quirk. Adults smiled indulgently. Teachers made allowances. No one ever told her no in a way that mattered, and Charlotte grew up understanding that consequence was something other people carried.
đ "Charlotte, where are you headed next? Charlotte, what are you doing with your time? Charlotte, when will this turn into something real? Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte...."
â§ Has a casual relationship with coke that she insists isnât a problem because itâs controlled, social, and infrequentâexcept itâs become her go-to on nights when she feels dull, restless, or too aware of herself.
â§ She likes to tell herself that she'd be okay if Bender Records every did sell out to the major corporations, that a new shopping sot would be nice, but deep down she knows she wouldn't do too good without the record store. It's become...home.
â§ She likes to tell herself that she'd be okay if Bender Records ever did sell out to the major corporations, that a new shopping spot would be nice, but deep down she knows she wouldn't do too good without the record store. It's become...home.
â§ She has a pup named Chewy. She'll never admit it out loud but she's actually secretly (very secretly) a big Star Wars fan. Han Solo <3.