addie walks along the edge of the beach, just above where the waves lap the shore, her bare feet kicking up sand as she goes. she’s avoiding touching the water with ease. she’s headed to a specific spot, one she likes and visits often. it’s an outcropping of rocks, black and sleek, the sticky feeling of saltwater in the air heavy. it’s quiet and peaceful and — today, it seems someone is already there. she’s disappointed and she’s sure it’s written on her face. “ sorry if i’m interrupting — ” she glances over her shoulder, letting out a slight huff, “ — i’m just going to go. sorry. ”
oli was almost completely lost in his own thoughts, remembering how his grandmother had told him stories as a child about the sea. though she had been gone for a while now, it was her birthday, and he always tried to do something in honor of her memory on her birthday. she had loved the ocean, had always wanted to be part of it somehow so he’d found himself at a fairly secluded part of the beach. “no, you’re fine,” he replied quickly noting the look on her face and pushing himself off the rock. “this is probably your spot, and i’m intruding on your space.”
asia was not one to visit bars… or drink often but rumor around town was that her brother had shown up. if jian had found her there was only a matter of time before piers showed up and she wasn’t sure she could deal with that. she needed to speak to jian before he told piers where she was because the town wasn’t safe for him.
she figured the first place to look for her brother would be the shifter’s bar. he was a shifter after all… he had to be there… right? maybe the rumors were just that and he wasn’t actually here at all. he couldn’t have found her… there was no way. at least that’s what asia had been telling herself. she didn’t exactly want to admit that he could possibly find her. then she’d have to face everything. she was lost in thought when she heard the other speak. “hm?” she asked, looking over. “oh um. i don’t really drink.” she said.
willa gave the other woman a curious glance at the words. they weren’t ones she normally heard. who refused a drink? especially a free one. “shame,” she mused. “guess i’ll just have to be sad.” but at least, for the time being, she wasn’t alone. that was the main thing that mattered to her, even if it was silly. it was definitely strange though, but the woman looked like she had something bigger on her mind than free drinks. it wasn’t her place to pry, but of course, willa would never been accused of minding her own damn business when it was appropriate. her mother had always cursed her curious mind and wayward tongue.
“what brings you out tonight?” she asked a moment later, turning towards her newfound bar companion. willa had always hated small talk, but it was a necessary evil. “especially if you’re not here to drink.”
were he asked if he hated himself, the answer rhett would give very well may have been yes. it was funny. he had everything, he had been everything, yet he still felt an ache at his core for something more, for something to change. maybe he was selfish. but wasn’t everyone, at least a little bit ? the question of self-loathing, however, circled back to the fact of where he was spending his evening.
the terra nightclub had never been his scene when he lived in thornhollow before, but when in hollywood ? he had spent nearly all his evenings in clubs or bars, places like this. now, though, now he knew he shouldn’t be there. it wasn’t good for him.
but still he walked in. he found a seat at the bar. the first time a bartender came around, he waved them away, saying he needed a minute. the second time, he was surprised to recognize the face behind the bar.
his face flushed at the nickname. to their question, he wanted to say gin and tonic.
instead — “ just a club soda and lime, please ? or lemon, if that’s what you have. i guess i really don’t care. ” he did care. he wouldn’t admit it.
he pulled a ten dollar bill from his pocket and held it out towards her. “ you can keep the change. ”
their brows furrowed for a moment at the drink order. not a common one at a place like terra, especially at that time of the night. and mika had expected somethig more adventurous or at the very least strong from rhett. but they didn’t question the order and quickly poured a quick club soda and added a lime to the glass.
they rolled their eyes at the sight of the money and slid it back over towards him. “you know you can get at least one free drink if you know the bartender,” they teased with an almost wicked smile. thankfully, their boss seemed to like them for the most part and didn’t mind if they gave away free drinks every so often as long as the bartenders didn’t take advantage of it.
“so what have you been up to?” they asked, a curious expression on their face as they leaned over the bar. “didn’t think i’d see you around here again.”
「 alex saxon. cis male. he/him. 」 — is that OLIVER ‘OLI’ ARTIS i just saw in thornhollow? word around is that they’re a THIRTY-TWO year old HUMAN, but i doubt that’s true. they’re pretty CHILL from what i know, but i’ve heard a rumor that they can be LONELY too; must be why they’re a DINER OWNER & COOK. they kinda remind me of WORN JEANS WITH A NOTEPAD TUCKED IN THE BACK POCKET, ON OLD GUITAR GATHERING DUST ON THE WALL, A WARM SMILE & A KIND HEART. ( ooc ali. she/her. 27. est. )
— basics;;
NAME : oliver artis
ALIAS ( NICKNAMES ) : oli
AGE : 32
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : pansexual
GENDER IDENTITY : cis male ( he/him pronouns )
SPOKEN LANGUAGES : english
OCCUPATION : cherry’s pies ( a local diner ) owner and cook
FAMILY : eleanor artis nee hanson ( mother, estranged ), ian artis ( father, estranged ), cherry rose hanson ( grandmother, deceased )
PETS : a golden retriever named bowie who frequently hangs out at the diner
POSITIVE TRAITS : chill, confident, hardworking
NEGATIVE TRAITS : sarcastic, lonely, guileless
— a look deeper;; ( trigger warnings: parental abandonment, alcoholism, parental figure death )
full disclosure: i’ve played oli before so this is structured by what the old bio is so i’m gonna give a few quick points followed by the full thing!
oli was born and raised in thornhollow. his parents both lived and worked in town until oli was around twelve when his father left their family, and his mother was never the same. she was a workaholic under the best of circumstances, but after his father left, she couldn’t handle being his mother as much anymore so he was essentially raised by his grandmother ( also a thornhollow native ) after that.
left for college, but came back when he found out his grandmother needed extra help, especially at the diner that was her pride and joy. his mother had since moved out of town for “bigger and better things.”
tried not to be bitter about his parents leaving him, but it was hard. his grandmother showed him unconditional love though and he was forever grateful to her. she passed away a couple months ago, and he’s not entirely over it yet.
he did take the diner over after her passing, but the bills are beginning to pile up, and he’s not sure if the diner is going to survive.
personality-wise, he’s pretty chill and easy going. oli’s kinda a go-with-the-flow person who doesn’t have time for drama or manipulations. he’s more focused on making the diner successful and frequently is found working on something even when he’s not technically scheduled to be there.
does not know specifically about the different species around town, but does know that there are weird things that happen in thornhollow. pretty open-minded about it all. operates under a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ sort of policy.
i.
A boy of six sat cross legged on the ground in front of his father watching with a bright and eager smile. His father had his own eyes closed, humming softly along with the melody he strummed on his favorite guitar. Oli wanted to bounce in rhythm with the music, to cheer, or even sing along. But he knew that was not allowed, not while his father was practicing. And because he wanted more than anything to be considered a grown-up, old enough to sit in and listen, he kept himself quiet and still until his father had finished and it was time to clap. It was this time that was precious to him, the time he had his father all to himself. His father might not acknowledge his presence other to bask in the boy’s love, but this time was still infinitely valuable to the child. He knew when his mother arrived home from work and sent his nanny home for the day, she would whisk his father away on some adventure he was too young for. He didn’t mind, really. Oli knew that people just felt better after being around his father so he couldn’t blame her for wanting him all to herself for a time. But it did make this time more important than ever. And he had always been his father’s biggest fan.
It didn’t matter to Oli that his father rarely had time for him outside of this. That he only wanted someone to play an adoring audience. Even when his father screamed at him for making too much noise during his song. Even when his father threw the glass of bourbon against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces. None of that mattered to the boy. He understood then at such a young age that his father just wanted everything to be perfect. “I’m going to be famous one day, Oli,” he would say, his words slurred. And of course, Oliver believed them. After all, what father would lie to their son?
ii.
Oliver knew something was different from the moment he arrived home from school. There was something not entirely right. Some spark that normally resided in the house seemed to have gone out. He almost didn’t notice his father’s prized autographed picture of David Bowie was missing from its spot on the wall. He almost missed the pitying look his nanny ( that he was far too old to have now that he was almost out of middle school) gave him as he walked towards the stairs. He almost missed the low sobbing that seemed to be coming from above him where he knew his parents room to be. But he didn’t.
He sprinted up the stairs, though it seemed to take ages to reach the top. Instead of racing towards the crying he knew belonged to his mother, he went towards his father’s studio instead. He hesitated before pulling the knob, already knowing what he would find. Or not find. He let out a soft gasp at what he saw anyways. Empty.
“This was your fault,” a voice behind him said, thick with rage and heartbreak. He turned to see his mother, clutching one of his father’s shirts, tears streaming down her face. She already looked as if she regretted the words, but they could not be taken back now. They were already in the world, waiting for everyone to hear and know.
Oli was sent to his grandmother’s the following week.
iii.
Oliver looked too much like his father. Acted too much like him as well. A carbon copy if ever there was one. That was one of the reasons his mother didn’t like to see him. He knew that even if she insisted it wasn’t true. More and more of late, he had skipped out on holidays with his mother, finding the silence too loud and the house too empty. It had lost its spark the day his father left them. Instead, he spend the time with his grandmother baking far too many sweets for the two of them and delivering the extras to their neighbors. It had stung far more than he ever wanted to admit. He loved his grandmother, appreciated everything she’d done for him. But holidays had been difficult since his father had left, and his mother had essentially stopped seeing him on a regular basis. But now, Christmas Eve, he felt more in the holiday spirit than he had in a few years. He’d already done the obligatory phone call to his mother to wish her a happy Christmas, so he had the rest of the day to himself to binge watch Netflix and eat more sweets than any one person should be able to while his grandmother visited some of her friends who didn’t have any family left. At least, he had that free time until she came home, and it was time for their dinner. It was this night he found out why his father had left them.
He had never really liked social media. Far too much of it was just people pretending to be the ideal versions of themselves. He much preferred reality. Nevertheless, he was a member of a few sites as most teenagers his age were, though he did rarely use them. It was on one of these sites that he saw the message from his father. Already it was a week old and Oliver was torn between anger at himself for not checking sooner and wanting the satisfaction of deleting it without reading. But his curiosity won out as it normally did.
It was short, barely a few lines. It told of his success in music. It seemed he had finally found a band and it looked like they might get a record deal with a big name company. He invited Oli to a show sometime. It was full of excuses instead of explanations. His father had a dream that he just had to see realized. A dream that didn’t involve being a husband or father even though he had been both. But his father never once apologized. And Oli never responded even though the child inside wanted nothing more to have his father back in his life once more.
iv.
He was just out of college when he got the call from his grandmother. He was almost expecting to hear her tell him something had happened to his father or mother, that the alcohol had finally killed him, or the combination of a broken heart and being a workaholic had done her in, but instead she was just talking about things around the house and the diner. She didn’t mention anything was wrong, but Oli could hear it in her voice. It took a while to break her down, but she finally admitted that she hadn’t had a good visit with the doctor. She was getting older and couldn’t move around as easily as she could when she was younger. That and her bad habit of smoking had finally caught up with her. She wanted her family to be around instead of strangers in her home. Although she didn’t ask him to move home, Oli knew that was what his grandmother needed. It took him a few days to consider choice.
Oli had a job offer in the city, a good one that would set him up for life. He’d break free of the pattern of either being a deadbeat like his dad or a cold, workaholic like his mother. He had worked hard to graduate with honors from the university, getting his master’s in accounting and finance. He had looked at a few apartments and had found one he was sure would be perfect. He had a life planned out ahead of him that he was sure would be successful, one that would put his parents to shame.
Instead of following that path, he moved home and began helping out at the diner he’d spent his teenage years working at.
v.
Oliver was thirty-two when his grandmother died, leaving him everything she had ( the house, the diner, no savings, and bills that were piling up ). He’d been living with her for nearly a decade, working at the diner and taking care of his ailing grandmother as she got progressively worse. She hadn’t been entirely truthful when she’d called him; she hadn’t mentioned that her mind and body were both failing faster than she could really keep up with. But Oli did his duty as best as he could, was hailed as some sort of hero by those around him. Instead of living his life, he was at a sort of standstill. One that didn’t end even after her death. He knew he could have tried to get a job in his field, but he couldn’t really muster any sort of enthusiasm for the life he’d once planned. He felt like it was a dream long since gone. Instead, he was content operating the diner that his grandmother had loved so damn much. He liked his quiet and simple life, working and coming home to his dog, Bowie. Maybe it wasn’t the fame-filled one his dad had been searching for or it wasn’t typically successful like his mother, but it was something that was his.
location : cheyenne saloon
time : 10:00 pm
status : open
“somehow i expected more,” willa mused, her fingers lightly tapping the rim of her whiskey glass. she glanced around the bar, noting that it appeared like every other small town establishment she’d been to over her very long life. of course, she was visiting the shifter’s bar so maybe that was the reason the place was so dreadfully boring; but she had been referred here by a very helpful human earlier that day so she thought she’d give it a try anyhow.
“thornhollow was supposed to be fun, but if this…” she paused and held up her glass before finishing it. “…is the best it can do i don’t know how long i’m gonna last here.” she signaled to the bartender for another ( she’d considered compelling him to give her free drinks for the night, but had decided against it once she’d noted the other supernaturals in the room ). “want one?” she asked the nearest soul to her. “drinking alone is just sad.”
location : terra nightclub
time : 12:00 am
status : closed to @fuckcdup ( rhett kennedy )
mika had already had a long day that was leading into a long night. they’d had to show up earlier than planned after another bartender called out to help with weekly inventory and then stay for their normal shift afterwards. although she was normally pretty friendly to the people who ventured into the club, their manners were wearing thin by midnight, especially since they were told they’d likely be closing. sure, it was the makings of a good paycheck, but mika was more than ready to go home to an empty apartment.
they were just beginning to wipe down the end of the bar when they noticed who had sat down on one of the barstools. they waved away another bartender who moved towards him in order to take care of him themself. “hey there, hollywood,” mika called, her voice a bit louder than normal to be heard over the thumping music. “what can i get you tonight?”
It had never really been in Kahlan’s interest to walk around a market just for the hell of it. Having grown up segregated from the rest of the town she didn’t really have many friends. If she had any at all. Her mother had such hatred for other beings and believed only in what their natural bodies were meant to be, that she disobeyed the law a few years back and had gotten herself killed. Ever since Kahlan had done everything in her power to stand behind the crowds and avoid the looks and stares. Yet for some reason today she found herself in the middle of a market, surrounded by the people who had rightfully or not, killed her mother.
“How much for the cotton candy?” Kahlan asked, as she stared at the beautiful swirls of sugar on a stick.
although mika had always been a frequent flyer at the markets as a child, as they had grown up, their visits had become more and more sporadic without their mom forcing the two sisters to go every time. they had avoided the market entirely for the past few years, more content to spend their mornings sleeping and their afternoons and nights working instead. but this year, mika had decided to brave the crowds and see if they could find a new coffee table for their apartment. they weren’t having the best of luck when they paused at a stall selling sweets.
“not sure,” they replied, with a small shrug. “it was only like a dollar when i was a kid around here,” they continued a moment later before leaning on the stall slightly and clearing their throat to get the attendant’s attention for the girl. “how much?” mika asked gesturing towards the cotton candy.
the fool: do you have any nicknames?
the magician: have you ever written a poem or song about somebody else?
the high priestess: what is your dream date?
the empress: do you think you will ever get married?
the emperor: what are some names that you like?
the hierophant: do you believe in ghosts?
the lovers: do you have a crush?
the chariot: thoughts on astrology?
strength: what is your dream occupation?
the hermit: what is your favorite soda pop?
wheel of fortune: first three songs that come on shuffle?
justice: favorite color of rose?
the hanged man: favorite movie soundtrack?
death: what are three things you want to do before you die?
temperance: can you describe a strange dream you’ve had?
the devil: do you enjoy thunderstorms?
the tower: favorite colors to wear?
the star: have you ever seen a psychic?
the moon: have you ever written a love letter?
the sun: do you believe in magic?
judgement: do you enjoy school?
the world: do you like waking up early?
Send ✚ for a HEALTH headcanon.
Send ♕ for a CHILDHOOD headcanon.
Send ✿ for a HAPPINESS headcanon.
Send ␛ for an ANGER headcanon.
Send ♆ for a BODY headcanon.
Send ϡ for a MENTAL STATE headcanon.
Send ღ for a LOVE/SEXUALITY headcanon.
Send † for a RELIGION headcanon.
Send ✄ for a PET PEEVE headcanon.
Send ☂;meme for a FOOD headcanon.
ali here with a second intro for my other babe, willa!
「 lulu antariksa. cis female. she/her. 」 — is that WILHELMINA ‘WILLA’ MONROE i just saw in thornhollow? word around is that they’re a FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN year old VAMPIRE, but i doubt that’s true. they’re pretty DREAMY from what i know, but i’ve heard a rumor that they can be BITTER too; must be why they’re an ARTIST. they kinda remind me of A SMILE HALF FERAL AND HALF CHARMING, LEATHER JACKETS AND LACE SLIPS, SEARCHING FOR LOVE YOU DO NOT DESERVE. ( ali. she/her. 27. est. )
— basics;;
NAME : sarah carpenter née bauer
ALIAS ( NICKNAMES ) : wilhelmina monroe ( alias ); willa ( preferred nickname )
AGE : 20 / 527
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : pansexual
GENDER IDENTITY : cisfemale, she/her pronouns
SPOKEN LANGUAGES : english, french, latin, russian, spanish
OCCUPATION : artist
FAMILY : maud bauer ( mother, deceased ), peter bauer ( father, deceased ), richard bauer ( older brother, deceased ), geoffrey bauer ( older brother, deceased ), alice bauer ( older sister, deceased ), edith bauer ( older sister, deceased ), john bauer ( older brother, deceased ), joan bauer ( older sister, deceased ), william carpenter ( husband, deceased ), geoffrey carpenter ( son, deceased ), anne carpenter ( daughter, deceased ), erik björnsson ( maker, unknown ), edward monroe ( progeny, deceased )
PETS : n/a
POSITIVE TRAITS : dreamy, romantic, charming
NEGATIVE TRAITS : lonely, bitter, manipulative
— a look deeper;;
sarah was the youngest of seven children born to peter and maud bauer. the family was poor, the children working as soon as they were able. it seemed like a godsend when sarah was engaged at the age of fifteen to a local man in their village. it wasn’t true love like she’d always dreamed of, but he was kind and was able to support her while she focused on raising their children, geoffrey and anne. they were married for almost five years when sickness spread through the village, taking down most of her family. she lost her husband, her son, and many other members of her family over the course of a month. when her daughter became sick as well, she traveled to the nearest city in the hopes of finding a better doctor than the one her town had, one that could save her daughter. instead, she met erik björnsson who promised he could save them both; he only saved her. sarah and her daughter died together, but sarah rose again.
although sarah was devastated by the loss of everything she’d held dear, she slowly began to fall in love with erik. they stayed together for nearly a century before he became bored with her starry-eyed love for him and left her behind in france. she spent the next few decades looking for a replacement for him, falling in love with a human named edward monroe. she turned him as well and thought it was true love ( and maybe it was ), but he was killed by a nephilim outside london after a particularly brutal killing of a human family. it was then she took on the name wilhelmina monroe and began going by willa. her human life seems like a distant dream to her now; sometimes she even forgets that she was once human.
in the centuries since then, willa has only been unlucky in love. she’s been in countless relationships in the hopes to find a true love, but something always ends up going wrong. although she did discover a talent for art that she’s used ( among other things ) to entertain her, she’s been searching for a place that feels like a real home for her.
she’s only been in thornhollow a couple weeks now and is renting a home in the area. she had debated on coming to thornhollow when the town’s gates first opened to vampires nearly 80 years ago, but felt like she wouldn’t be accepted ( especially as her diet was not of the animal variety ). after the nephilim were invited two decades ago, she was sure she’d never go, especially considering she’s murdered every nephilim she’s come into contact with since edward’s death. it was hard when she first passed one in the streets here, but it’s something she’s hoping to move past.
she seems almost ethereal and naive, but she can be ruthless when she wants something. and all willa has ever wanted was a love that would last an eternity. she’s filled with a longing for someone that’s just for her. she’s energetic and fun-loving, but quick to anger when she feels she’s been wronged.
— connections;;
maybe some sort of fae or vampire that she’s met in the past outside of thornhollow.
would love maybe a nephilim who is related to/descended from one she killed or the one who killed edward.
maybe someone who’s seen her artwork and is surprised by how “young” she is
would be okay if someone wanted to play her maker, erik (name up for change) which is up on the main!
also would love a potential love interest which is also up on the main!
ali here with a quick intro for my first babe, mika!
「 poppy drayton. demi girl. they/she. 」 — is that MIKAYLA ‘MIKA’ KINGSTON i just saw in thornhollow? word around is that they’re a TWENTY-SEVEN year old FAE CHANGELING, but i doubt that’s true. they’re pretty CHARISMATIC from what i know, but i’ve heard a rumor that they can be RECKLESS too; must be why they’re a BARTENDER AT TERRA. they kinda remind me of LATE NIGHTS AND EARLY MORNINGS, FLOWER CROWNS DRIPPING WITH BLOOD, AN OVERWHELMING SENSE OF LOSS. ( ali. she/her. 27. est. )
— basics;;
NAME : mikayla ‘mika’ kingston
ALIAS ( NICKNAMES ) : mika ( MEE-kuh )
AGE : 27
SEXUAL ORIENTATION : pansexual
GENDER IDENTITY : demigirl, she/they pronouns
SPOKEN LANGUAGES : english
OCCUPATION : bartender at terra
FAMILY : julia kingston ( adoptive mother ), matthew kingston ( adoptive father ), madison kingston ( adoptive sister )
PETS : n/a
POSITIVE TRAITS : charismatic, adventurous, independent
NEGATIVE TRAITS : sarcastic, crass, reckless
— a look deeper;;
mika isn’t sure what her birth name is or who her biological parents are; all she knows is that her mother stole the kingston’s child for the tithe and left her in the child’s place. julia kingston realized what had happened pretty quickly and was able to get her child back ( mika still bears the scar from that ), but refused to give the fae changeling away. in her opinion, mika’s fae mother had given up any right to her when she had swapped the two girls.
mika grew up in the kingston household, as much a part of the family as her sister, but she always knew she was different. maybe it would have been easier if she had been raised in the fae world or even in a houeshold of fae, but mika was raised in a decidedly human household. it was obvious, though, to anyone who saw her that she didn’t quite belong even if she and her sister did resemble each other. for one, her ears were pointed like many of the fae in town and her eyes almost seemed to have a reflective glow in certain lights.
despite knowing that they didn’t entirely belong with the kingstons, mika loves their family more than anything. they’re still close to their entire family, but they’ve been starting to wonder more about their fae heritage too. unfortunately, with the gateway to gaia closed, they have no real way of connecting with their birth family.
mika is a bit of a mess, to be honest. they sort of feel like they don’t really belong in the fae or human world. they’re too fae for the humans, and too human for the fae. it’s made it difficult for her to really understand her place in the town. she’s been working at terra as a bartender for a few years now, mostly because she doesn’t really have many other marketable skills other than a charming smile and a knack for making amazing drinks.
— connections;;
madison kingston (name not set in stone, but i needed something for the intro!) - connection on main!
i would love a bestie for mika , someone around their age, who probably knows about the internal struggle they’ve been going through. i’d love if they’ve been friends for years, like they’ve always been there for each other.
also would love a hook up for mika too. someone they’ve maybe been seeing off and on for a while. nothing serious because mika isn’t really the type who can handle serious at this point in their life.
i’d love for a fae, especially an older one who’s maybe been/lived in gaia to act as a sort of mentor to her, especially with her mostly growing up with humans.
