Hello! Iâm L and Iâll be writing Loren, an investigative journalist whoâs New In Townâą and it gets worse. Hailing from London, sheâs come to Hollowick to research and write about the history of The Reaper and the recently-reopened investigation. Iâve put some details about her †including some basic stats, a personality overview, brief history, and some connection ideas †under the cut. Itâs A Lot so if anyone wants a SparkNotes version, hit me up via IMs or on Discord.
FUNDAMENTALS.
Full Name: Loren SofĂa Martinez.
Nicknames: Lo.
Age: 31.
Date of Birth: August 17, 1988.
Place of Birth: London, UK.
Current Location: Hollowick, UK.
Gender & Pronouns: Cis female & she/her.
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual.
Romantic Orientation: Panromantic.
Relationship Status: Single.
Languages: Spanish, English.
Religion: Catholic.
Education: University †BA (Hons), Journalism.
Occupation: Journalist.
Parents: Biological †Victor Martinez and Francesca Martinez (née Ruiz).
Siblings: Biological, in order of birth †Leo Martinez; Valeria Martinez; Loren Martinez; and Arlo Martinez.
PERSONALITY.
+Â Analytical, competitive, determined, intuitive, organized, rational, social. - Critical, direct, impatient, obsessive, regretful, reticent, stubborn.
Loren is, by and large, a go-getter, but sheâs often hindered by her own efforts to strive for perfectionism. She frequently places unrealistic expectations on herself and has definitely done so with her latest assignment. The Reaper is a case thatâs been covered many times, dissected and rehashed in various mediums over the years, and sheâs not content to just cover the basics of the investigation as they unfold in Hollowick †sheâs determined to dig through the townâs history and whatever scraps of information she can get her hands on to uncover some news, any news to break.
As a journalist, sheâs hard-working albeit obsessive, regularly turning down personal plans to put in extra time at work. Her dedication has allowed her to survive several rounds of layoffs at the office in recent years, and has been largely attributed to the successes sheâs had as a staff writer. But, god, it can be lonely work. She sometimes finds herself in the office with one or two other late-working staffers, taking a quick break to scroll through her Instagram feed †full of snaps of nights out, sunny vacations and growing families †and feeling sorry for herself. But nine times out of ten she deposits that loneliness in a compartment at the back of her mind and carries on.
Loyalty is a bit of a fickle thing for her †while Loren definitely has her loyalties as far as her work and loved ones are concerned, if faced with the prospect of having to screw over or inconvenience a new friend or ally for a scoop, it might give her pause. She takes the code of ethics in journalism seriously (driven, in part, by good old Catholic guilt), but thatâs not to say sheâll never get too frustrated and desperate enough to cut a few corners and rustle a few feathers...
Overall, sheâs a fairly approachable person and quite social †especially when it benefits her. But sheâs also inquisitive (read: nosy as fuck) and likes to ask strategic questions to extract information she wants or needs, on and off the job. She doesnât give up information about herself or current work projects easily; her cards are held close to her chest, but under the right circumstances and/or with the right person, she will open up. She likes to think she has a good bullshit detector and has learned over the years how to read people. Sheâs very adaptable and quick-thinking on her feet.Â
HISTORY.
TW: Death.
Loren was first exposed to the concept of death at ten years old, when her childhood best friend was killed in a hit and run. In the absence of any witnesses or evidence identifying the driver, the case eventually went cold. The loss of her closest ally and the closure that she yearned for was devastating, but in processing the precariousness of life and the notion of justice, Loren held close to her faith and turned to books.Â
Under the watchful eye of her siblings †her elder brother and sister trading off the duty of accompanying her, as commanded by their parents †Loren spent the following summer at the local library, stashed between the stacks, browsing true crime novels and graphic textbooks dedicated to serial murder that she had no business perusing at her age.Â
The following year, when The Reaper claimed its first victim, Loren found herself at odds with the horror of the crime and the excitement of the mystery it presented. Discussion of the case was banned at the Martinez dinner table, and every time news reports about the unidentified killer and their successive victims crossed the television screen, the channel was changed; her parents did their best to shield their children from the horrors of the news, but a ravenous curiosity had already taken root in Lorenâs mind.
Time made it easier to forget. As the years wore on, Loren found herself going days without thinking about the loss sheâd suffered or the spate of murders that had occurred only a few hours from home. She kept her head down and focused on schooling, graduating high school to move on to study Journalism and Mass Communication at university.Â
Media proved difficult to break into as a fresh-faced graduate, but Loren remained steadfast in her work, completing an internship with BBC News before landing a job as a fact checker at the London Herald, a news publication with traditional print and online platforms. Celebrating ten years with her employer this year, Loren worked her way through various beats to a staff writer position in the Herald's small and exclusive department dedicated to investigative journalism. Sheâs been working as an investigative journalist for a few years and loves the challenge it presents on a daily basis.
When the news of James Masonâs murder made its way to London †the details grisly and reminiscent of The Reaperâs first kill †Loren took the story to her editor and pitched an investigative series that would have her dig deep into the history of the infamous serial killer, the failings of local authorities to make any advances in the case, and cover the events unfolding in the small town, as they happened. Desperate to expand the publicationâs readership and drive clicks to the website, her editor granted the assignment and sent Loren to Hollowick with a paltry per diem to start conducting research and drafting material.Â
Set up in the cheapest accommodation available at The Royal Oak, Loren has spent her first week in town immersing herself in history, quietly gathering documents, making contact with locals, and enjoying the last vestiges of anonymity before gossip of a "big city reporter" poking around inevitably spreads through Hollowick.
POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS.
Hereâs a handful of some basic, surface-level connections to get us started in a direction. I'm happy to plot more intricate connections or let things fly and see where muse takes us!
ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS
CHILDHOOD FRIENDS / NEIGHBOURS â Available to any characters who spent time in London growing up and could have lived around the Martinez family. Loren has three siblings (ranging in age from approx. 30 to 45) so there are opportunities for characters to have been friends with them, also.
CLASSMATES, ACQUAINTANCES, FRIENDS (PAST & PRESENT) â Lorenâs spent most of her life in London. I havenât pinned down precisely where she studied, but if her university years (2006-2010) overlap with anyoneâs, Iâm happy to have her study wherever!Â
MEDIA/JOURNALISM CONNECTIONS â This can take the form of any present or former fellow journalists, bloggers and writers she may have encountered professionally, or perhaps people she may have interviewed in the past for articles. Maybe they crossed paths at some sort of professional convention, media-focused or otherwise?
NEW CONNECTIONS
OTHER CURIOUS MINDS â Anyone involved in the investigation or who is in town to cover the investigation. Do they pick each otherâs brains? Do they share notes? Are they locked in a death stare every time they cross paths in town?
LOCALS â Word will be soon to spread that a journalist from London is nosing around town, digging into Hollowickâs history with The Reaper, as well as the past and current investigations. Some locals might be happy the case is getting more exposure from a major outlet in London; others might be (rightfully) annoyed that people like Loren are coming in, seemingly to exploit the tragedy for clicks.
FRIENDLY FAMILIARSÂ â They could bond over minor inconveniences (the line at the grocery store, the amount of tourists crowding a local business, etc.), or maybe strike up a chat over a few pints at the Green Dragon.












