Chester Ali

[maplechester]

( cis man, theo rossi, he/him) look who goes there! It’s Chester ‘Ches’ Ali. wait, you don’t know who he/him is/are? the 45 year old veterinarian at the bark and nicker has been in town for, like, 1 year. i believe they live in meadowridge, but i usually see them around route 82 drive-in. they can be a bit awkward, but i think being understanding kinda balances them out, you know?

CHESTER ALI INTRO (tw: death, car accident, marital infidelity)

full name: chester rahim ali age: 45 birthdate: april 12 hometown: charlotte, nc sexuality: bisexual romantic orientation: biromantic occupation: veterinarian @ the bark and nicker relationship status: divorced

Chester was raised by his grandmother after his parents passed away in a car accident when he was 6. He was always very close with his grandmother, and did everything he could for and with her. She taught him just about everything he knows, and as such he maintains hobbies such as baking and knitting. 

Having had a lifelong love for animals, Chester never had any doubt about wanting to grow up and become a veterinarian. It had been his dream since the age of 4, and his grandmother did everything she could to ensure his dream would come true. His education was something he always held dear and, as a result, graduated high school one year early and in the top 5% of his class. He graduated veterinary school with a 3.9 GPA. 

During college Chester met a woman he believed to be the love of his life. The two dated for two years before marrying. Never having been in a real relationship prior to his wife, Chester cherished her and did everything he could to ensure she was happy and taken care of. The two married when they were 22. At the age of 36, Chester came home one afternoon to find his wife cheating on him with one of his best friends from college. She left Chester, and he has been alone since. 

Eventually, I would like to see a romance plot develop for Chester. He’s a sweetie with a heart of gold, and I’d like to see him get some redemption in that aspect.

[maplechester]

location: the bark & nicker for: closed for @crestfcllens (clarke)

With a shake of his head Chester pocketed his cell phone, moving towards the front of the clinic to greet Clarke and and Hamlet. While it was no secret that over the past year he'd managed to keep very much to himself, meeting and subsequently befriending Clarke had certainly been a high point in his social life. Not only was he a client, but he was a friend. Which, of course, meant that Chester took no issue with examining his dog Hamlet upon request. At the end of the day, Clarke was one of the best pet owners Chester had encountered, and he didn't mind setting the others' mind at ease.

"Come in you two, come in!" He greeted as he ushered the two back and into one of the exam rooms. "Good to see you Clarke- and you too, Hamlet!" Chester bent at the waist, rubbing a hand over the dog's head. "Alright, so, what's up? What's going on with our furry friend?"

[whiskeyneats]

Alvaro enjoyed Halloween just as much as the next person, and Maple Brook was certainly in full swing with all of the festivities going on throughout the month. With the twins with a sitter for a few hours, Alvaro found himself at Evergreen Stables, in line for the haunted house when he hears someone speak, presumably to him. "Oh, uh...I don't think it's that scary? People are here with their families." Alvaro replies, gesturing around. "But you could always go for a hayride instead if you prefer. No need scaring yourself if that's not something you're into." Some people liked the adrenaline rush (himself included), but he knew it wasn't for everyone.

[maplechester]

"I..." Chester began, glancing around at the others in line before turning back to the other. "That's a great suggestion. It is, really. And I would totally do that. But then I think...If these kids can make it through, I can too. So, I figure I'll force myself through this now, then head over to the hayride to decompress. Or, something like that." Chuckling, he gave a quick shake of his head before adding, "I hope." Extending a hand, he introduced himself. "Name's Chester, it's good to meet you. And, you know...I guess if you see someone running the opposite direction, you'll know it's me."

[nvrever]

closed starter for: chester (@maplechester) where: Fall fest at Aurora’s Fair when: 3:45 pm, tuesday

SILAS MISSED THE FARMER'S MARKET ONCE, which means that he wasn't going to miss them twice. This is probably the first time he didn't have one fruit or vegetable at his house, but the farmer's market was the perfect place to get the freshest ones during October. While searching through the variety of what everyone had to offer, he had accidentally bumped into someone and immediately turned to face them. "My apologies." The guy seemed chilled enough not to cause a scene. Who would want to cause a scene at the farmer's market anyway? His eyes took a quick glance into the other person's basket. "Got a lot of vegetables in there." His gaze went back to the gentleman. "Have you ever tried their baked goods?" Silas asked with a quirked brow.

[maplechester]

While Chester had kept to himself for the majority of his time in Maple Grove, Aurora's Fair had quickly become one of his favorite haunts, next to the drive-in theater, of course. Now that he'd made a resolution within and to himself to find himself some semblance of a social life, he found himself going to the market nearly every chance he got.

Whether he made a purchase or not, Chester enjoyed simply walking around, taking in all the market had to offer. Admittedly, he'd been far more focused on the stalls he was passing than on watching where he was going, so the collision with another didn't come as a total shock. "Dang, I'm sorry! No, that was probably my fault, I definitely need to pay more attention to where I'm going."

Glancing first at the other and then at his own basket he nodded and gave a quick chuckle. "You know, I honestly didn't even notice. I've just been picking out what looks good, really...I guess I'm healthier than I thought. Then again I think the fast food bags in my trash might tell a different story." Nodding, he gestured to a stall down the way. "Oh yeah, that stall down there is my favorite. I've been holding out, but I'm definitely headed in that direction. Do you have a favorite?"

[divineinfamy]

It had only been a few months since Lindsey had moved to town, but there were a handful of places that had quickly become well-known to her. Widow's Bite was one them. Linds wasn't usually the kind of person who was drawn to a place like this -- it leaned too heavily into a certain aesthetic to the point of being almost tacky in her opinion -- but she was rather fond of the owner. Santiago happened to be one of the only family members of whom she could actually say that. She'd waltzed in, propped herself at the bar, and was currently waiting to be served when she heard the person beside her speak. "And I suppose you'll want to talk about it," she asked, turning to address him. "Okay, then. I'll bite. What's wrong?"

[maplechester]

While Chester hadn't necessarily expected a response from anyone, especially given he hadn't found any familiar faces, but he couldn't deny he was grateful to have gotten one. Despite his more anxious nature, he truly enjoyed interacting with others, when he could bring himself to do it. "Oh well...I mean, if you're willing to listen I don't mind talking. Though I'm not sure there's much to say." Giving a small shrug, he took a sip of what remained of his drink. "And it's not really that there's anything specific wrong either. I just...Well, I guess I've always had a little trouble making friends. I like talking to people, but I don't seem to know what to talk about. It's just not the best trait when you're looking to rev up your social life, you know?"

[bulldose]

"... like the perfect way to get poisoned?" he finished for the other, brow arching despite the slim twist of a smile at his lips. accidentally poisoned, of course, because he doubted anyone at aurora's fair had nefarious intentions, but there was something about foraged mushrooms versus store-bought that felt extra dicey. as haru would forever profess: human beings are stupid. head tilting, his gaze strayed to follow the man's gesture down the row of mazing booths, nodding and just about to head off in that direction when the introduction made him pause. "oh." a belated second and he reached for the offered hand, shaking it and introducing himself in return, "i'm haru kayano." reluctant resident of maple brook, was an apt descriptor for him, but not one that haru was quick to offer up. "what exactly does not-so-new mean?" he asked while withdrawing his hand, throwing out the guess, "returned home?"

[maplechester]

Haru's commentary drew a laugh from Chester, accompanied by an affirming nod. "Not necessarily the phrasing I would've chosen, but...The idea is the same." Shrugging, he gave the mushroom coffee another glance, the uncertainty written all over his face. "I mean I'm sure it's great and all but...Last time I checked, coffee had two ingredients. Beans and water. All this newfangled stuff is just...A lot." Sighing, he gave a small shake of his head as he and his new acquaintance shook hands. "Haru, it's nice to meet you. Officially, I mean." The guess came and Chester shook his head, realizing he should've been a bit more clear. "No, I'm not from here. Not originally anyway. I just mean I've been here for about a year, so I'm not really considered new in town. But I've...Not really gotten out much yet. Just kind of kept to myself so I still feel new, if that makes sense?" He smiled nervously, hoping his explanation was a bit better. "What about you? Are you a Maple Brook native?"

[maplechester]

location: horror movie marathon at route 82 for: closed for @porphyros (any muse)

Double-checking that his wallet was tucked safely in his back pocket, Chester opened his door and exited his vehicle, quickly scanning his surroundings before turning towards the concession stand. A small smile played on his face as he wove his way through the cars and people all waiting for the first movie to start. Lost in thought, he didn't realize he'd stepped into the path of another, only realizing his mistake in the moment their bodies collided. "Oh, gosh I'm so sorry!" He immediately offered, smiling apologetically. "I swear I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached, I just get so distracted and..." Shrugging, he chuckled a bit. "I guess I'm just that much of a dork, getting excited about a horror movie marathon. Anyway, are you alright?"

[maplechester]

location: haunted house at evergreen stables for: closed for @whiskeyneats (any muse)

Stepping into the winding line leading up to the Haunted House, Chester felt a slight tightening in his stomach. Forcing himself to swallow despite the dryness of his throat, he took a step forward with the others as the line moved. Glancing around, his expression and body language made it clear that he was a bit nervous, though he did his best to remain as calm as possible. Turning to the nearest individual he offered an awkward smile before asking, "I don't mean to bug, but have you ever been through this...Haunted House?"

[maplechester]

location: flash tattoo sale at skin deep for: closed for @vellichorz (any muse)

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Chester cracked each of his knuckles as he stood at the tattoo parlor's storefront. Pacing a bit, the debate on whether or not to enter the parlor raged on inside his head, though its effects were visible both on his face and in his demeanor. The sound of approaching footsteps drew him from his thoughts, and he turned quickly, raising a hand to acknowledge the other. "Excuse me," he began, offering an awkward smile. "Sorry to bother you but, uh....You don't happen to be here for the flash sale, are you?"

[maplechester]

location: the birmingham sweeny todd show for: closed for @clemcntia (any muse)

Scanning the crowd, Chester tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth, chewing slowly as he took in the hustle and bustle around him. Theater wasn't something he'd had a longstanding passion for, but in the interest of getting into the season, he'd purchased himself a ticket to the local live production of Sweeny Todd. He could remember having seen the musical once, what seemed like ages ago, when it had first become popular in the mainstream. Though admittedly, it wasn't something he'd thought about since. Thus far, though, he was enjoying the show, and was eager to return from intermission to see how things played out. Deciding to head back to his seat he turned, taking only a few steps before colliding directly into another. "Shit, I'm sorry about that!" He exclaimed, righting himself and reaching forward in an attempt to help the other. "Are you alright? I swear, there's a reason I'm not up on stage tonight- me and my two left feet can't go anywhere."

[maplechester]

location: hayride at evergreen stables for: closed for @blcssomfully (any muse)

Rubbing his palms together, Chester craned his neck to the right to get a better view of the line ahead of him. Despite his age, he couldn't help but to be a little excited about the hayride. Perhaps some would consider it to be an immature venture for a man of his stature, but frankly he couldn't have cared less in the moment. A small smile broke out on his face as he watched the children playing excitedly around him. "This'll be great!" He said aloud to no one in particular. "Honestly, I can't believe I've never done this before."

[maplechester]

location: widow's bite for: closed for @divineinfamy (any muse)

The Widow's Bite. An establishment Chester had passed countless times on his aimless walks through town, though hadn't ever deigned to stop into. Drinking alone wasn't the problem- that he was familiar enough with- but rather the idea of drinking alone in public, and in a town he'd been a resident of long enough to make a drinking buddy or two in, no less. Still, their gimmick was a good one, especially for the season, and Chester wasn't feeling like heading straight home after work. So, before leaving he'd slipped on one of the never-used doctor's coats from the clinic's storeroom, draped his stethoscope over his shoulders, and hoped he wouldn't get called out for attempting to pass the getup as a costume. Now he sat, twenty minutes into his venture and wondering if he should've simply gone home, nursing a now-watered-down whiskey on ice, eyes moving from one end of the bar to the other, searching for someone to pull him from his isolation. "Well, this has been quite the evening." He muttered to no one in particular.

[bulldose]

open : capping at 3 ( 1/3 )

when : early afternoon, during fall fest

where : aurora's fair

words like artisanal and organic lit up some sort of twisted pleasure center in haru's mind, making him surprisingly willing to pay just about any price tag around the farmers market, but even he faltered when it came to mushroom coffee. he was still trying to work out what it was, exactly, standing a few feet back from the stall with his arms crossed over his chest, a squinting glare skimming every hand-drawn chalk sign in view. the mushrooms were homegrown and hand-picked -- all very nice things, sure, whatever, but could he get them not in his coffee, maybe? thinking only of his caffeine fix, haru shook his head a little and asked the person nearest, "you haven't seen a normal coffee stand anywhere, have you?" in his desperation, he even would've accepted drip.

[maplechester]

With hands shoved in his pockets, Chester weaved his way through the Fall Fest crowds, eyes bouncing from one stall to the next as he balanced the shy smile playing at the corners of his lips with maintaining his footing as he moved. Despite having been in Maple Brook for a year, many of those months were spent keeping to himself and making small talk with his co-workers; that was to say, Chester's social life remained sorely lacking. A fact he was reminded of, as it were, when attending seemingly any event in town. Stopping short, he found himself examining something branded mushroom coffee when a nearby voice captured his attention. Turning, he felt reassured at seeing the other seemed to be sporting an expression quite similar to his own. "I don't blame you. This seems..." With a shake of his head Chester gave a quick snort. "To answer your question though, yeah. About ten stalls...." Turning to his left, he raised his index finger and pointed. "...That way. Just around that curve there." Rather than dropping his hand, Chester rode the wave of a brief moment of confidence and extended it to the stranger. "I'm Chester, by the way. Chester Ali. Not-So-New-In-Town, I guess."