“ you know, we really ought to invest in one of those tennis ball launchers. ”   most days, leia’s energy still manages to out shine marcelo’s own — not that he’s a wimp at throwing the tennis ball either, but there was a reason his sport was soccer and not baseball. as if on cue, their golden-lab mix trots up, a doggy smile evident around the green of the ball. she drops it at their feet, sitting almost primly as she looks up at them expectantly. marcelo heaves a sigh, more for show than anything ---he loves that pup before him almost more than anything in the world.   “ it’s your turn, ”   he says instead, bumping shoulders with ben before glancing over with a grin.   “ even if it is your day off. ”
STARTER FOR: @lilianaalvarez​
EXTRA: outside dream coffee house
     “ so do you want anything ?? ”   someone who doesn’t spare marcelo a second glance might think he’s talking on his phone or to someone all together. but for the person who does, they’ll realize he’s taking to the golden-lab mix that he’s tying to the bike rack outside the coffee shop. leia looks back at him with those pleading puppy eyes, and marcelo heaves a put off sigh as he finishes off the easy to remove knot ( the result of trial and error ) and clips the end of her leash for good measure.   “ don’t give me that look. you know you can’t go in and i need coffee. a puppaccino, perhaps ?? ”
     marcelo had never been a fan of quiet — that’s probably why he loved college so much ( all that bustling life, the never-ending sound of people’s paths crossing and continuing on their merry way : it was invigorating ). and that was why, when he was left alone in the house, he often found excuses to not be in it. even music and the sound of the distant ocean seemed too soft, he needed presence at minimum. at least leia was there to keep him company — most days, it was harder to tell who needed who more. the beach had provided a good happy medium, plenty of people around without being too busy, and plenty of space for leia to run her doggy legs exhausted ( a hope that marcelo wasn’t clinging too desperately too ). she’d practically sprung out of the car when he opened the door, laughing to himself in amusement as he watches her streak toward the ways. his amusement grows as he watches her go after a stick that her certainly didn’t throw, long strides taking him to the side of the person who did.   “ sorry — ”   he offers, since his dog certainly won’t gentle amusement coloring his words.   “ she’s a never ending ball of energy that one. harmless, though. ”
take me to the stars !! MARCELO CERVA who looks an awful lot like rafael silva has just been seen around los angeles. apparently, HE is 27 years old and has been in the city for FIVE YEARS. they work as a TRANSLATOR, INTERPRETER, & ASPIRING AUTHOR. if there is a quote to describe them, it would be : “ the limits of my language mean the limits of my world. ” - but we have yet to make up our mind if that is accurate.
BACKSTORY
— born in brazil, marcelo’s parents moved to the united states when he was just eleven years old : not young enough to forget his childhood, and old enough to know what was happening. following the winds of opportunity, they bounced along the east coast finally landing long term in new haven, ct where his mother accepted a professorship at yale ( mathematics ) and his father a job in construction.
— all that moving cemented two things for marcelo : a love of reading ( for what else is certain in times of change ) and a love for sports ( for what other way is there to make the fastest friends in school ?? ). an outgoing attitude and a mind quick to read situations meant that he had very little growing pains when it came to transferring to new skills, social skills that would never come to fail him, even after the tumultuous nature of his childhood passed and he finished out his adolescence at the same junior high and high school.
— it was evident from a rather young age that though marcelo’s mind was brilliant in many ways, it was not in the same ways as his parents. numbers refused to make sense whereas languages and literature soaked in like a sponge. fluency in portuguese was expected from his childhood, english a quick second language that seemed more crash course when he started school in the united states, and by his junior year of high school he’d already added spanish and german to his fluency repertoire ( with plenty others started ). he loved languages, loved that way things sounded and were framed differently. it wasn’t just languages, but points of view, as fluency increased so did the number of books he was able to read in their native languages.
— he did not study any particular language in college, unable to pick just one to focus on. instead he was a communications major, deeming it a more useful major since he was still rather unsure what his life would look like after graduation. he ended up at wisconsin-madison, in part for reasons outside of his control, but in part because he was recruited to the men’s soccer team and it seemed as good a reason as any to attend. at uw he added minors in russian, mandarin chinese, and arabic.
— it was by chance that he ended up in translating, perhaps a natural fit though he hadn’t realized it at first. marcelo had always dreamt of being an author, though creative writing always was something done in his free time. but an internship at a publishing house one summer led to one thing and than another, and coupled with his impressive lexicon and language skills, ended up as a full time remote position after he graduated. such geographic flexibility meant that he could live where he wanted, and was free to move to the sunny west coast and socal.
MISC.
languages ( fluent & that he translates ) : portuguese, spanish, german
languages ( fluent ) : arabic, mandarin chinese, russian
languages ( mid-level ) : japanese ( working on it )
conversational / working knowledge : swedish, hebrew, french ( ironically never formally taught but he does alright )
— plays pick up soccer fairly often !! you can also often find him running in the morning before it gets too warm with his dog ( a golden-lab mix ) leia. most days, it seems she can almost outrun him. marcelo likes to do his workouts outside as much as he can — perks of living in socal. a little vain and maybe cares about his physique a lot, but who doesn’t right ??
— has a few different typical haunts, especially since he likes to work in several different locations. these include coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, shaded picnic tables, and on occasion the beach itself, but you’re more likely just to find him reading on the beach rather than doing any of his work.
— he works primarily for a currently unnamed large publishing house which supplies him a rather steady stream of work which allows him to set his own hours — so long as he meets his deadlines. each new book and work always brings its own unique challenges and it’s not uncommon for him to be muttering to himself as he works, trying to work through a particular sentence. languages are never 1-for-1, there’s a bit of an art form to it as well : capturing sentiment and double meanings is a challenge, and a reason he only works in translating the languages he grew up speaking and has the most familiarity with.
— he is a licensed interpreter and a few large agencies have his number and call upon him occasionally. he did more of this work when he was right out of college, but has since drifted more toward written translate as of late, as it gives him the most flexibility.
— making food is definitely an act of love. marcelo was definitely raised on the concept and he enjoy cooking and especially cooking with others. all his south american and brazilian dishes are his father’s recipes — and needless to say absolutely delicious. he was always hosting casual dinners in college, full of warmth and good friends — and his apartment always smelled amazing.
— raised roman catholic, but something he drifted away from in his high school years. he somewhat recognizes holidays, but tends to see them more as significance to be with family rather than religious significance.
— very close with his parents still, even if they’re on opposite coasts now.
— will eat anything on pizza. yes, including pineapple.
— openly very bi and notorious for posting thirst traps on instagram, but he’s happily in a stable & healthy relationship.
— dresses in simple, practical, but flattering clothing. not particularly invested in fashion as far as designer or trends go, but he does value his appearance and puts effort into what he wears. not a ton of bright colors in his closet, a fairly muted palette that’s made up by his own bright personality.
PERSONALITY
— that friendly and open nature that got him welcomed into so many folds in his childhood ( never quite meeting the “ new kid ” trope ) is something that has never lagged for marcelo. he’s outgoing and warm, the kind of person that people want to be friends with. he’s quick to smile at strangers and believes that any awkward situation can be overcome with enough effort and smiling.Â
— patient almost to a fault. more than willing to wait someone out and he will be successful. sometimes, though, he needs to push from someone to move on.Â
— a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to his own work, a surprise to some since he seems so easygoing. and he is on some things, but its that same trait that has marcelo pouring over the same few lines of a novel again and again for hours.
— a hard worker who’s always thankful for what he has ; a bit of an optimist in that sense. ill equip to deal with emotional trauma on his own, however, and in general, does not function well in isolation. it’s part of the reason you seem him bringing his work out into busy places and working on it there with the feeling of life bustling around him.
OOC
hello everyone !! i’m ck ( 23, est, they/them ) and i’m very happy to bring you my boy !!! i will work on some general wc ideas... at a later time bc my brain is at its limit. can’t wait to get writing !!
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