marley corinne; i'm marley. i aspire to change the world one strum of my guitar at a time, but until then, i'm a junior @ mckinley, a human jukebox, & a total mama's girl. my dream is for joni mitchell to tell me she's proud of me.
Where: Marley’s home in Lima, OH, & Marley’s Dad’s home in Columbus OH.
Mentions: Millie Rose (mother, npc), Michael Rose (father, npc), Anne (grandmother, npc).
Triggers: domestic violence / verbal abuse.
Word Count: 2066
Marley’s parents’ divorce papers remained clipped to the refrigerator, already signed by Millie, for much longer than necessary. In fact, her parents had been separated for nearly three years at this point, and they sat there completely ignored by Millie and only sometimes ignored by Marley. Whenever Marley remembered they were there, it was like looking into an old memory through a dusty, broken looking glass. It should’ve been over the minute that her mother had signed them, but for some reason, it just...wasn’t.
“Mom...why do you keep those papers on the fridge?” Marley asked as she sat down in the living room, her mom folding laundry and humming to herself. This wasn’t the first time she’d asked, either. By now, Marley had lost count of how many times she’d brought it to Millie’s attention and had gotten the same answer over and over.
“Oh, that? I’ll have to remember to take that this week,” Millie replied. A few months before, she’d said she would take it tomorrow, and another time, the answer was that she would mail it next week. The answer did always change, but it also stayed the same, making one thing clear to Marley, no matter how misguided this notion was: she’d have to find a way to get Millie to finally send them to her father, or she would have to send them herself. Better yet, she would deliver them in person.
“Mom...you know that as long as you’re still married, you’re not going to be able to move on,” Marley said, her then fourteen year old wisdom shining through. She couldn’t seem to grasp why her mother wouldn’t want to move on. After all, the relationship Millie had with Marley’s father had been distant at best, and volatile at its worst. She knew that adult relationships were complicated, but this was something else entirely and she knew that this was one thing she was not too young to understand.
Millie stopped folding laundry to look at her daughter, “Marley, you know you’re my best friend,” she started. “It’s us against the world and all of that, but...you should trust that I have this handled,” Millie looked back down to the task at hand and continued, “Besides, your father is back in Columbus, we may not be officially divorced, but at least our lives aren’t what they used to be.” This logic, Marley found, had holes. Being technically married to someone that you didn’t love, who harmed you, and who you never saw was no way to live, even if their lives were better now. Marley couldn’t stay out of this, there was no way.
“Okay...well, Mom? Is it okay if I visit grandma this weekend?” Marley asked, already forming a plot in her head.
“Sure, she could use her little baking buddy,” Millie replied with a smile. “I can drive you up, but you might have to take a bus back, is that alright?” Marley only nodded in response. It was more than alright.
__
On Friday night, Marley tiptoed from her room to the kitchen, carefully unclipping the divorce papers from the refrigerator and replacing them with a random packet she’d received in science class. Millie only ever noticed the papers when Marley brought them up, she’d never realize they were missing. It filled Marley with guilt to go behind her mother’s back like this, but there were times where she felt like her mother’s well-being was directly in her hands. Now was one of the most important times that she felt that way, and once the plan was in motion, she knew that turning back would only be a disservice to Millie. She tiptoed back to her room, being careful not to even breathe too loudly, and put the papers in the bottom of her overnight bag.
_
The following morning as the two got ready to leave for Columbus, Marley’s eyes kept glancing over to the fake divorce papers she’d left on the refrigerator, nervous that she’d be found out. Millie didn’t seem to notice, though, and the two left for the hour and a half drive to her grandma’s.
Once there, Marley spent time with the two women that made up her family. Baking cookies, catching up, and laughing - always laughing. Later, when it was time for Millie to drive back, Marley hugged her hard, “I love you mama,” she whispered.
“I love you too, bug. Be good for Grammy, alright?” She said jokingly. Marley would’ve laughed too if she hadn’t been up to something - a big something.
__
Marley’s hands shook as she stood on the elevator of her Dad’s building. Backpack on her shoulders and a worried feeling creeping into her chest told her that she was definitely making a mistake, but it was also a necessary one. She hadn’t seen her father for years, and only knew where he lived because the occasional cards he sent her had the address. She only hoped that he hadn’t moved in with a new girlfriend or something.
Her heart beat too loudly in her ears as she approached his door all the way at the end of the hall. Her fist hovered over the door a minute before she got the courage to knock. This was it, no turning back and no way out. She waited for her father to answer, her eyes closed tight. Keep it together, Mar. Keep it together.
The door clicked open, and as it did, she opened her eyes as well. Standing in front of her was her father, he looked the same as he’d looked before. The only difference now was that he’d had a haircut and he was more tired than he’d been, which Marley had no idea was possible. He smelled more of alcohol now, and there was a faint stench of cigarette smoke that hadn’t been there before.
“Marley? Wow…” Michael Rose said, opening the door for her, “What’s going on? I haven’t heard from you in…” he trailed off, even he didn’t know how long it had been since they’d spoken.
At first, Marley said nothing, she felt like she was looking at a ghost, “Hi Dad,” she said finally.
“What’re you doing here?” Michael asked, letting her into the apartment, “Did you finally get sick of your ol’ mom?”
Marley’s eyes widened - she’d known that he was a complete ass, but when she’d lived awhile without it, it was easy to forget that this was the same man who’d told her she was getting chubby at nine years old. She exhaled, trying to be calm, “No, Dad. I love mom very much. I’m actually here visiting Grammy.”
“Ohhh, I should’ve known,” Michael said, opening up the refrigerator and grabbing himself a beer without asking Marley if she wanted anything. It was okay, she didn’t want anything, but it would’ve been nice to have been asked if she was okay by her father, of all people. “I should’ve known that you were up to see her. Your Daddy can’t even get a phone call, and I guess after this I’ll see you...what, in another two, three years?” He chuckled bitterly.
Marley flinched, she felt already that even if she never visited him again, it would be too soon. She bit her lip, wanting to keep her mouth shut so badly, but she’d never do what she came to do if she didn’t, she exhaled and said, “Dad, I’m not a little girl anymore, and the phone works both ways. You have my number, don’t you?”
“And you have mine, kid,” Michael told her. “And what? Your mother tells you not to call? Tells you what a shit person I am so that you won’t call? Poisons you against me?”
Marley shook her head, “No, Daddy. You’ve done that for me all by yourself,” she said, swallowing hard, “You did that when you told me I was chubby, you did it when you smacked Mom in the face.”
Something in Michael’s eyes went dark, “If you came here just to remind me of the past, you’re going to have to leave, Marley Carina,”
Marley Carina. That wasn’t even her name! “It’s CORINNE, Dad, Marley Corinne!” She said, almost shouting, but not quite there yet. “No, actually, because there’s something important that I need to do, but you won’t let me get to it,” Marley shot back, fury in her veins. She put down her backpack and reached inside, digging to the bottom of it. She held up the packet, “Do you recognize this?”
Michael squinted, “I don’t know what the hell that is. How am I supposed to know?”
“It’s divorce papers. Mom signed them. You haven’t, but today, you’re going to,” Marley said, bravely standing her ground even as her voice shook and she almost wished the world would open up and swallow her whole. “You’re going to sign them. You’re going to do the first good thing you’ve ever done for us and set her free,” she told him.
Michael stared at her in disbelief, sitting down on the couch, speechless. “How did I never fuckin’ sign those?” He asked, obviously rhetorically. Marley crossed her arms, not offering him the papers yet. She didn’t know whether he’d try to rip them or something else; how was she supposed to know?
“Mom kept forgetting to send them,” Marley replied. It was half true, he didn’t need to have the satisfaction of knowing that Millie wasn’t completely over what had happened.
“And now here you are, her little messenger, to serve me with papers like you’re a God damned lawyer?” Michael laughed, “God, she’s a joke. Can’t even fight her own battles. Has to send a carrier pigeon to serve me with papers. What is she pushing now? Lazy bitch, carrying around four hundred pounds…and you know you’re next, right? If she keeps feeding you like that...”
“ENOUGH!” Marley shouted, her eyes wide with disdain. Her shout echoed through the apartment and possibly throughout the floor. “Enough! You are going to stop talking crap about my Mom. You are going to stop talking down to me, and you are going to sign these papers,” she said, moving to the desk in the corner and grabbing a pen, throwing it at him with shaky hands. She set the papers in front of him, “You’re going to sign these, and then I’m never going to see you again, and if I do? I will scream. I will scream like I’m being abducted. I will scream so loudly that police will be called faster than you can say ‘Marley Carina,’ “
Michael was taken aback, it was obvious that he wasn’t used to having women stand up to him, and it was clear that he feared cops more than anything - she remembered that much from the night he’d begged her grandmother not to call them after he’d hurt Millie. “Fine,” he said, picking up the pen that had landed on the floor next to his feet, easily taking it in his hand and signing his squiggly signature to it, then sliding it across the coffee table to Marley.
Marley checked it to make sure that he hadn’t signed some other name to it, and he hadn’t, She sighed in relief.
“Get out of here, you little bitch,” her father slurred, causing her heart to jump into her throat. Her adrenaline was gone now, and the fear caught up to her. She didn’t say another word, just held her head high and walked out of the apartment, shutting the door behind her and then running as fast as she could to the stairs. She didn’t want to wait for the elevator in case he came after her. She’d seen what he’d done to her mom way back when, and she couldn’t believe she’d just risked it happening to her. Still, she got the papers signed, she got her mom free.
After it was all over, Marley knew that she’d have a lot to answer for when she got home. Especially when she got the text, “Marley, where are the papers from the fridge?” before she boarded her bus home on Sunday afternoon. Marley knew she was in for it, but this honestly had been the first time that the saying, “It’s easier to beg for forgiveness than it is to get permission,” made sense to her.
Other Family Members of Importance: Her maternal grandma, Anne.
Financial Status: lower-middle class.
Please describe your character’s family dynamics: Marley is incredibly close with her mother, however, her father walked out on the family when she was 11 years old and she has barely seen or spoken to him since. Her grandma used to live on the same street as her when she was a child, so she has maintained closeness with her throughout her life.
Likes: Playing/Writing/Listening to music, reading, thrift shopping, Taylor Swift, her mama.
Dislikes: Arrogance, people who are rude to retail workers/anyone who’s just trying to do their job, inequality in all forms, D*nald Tr*mp, music snobs.
Pet Peeves: The sound of people chewing, when people say “no offense” before they say something mean, paying for shipping when buying something online (she doesn’t have shipping money c’mon),
Most Embarrassing Memory: Asking a boy out to the Sadie Hawkins dance in front of his friends in middle school - only to have another girl who likes him approach her, make fun of her clothes, and then ask the boy before she even got a chance to.
Hobbies: Playing/writing her own music, posting covers of songs on Youtube, Glee Club, Theatre, she dabbles in watercolor painting (but she doesn’t consider herself incredibly talented in that area), and making her own bath bombs / soaps.
Guilty Pleasure: All girl groups like the Spice Girls, or Little Mix.
Unusual Talents: Being able to apply eyeliner in the car without any major mishaps.
Habits: Falling into crushes a little too easily.
Schooling Information
Grade: Junior.
GPA: Marley is overall a good student. She isn’t that great at science, but she studies hard and still comes out with decent grades even though it’s a tough subject for her. Math isn’t the easiest subject for her either which has at best been a mild irritation and at worst has been the reason why she almost had to repeat Algebra II last year. Still, she’s managed to pick herself back up from that setback.
Extracurriculars: Glee club, drama club.
Character Development
Canon Integration:
TW: EATING DISORDER.
I want to include Marley’s eating disorder because while it’s an uncomfortable topic, I think that I can do it in a sensitive, appropriately researched way. However, I don’t want to start her off in game deep in the trenches of the disorder. For me, it’s more realistic that it would’ve started when her father was still in her life, and would only be exacerbated by the fear of growing up and eventually becoming as dependent on food as her mother has become. As a result, I think she does count calories and skip meals at this point. I don’t like the canon idea of Kitty being the person who triggered the disorder, because I feel like it was much more than that. I feel like with all of the pressure that junior year brings, she will fold a little and give into the even more dangerous side of the disorder.
Marley and her mother are lower-middle class like in canon. Marley thrift shops and a lot of the time, her mom makes her clothes that some could argue are better quality than anything sold at urban outfitters. Her mother works in the lunchroom at McKinley and before that, had to move from job to job in order to get by.
Marley’s love for music and writing her own music will definitely be present throughout her story.
Plans for Development.
TW EATING DISORDER.
As mentioned before, I want Marley to really fall into the trenches of her eating disorder as the roleplay progresses. I want to see her hiding it from the people she loves, showcase her guilt for not having told anyone, knowing she should get help, but being so afraid of weight gain that she can’t bring herself to. I really want to explore that - all tagged, of course.
I would love to see her grow as a musician, letting more people hear her music, participating in open mics, things like that. I think that growing as a musician might lead her to realize that it’s what she wants to do with the rest of her life and maybe she’ll apply for music schools. For the first time, she might feel like the sky’s the limit. At the same time though, I want to showcase the stress of the possibility of her not being able to pay for school, the stress of possibly not getting a full ride, or thinking ahead to how much of a hole of debt a student loan would put her in.
I want Marley to find a job! I think it would be interesting for her to take a part time job in an effort to help her mom with finances and to save money for college.
I definitely want to see Marley form lasting friendships, make enemies, or maybe have enemies become her friends over time. I’m totally down for any type of relationship and I’m committed to building those connections because to me, connections are much more than just a list on your blog, they are great plotting devices. I want Marley to realize that she can trust people with her secrets, she can talk to the people who care about her, she doesn’t have to hide pieces of herself.
Other.
As far as places that Marley would work, I was thinking that it could be interesting for her to help out at Hummel Tires & Lube, or work as a part time barista at the Lima Bean. There isn’t really much of a limit to things she will do to help out her mom financially.
I want Marley to have some ex boyfriend / ex girlfriend drama. Of course, I don’t know who this person will be yet, but I would love for the person to not be an npc and I’d love for some drama to unfurl there because in canon, we didn’t really get to see how Marley deals with having an ex around outside of the Jake thing in season 5 that was short lived. I’d love to play around with that.
Somehow, I think it would be interesting if her father were to pop back into her life, maybe in a small way, and maybe in a big way. I know that this would affect her greatly, but I’ve never written out this sort of thing for her before, so I feel like it would be an exciting plot to explore.
Character Biography
TW: eating disorder, abuse.
Marley Rose wasn’t exactly born from love, she wishes she could say otherwise, but the truth is, she was the result of a couple of exes hooking up one last time before they parted ways forever. Words whispered to each other like “Never again,” and “This is the very last time, okay? You can’t come back after this” were what passed between Millie and Michael Rose. Little did they know, this last time came with a little something extra, and that came in the form of Marley Corinne Rose. After hearing from Millie of her pregnancy, Michael felt that he had no choice other than to make it work with her and proposed soon after.
Marley was Millie’s everything from the moment she locked eyes with her. She’d been born with a mop of brown hair on her head and bright blue eyes, enough to steal anyone’s heart. Millie couldn’t believe that she and Michael had made something this gorgeous and perfect, and she vowed to keep her safe no matter what it cost her. Michael, on the other hand, didn’t immediately attach to the new child, prompting a distance between father and daughter to begin almost immediately.
Marley’s earliest memory of her father involves a time where she tried to hold his hand, only for him to look at her with a confused expression. He played along for a moment, but he dropped her hand to go do something else not long after. Marley considers this, even now, to be a metaphor for their relationship. As she grew up, it only became more complicated and delicate. She felt as though she was consistently walking on eggshells. He was always stressed about money, which wasn’t something they had plenty of, sending him into a perpetual bad mood.
Every move that she or Millie made was met with criticism of some sort. Marley was fine with taking the insults, though she knew she didn’t deserve them, as long as they weren’t being hurled at her mother. The insults worsened as she got a little older, and so did the hot and cold attitude he had. One day, he could kiss her on the forehead before school. The next day, he’d point to her awkward nine year old body and tell her that she was getting chubby, an insult that would stick to her and ring in her ears for years to come. It was hard to tell what she was going to get with this man her mother married. When she was finally old enough to realize that not all fathers were like this, that this wasn’t normal, she couldn’t believe it.
Marley spent more time with her mother, who instilled values in her like loyalty, how to say you’re sorry when you know you’re wrong, and to always pick up the phone and call her grandma or someone else she trusted if something was going wrong. Later, she would take that last one to heart.
It all came to head when Marley was eleven years old. For months, her parents had been going into the next room every night and having it out, screaming in each other’s faces, her mother crying and asking God why He’d allowed her to marry someone like this. One night, they didn’t even bother going to another room to fight, and Marley watched in wide eyed horror as her father shouted at Millie, got in her face, and finally, as if he’d been holding in the rage for a century, the back of Michael’s hand collided with Millie’s cheek, sending a blood curdling scream flying from Marley’s mouth as she ran to her room to call her grandma and let her know what had happened. She didn’t know what else to do in that moment, and thought that calling the police would mean that both her mom and dad would get in trouble. Her mom said that calling her grandma was the right thing to do. She thought it would help.
After all was said and done, Michael Rose walked out on the family, and although money was tighter than ever, Marley and Millie found a way to lead normal lives. Marley started getting guitar and piano lessons from a family friend, where she discovered her love of music itself, playing music, and later, writing it. Millie made her living working in the lunchroom of Marley’s school which earned Marley stares and ridicule the longer it went on. Marley ended up switching schools more than just once as she entered middle school. A total of three moves and three school switches happened between sixth and eighth grade, but after they moved to Lima, OH, Marley insisted to her mother that no matter what happened, she wasn’t going to let herself get bullied out of school again. Though people can be mean - commenting on her mother’s weight, making fun of her for being poor, and so on, she’s learned to ignore it.
Though the words of the kids she went to school with bounced off of her by the time she was in high school at McKinley, one thing she never managed to shake off were the comments on her mother’s weight. During the tough times they’d had growing up, Millie had gained so much weight, not able to help the disorder that was developing inside of her. Marley was there to watch this, and the more people commented on Millie’s weight, the more she worried that if she didn’t control her eating, she would become just like her mother, and she could never let that happen. The words of her father, “You’re getting chubby,” rang in her ears as she counted calories and began to go on runs every day, creating a monster inside of her.
At McKinley, she fell in love with Glee Club, which only made her love for music increase. It’s become clear to her what she wants to do with her life: music, but it’s also clear that money isn’t guaranteed in that field. This year, she hopes that she’ll be able to figure out what college to go to, what she can do that will support herself and her mom once she’s out of school, and honestly, she just wants to lose five more pounds...or maybe six. Regardless of everything else, it should be an interesting year.
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