『 lana condor. twenty. cis female. she/her. 』 oh heavens, is that NATALIE CARGILL from SYCAMORE WAY i see roaming around mapleview? minnie may’s always calling them -RECKLESS & -HEADSTRONG. i happen to think they’re not that bad! they’re a pretty cool FLORIST and every time i’ve seen them, they’ve always been +INVENTIVE & +ALLURING. i hope i see them around again! –– @mapleviewstarters
hi hi hi! it’s a me, mario theo. i get great great vibes from this group and looking forward to connecting w all of you!! pls dont hesitate to dm me or hmu on discord at cotton eyed theo#3925 ... and without further ado, here’s my baby natalie...
✧ P A S T.
adopted at a young age, natalie grew up on fair lane as part of a family that comes from old money. ( think rockefellers, fords, etc... it was all very stuffy, to say the least. )
put simply, natalie’s not too fond of her childhood. she always felt out of place in her upbringing. with a seemingly perfect older sister and by-the-books parents, nat’s impulsive, out-there nature clashed often with what was expected of her. she made a lot of mistakes, and many went unforgiven.
as she grew older, it became more and more apparent that, well, she was the family disappointment. ( once she turned 16, her parents weren’t really afraid to communicate that to her either. ) taking her standing in stride, she moved out upon high school graduation, ditched college ( the one that her family wanted her oh-so badly to attend ), and started supporting herself independently.
✧ P R E S E N T.
natalie would never admit it aloud, but she harbors a lot of guilt surrounding her family situation. it doesn’t help that the town is teeny-tiny, and she seems to run into them ( or friends of theirs ) wherever she goes.
luckily, nat’s become a master deflector ( whether it be about her family or any topic she doesn’t want to talk about ). her go-to is breaking any tension with a witty joke or off-hand reference. it works ~75% of the time.
speaking of which... girl’s got a mouth. she can talk for hours on-end to practically anyone. her long-winded conversations are usually why she’s late to everything.
natalie LOVES her job. it’s the only one, so far, where her constant spontaneity has been appreciated. turns out, including a wrong but pretty flower in a bouquet is much better than putting a twist on a regular coffee order ( in her defense, the guy no doubt needed that splash of bailey’s in there anyway ).
honestly, she would probably do very well in a city but has no desire to leave mapleview. even though her family would seem like reason enough to drive her away, nat feels like mapleview is her place. ( must add here that nat can be incredibly superstitious as well... probably has a random thing about karma and moving too far from her first home. )
yeah so please don’t tell warner bros that i made a knock-off lorelai gilmore! what? who said that?
✧ P E O P L E.
ok i’m a huge nerd and threw together this page for connection ideas. honestly down for everything and anything though so pls hmu ( again, over dms or discord at cotton eyed theo#3925 ) if you have any wc’s in particular or just wanna chat! excited!
a chuckle fell from the girl’s lips and she shook her head. “ well, i wouldn’t go that far as to call me the cool daughter, ” she said and sank her teeth into her bottom lip. what band? you going with him to see ‘em? “ we’re going to see the beach boys. i’m going with them, too. i grew up listening to the beach boys so…” she shrugged her shoulders. she was excited to see them, especially with her dad, because she knew it would mean a lot to him. yep, all i’m really missing is a cute dog to be the max to my grinch. still holding out for santa to bring me the corgi i asked for when i was 7. “ ahh, it’s been a long wait then, huh? ” she said and let a soft laugh fall from her lips. “ i’ll cross my fingers for you. ”
"God, that’s adorable,” she mused, thinking of the classic 60′s band, “They’re, like, one of my favorite bands to listen to on vinyl... makes me feel nostalgic for a time I wasn’t even a thought in the universe, heh.” It was all true––Natalie loved listening to old artists on her record player. She, of course, found the knack for it on her own, not really any of her parents’ doing. “For sure, although I think I’ll need more than crossed fingers,” she replied, chuckling along with the girl, “Santa’s never been a huge fan of me... for starters, I make pretty lousy cookies. I'm also probably breaking records for the amount of times I've been on the naughty list.”
michael had just gotten out of his own car a few cars ahead from natalie’s, and as he was locking up, he couldn’t help but stop and watch her as she kept inching back and forth, trying her absolute best to park it. he didn’t expect her to end up calling him at some point. mike walked closer to where her car was. “oh, come on, you can do it!” mike could absolutely just get in the car and get it done so quickly for her. but he thought it would be better if she did it herself and at least felt accomplished about it. “all you gotta do is drive up ahead just a little bit more to match the car in front of you and then completely turn the wheel and reverse. it’s easy! i could help guide you?”
“Mmmm... can I though?” Natalie responded dramatically, giving him a skeptical look, “Like, I’m seriously considering just leaving it in the middle of the road for five hours... how much do you think that ticket’ll be?” Taking a deep breath in and out, she then placed her hands back on the wheel. “Okay, fine. One more try though before I pay, like, hundreds of dollars to the city,” she said, referencing her potential ticket. Trying to follow his previous directions in her head, she maneuvered the car, slowly backing into the spot. “Holy shit––I’m doing it. Mike, um, holler if I’m about to crash into that car please!”
It was Natalie, even if he was blind and deaf he’d know it was her. It was his lunch break, finally. So it was no surprise to see her here, and the smell of a patty melt with fries lingered into his soul. Matt looked at her, and leaned against the counter chuckling. It was cute when she made it her mission to surprise him during almost every lunch break. Did it get old? At times, but he was never tired of it. “Ma'am, please. Who comes all the way to a persons job just to talk shit? I’m beginning to think you’re the rude one. Do you have a job? Do you want me to show up and get you fired?” He mused, extending his arm out, “The food, give me your food and I’ll act like you didn’t just try and Karen me into losing my one and only income.” He smirked, dropping his head to laugh. “You’re right on time. Luckily for you I’m getting off early for class. So, I’ve got about an hour to annoy you.” Matt walked from behind the counter and gestured for her to follow him into one of the rooms. It was a tradition at this point. Sneak into one of the suites, eat, and enjoy life.
A small chuckle escaped Natalie’s lips as she surrendered the food. “Okay, fine––but know that it’ll be impossible for Karen to recover from that roast,” she declared, feigning some pain, “I hope this patty melt was worth giving another person third-degree burns, you monster.” Taking lead from Matt, she walked down the halls and into their room of the day. Sure, she’s probably seen, like, 90% of the Rooster Inn rooms by now, but she always felt a sense of excitement when he opened the door for them. It always felt special, really, knowing that she’d be making more memories with her best friend. ( Something about the sneaking around and calling a room their own was also kinda exhilarating to her. ) “Jesus, Matt, an entire hour? How will I ever make it out alive?” she teased, falling onto the bed and bouncing a couple times for good measure, “I guess I’ll have to take some of your fries to power through...” ( She did have some fries of her own in the bag, but, of course, they didn’t taste as good as stolen ones. ) Grabbing some napkins from her purse, she laid them out flat to help set up the food for them. “So, what are you learning in class today, Freud? Anything this teeny brain will understand?”
to: @nataliemp3
location: mapleview drive-in (projection room)
𝓣𝓸 𝓼𝓪𝔂 mateo was excited when natalie agreed to meet him at the drive-in was an understatement. in his short time working in the drive-in, a few people have caught his attention; one of them, from the moment she walked in, was natalie. she had a personality to match her beauty, not to mention, the two shared the same taste in snacks he had quickly learned. in fact, it really did not take long for mateo to form a close friendship with her that revolved around random deep facts, but mainly their love for the same movies and types of snacks. that’s why, currently, mateo was setting up a little christmas surprise for natalie. he wasn’t sure what to get her for christmas, so instead, he decided to think a little outside of the box. he brought a bunch of blankets to set down on the projection room floor, on top of them a bucket of popcorn sprinkled with m&ms, as well as a bag of unopened m&ms next to it, nachos with jalapenos on the side, two cups of cheese, and of course, the coca-cola in the glass bottle. all of the favorite things he could think of that she would appreciate. if she wanted, he also had with him two joints to celebrate a ‘christmas smoke’ with her. as he was setting up the projector for their movie, he got the text notification that natalie had arrived, “well, while you warm up, i’m going to go get her.” he quietly thought out loud, turning to double-check that everything was set up. in minutes, he was making his way down the projection room stairs, waving at his friend when he spotted her, “hey! i’m so happy you came! c’mon, your present is up here. now, it’s nothing crazy, but..i tried.” he chuckled, reaching his hand out for her to take (if she wanted). “what did you say your favorite holiday movie was again?”
“Present?” Natalie repeated, a huge smile appearing on her face, “Oh my god, Mateo!” In the moment, she couldn’t care less about what the present was, and instead just adored that he took moments out of his day to get her something. They’d become good friends, yes, but simple things like this was what made Natalie grow close to him in such a short amount of time. It was all so sweet––and she hadn’t even seen any of the gift yet. Taking his hand and letting him lead the way, she answered, “Well, I know it’s basic, but gotta go with Home Alone... like, definitely a story for another time, but I had an eerily similar experience to Kevin when I was nine.” At this point, she also mentally facepalmed, cursing herself for not bringing anything for him and not realizing beforehand why he’d invite her here in the first place. Christmas gifts always seemed to slip her mind like most responsibilities. She’d have to make it up to him in the future, she decided. If anything, she felt very, very lucky to have befriended Mateo, someone who never blinked twice at her odd food orders and unsolicited commentary on the film of the day. "Okay, not to be the cheesiest person ever, but your friendship is a present itself... like, I know you’re about to blow me out of the water with whatever you got me, but seriously––grateful to have someone to bug constantly here... and everywhere else now,” she rambled, walking up the stairs with Mateo. "Anyways, me being sentimental? Truly is a Christmas miracle."
✧ closed starter for @jaycefms –– Jayce & Natalie.
"Okay, hear me out.” A small grin tugged at her lips. She turned to look at the very large fountain behind her ( probably the property of some very wealthy Fair Lane resident ), then back at Jayce. The water on the fountain was frozen solid ( or, at least, it appeared so ). “It’s, like, our own mini ice skating rink. Look how cute it is,” she mused, grabbing the side of his sweater and tugging him towards her find. “So, I know this isn’t super fair since you’re more likely to break the ice ‘cause you’re taller and all, but whoever doesn’t go onto this mini rink is a certified chicken––sorry, I don’t make the rules.”
“ my dad and i? yeah, we’re close. my dad is my hero, ” zara said and smiled softly, looking at the other female, tilting her head to the side as she then asked if she had gotten any fun gifts. “ well, i got my dad tickets to see a band that he really likes, ” she said & a soft smile appeared on her lips. i’d say anything involving champagne on new years is a solid plan. she laughed softly and nodded. “ yeah, that’s what i’m thinking, ” zara spoke and took a deep breath, nodding her head as a response to what she had said. but, um, for my christmas, i’ll probably be breaking and entering. y’know, stealing all the good children’s gifts i find… all the usual activity. “ oh. that sounds… interesting. ”
"That’s sweet.” ––can’t relate, Natalie almost added before her better judgment ruled against it. She figured she should try to make the conversation more pleasant than it was going. ( Maybe it was her guilt speaking. ) “Oh damn, so you’re, like, the cool daughter...” she marveled, referencing her gift, “What band? You going with him to see ‘em?” Being the music geek she was, Nat was genuinely curious at this point. Putting down the office supplies, she crossed the room to start tidying up the front of the store. “Yep, all I’m really missing is a cute dog to be the Max to my Grinch. Still holding out for Santa to bring me the Corgi I asked for when I was 7.”
“ you’re definitely getting there, that’s for sure, ” zara said and gave natalie a weak smile, before she dropped her gaze to focus on the flowers in front of her. it was a beautiful little arrangement and she wondered the story behind it, behind why the customer wanted it and who it was for. so, what’s going on with you nowadays? zara swallowed against the lump in her throat as she listened to what natalie said, y’know, beyond our lovely flower world… any fun christmas plans? “ oh, i’m just, uh… ” she walked over to get some stuff she needed in one of the shelves on the other side of the room. “ i’m going to visit my dad & his girlfriend. they invited me over for dinner on christmas day. ” zara noticed how natalie rambled again and she shook her head. “ i have no idea what i’m going to be doing for new year’s, though. i haven’t really made any plans yet. probably just hanging out at my apartment and sipping champagne straight from the bottle, ” she said and laughed softly, before looking over at natalie. “ what about you? got any fun plans? ”
“That’ll be nice,” Natalie commented, hearing about the other’s holiday plans, “Uh, y’all are close, right? Did you get either any fun gifts?” She fiddled more with the office supplies in front of her as she gazed at the many poinsettias in the store. ( They had just received a huge shipment of them for Christmas time. ) Nat loved Christmas for the general atmosphere and what it represented, but, in practice, the holiday was a bit complicated due to her family situation. “I’d say anything involving champagne on New Years is a solid plan,” she mused, thinking to some of her crazier New Years moments, “That, and watching the ball drop on TV is pretty much all you need.” Clearing her throat, Nat thought of some way to deflect from her actual Christmas plans ( which mostly involved avoiding her parents. ) “But, um, for my Christmas, I’ll probably be breaking and entering. Y’know, stealing all the good children’s gifts I find... all the usual Grinch activity.”
the girl grimaced, shaking her head as she crossed her arms over her chest, “oh babe…you do not want me driving your car…” juliet stated with a chuckle. though after a moment, she’s standing in front of the car, “here! i can help guide you and be your personal cheerleader at the same time. woo hoo! you got this. you park that fucking girl, honey!” she grinned widely, proud of herself, “see, that shit will work magic for your ego. okay now try again!”
A small chuckle escaped Natalie’s lips. While she was bummed about being stuck in the wheel, she could definitely relate to the girl on the curb. ( After all, it’s very much the way she would’ve reacted if the tables were turned. ) “A personal cheerleader? Dang, Santa really came through on the gifts this year,” she joked, starting to move the car back and forth again. “Okay, let me know if I’m good in the front there!” To Nat’s surprise, it actually seemed like she’d make it in the spot.
Natalie checked her watch as she stepped into the Rooster Inn. Right on time. She couldn’t exactly remember how she memorized Matt’s work schedule, but it must’ve happened somewhere in between her job’s occasional flower deliveries to the inn and her knack for surprising Matt on his breaks. ( “Surprise” probably wasn’t the right word anymore since she’s gone way too regularly at this point. ) To-go diner food in one hand, she approached the counter, spotting her best friend turned towards the other side––unable to see her. A grin tugged at her lips. Trying to mess with him, she uttered in her best Karen voice, “Yeah, excuse me? This young man named Matthew was just down-right horrible to me on the phone.” The sheer amusement in her voice definitely ruined any chance of her tricking Matt. ( She also thought it was pretty unrealistic for any customer person to find Matt "horrible." ) Regardless, she kept up the act. "I’d like to speak to the manager, please."
a chuckle slips past her lips, “i’m jealous of you” cassie jokes, as her blunt is lit and she takes her first hit. falling back onto her bed and closing her eyes for just a moment, to enjoy that first feeling of being high. then she propped herself up on her elbows and she looks over at her friend, “yeah. yeah, he tried to keep it a secret at first, hiding it in presents. but it failed, sometimes the elves do it with him. true, who cares what they think”.
“I guess that makes Christmas my new favorite holiday,” Natalie mused, letting out a small giggle. “By the way, I feel like the elves really got the short-end of the stick––uh, no pun intended there. But, y’know, they slave away all year to make toys and some old, fat guy gets all the credit.” Her rant made her realize that maybe, just maybe she was starting to become inebriated. ( She enjoyed the feeling. ) “Someone’s gotta stand up for elf rights!” she exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly.
zara looked at natalie as she gave her the answer to the joke. “ uhhhm, ” she said and licked her lips, before a laugh fell and she quickly covered her mouth as she didn’t want to actually laugh at it. “ god, that was horrible, ” she spoke, shaking her head as she put the scissors down on the counter, tilting her head towards natalie, her old friend and co-worker. although, if i ever was actually in a high-speed car chase, i think i would either just scream constantly or, uh, vomit. zara took a deep breath and looked at natalie as she shrugged her shoulders casually. “ right, yeah. ” the atmosphere in the room was thick. “ you’re rambling nat, ” she spoke and looked at natalie with raised eyebrows before she pushed the flowers aside on the counter, walking over to where the other arrangements were.
Natalie nodded slowly, acknowledging Zara’s observation about her rambling. “Huh––yeah, I was hoping to set a world record. You think I’m close?” she joked, trying to make light of the situation––her go-to move. Nat shifted to a different spot on the counter, trying to busy herself although there still wasn’t much to do. She decided upon organizing the rubber bands by color. ( It was dumb, yes, but it was something at least. ) “So, what’s going on with you nowadays? Y’know, beyond our lovely flower world... any fun Christmas plans? Ooh, or even New Year’s ones already?” As soon as Nat finished her questions, she internally cursed herself. ( Rambling... she was doing it again. )
hearing natalie clear her throat, zara glanced over at her co-worker, before she focused on the arrangement that she had been working on. um, hey zara – what did the florist say when she went on a high-speed chase? was she trying a joke; zara thought to herself and she let a soft sigh fall from her lips. “ i… i don’t know, ” she responded, then licked her lips before she turned her head around and looked at natalie. “ what did the florist say when she went on a high-speed chase? ” she questioned, honestly a little curious. the two of them had off and on days when it came to getting along. today was one of those off days, and normally she wouldn’t mind being at work, in fact, she loved it and she loved interacting with their customers, but today, she wished she was home and in bed.
“Petal to the metal,” Natalie uttered, a bit too proud of her lame joke. “Heh––get it? ‘Cause, like, flower petal and, like, the pedals for brakes.” She definitely didn’t need to tack on the explanation, but something about throwing a pun out to Zara made her a bit nervous. ( She always seemed to overdo it around her co-worker anyway. Her guilt made her really, really want things to be normal around them. That made it hard to be actually normal. ) “Although, if I ever was actually in a high-speed car chase, I think I’d either just scream constantly or, uh, vomit. I get really bad car sickness... that would make it hard to be all witty, y’know?” She let out a small chuckle, stopping herself from rambling on.
“With how small this town is, if I was a serial killer, Minnie Mae’d already have told everyone. Here, hold this for me?” They folded and handed their cane over as they moved to get into the car, shoehorning the request into their train of thought quickly before continuing, “Yeah, yeah, no, I’ve got a license. Though, I’m probably supposed to warn you I’m only supposed to drive automatics, but I totally know how drive stick anyway. Just don’t tell anyone, yeah?” Though, she didn’t seem the type to drive anything but an automatic. They didn’t know many people in town who still did, save for a couple car nuts.
“That’s fair...” Natalie assessed, doing what she always did––taking hypothetical scenarios way further than intended. “... well, unless you two are in cahoots. I always thought Minnie Mae could be a crime boss if she wanted to. She’s basically halfway there already.” She held onto the cane and looked more closely at the kind stranger next to her. It was always odd for her to meet new people, especially in a town this small ( as they pointed out earlier. ) “Okay, now you’re really bragging,” she joked, “Lucky me––who knew I’d run into a car pro today?”
