# closed starter for : carmen ! ( @scnkissed )
location : cerro barรณn street market.
if manuel was more of an expressive person, he'd probably be buzzing with excitement in that moment. instead, he's simply smiling expectantly at carmen while waiting for a ( hopefully positive ) reaction to the place. he refused to reveal their destination beforehand because he wanted it to feel like a surprise, though he's not sure if he succeeded. โย this is probably my favorite place in valpo. โ manu confides. being a valparaรญso local, he'd like to think his opinion was worth something. โย the food is amazing, and there's some other hidden treasures. โ but he doesn't want to get ahead of himself just yet. โย so, what do you think? โ
# open starter !
location : aire libre's romance-a-thon night, february 4th.
โย i mean, don't get me wrongโ โ he mutters, earning a few shushes from the people around trying to watch shrek without interruption. manu tries again, dropping his voice even lower. โย i like the movie, but i'm a bit lost. how is this a romantic movie? โ unfamiliar with the movie, he's unable to grasp the connection between the plot of shrek and the atmosphere of romance the movies are supposed to portray.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย " ย this ย is ย literally ย so ย cool ย ! ย " ย sariyah ย was ย speaking ย about ย more ย than ย just ย the ย fact ย that ย she ย was ย on ย a ย boat ย for ย the ย first ย time ย in ย her ย life. ย after ย the ย initial ย enthusiasm ย for ย the ย ' ย car-of-the-sea ย ' ย ( ย as ย she ย so ย eloquently ย put ย it ย when ย they ย set ย off ย ) ย settled, ย sariyah ย quickly ย found ย a ย multitude ย of ย things ย to ย be ย intrigued ย by. ย from ย different ย fishing ย poles, ย nets, ย variety ย of ย bait ย from ย food ย based ย to ย reusable ย ones. ย it ย was ย all ย intriguing ย to ย a ย girl ย who ย had ย only ย known ย white ย walls ย and ย gallery ย spaces ย all ย her ย life. ย what ย could ย be ย considered ย mundane ย to ย the ย masses, ย sariyah ย found ย vibrant ย and ย fascinating. ย there ย wasn't ย a ย lot ย of ย people ย who ย had ย the ย patience ย to ย let ย her ย scavenge ย through ย things ย with ย the ย attention ย span ย of ย a ย child. ย as ย a ย joke, ย she'd ย thrown ย one ย of ย the ย dry ย ( ย ish ย ) ย nets ย over ย her ย head ย to ย pretend ย to ย get ย caught ย in ย it. ย " ย hey, ย manito ย look ย at ย me ย i'm ย stuck. ย " ย she ย did ย her ย best ย to ย really ย act ย the ย part. ย " ย the ย net ย is ย truly ย ex-squid-site ย ! ย get ย it, ย ex-squid-site. ย sounds ย like ย exquisite ย but ย with ย squid ย because ย you ย catch ย fish. ย i ย googled ย it ย on ย the ย way ย over ย here... ย oh ย by ย the ย way, ย i ย think ย i'm ย actually ย stuck ย so ย if ย you ย could ย help ย me ย out ย when ย you ย get ย a ย moment ? ย "
โย do you really think so? โ it's heartening to see sariyah's excited reaction to something that feels so conventional and ordinary to him, after doing it for so long. manu still remembers that initial enthusiasm, the feeling of falling in love with the craft and knowing he wanted to follow his father's footsteps. her presence is a good reminder of that, and he's immensely grateful to have her around, even if it means slowing down a little bit to prioritize showing her around and answering every question she might have. he's currently distracted when sariyah tries to catch his attention, eyebrows immediately furrowing in concern before realizing she's simply joking. unable to contain his reaction, he huffs out a laugh. โย you googled ocean puns? i'm flattered. โ manu deadpans, clearly bantering. โย โare you really? โ whatever he's doing doesn't seem as important, swiftly sweeping up to help her out of the net. โย can i kelp you? โ
leon leaves the studio with his guitar case hanging from his hand. he could really use a cup of coffee. the blond walks over to the nearest shop and orders an americano. when it's ready, he sits at a table near the window and sips his hot beverage as he rests the guitar case against the other chair. he pulls up his phone and scrolls through his emails. he should really write back to the label and forward it all to his bandmates. but he's going through a hard time and the thought of bureaucratic work is not something that he wants to do right now. leon sighs and puts his phone back on his pocket. he realizes someone is watching him. leon tilts his head, confused. is the other gonna approach him? have they met before and because of his weed addiction he just forgot because it messed up his memory?
once the order is ready, manu takes the cup of black coffee and scans the room, looking for an empty table to sit on. his eyes narrow when he notices a familiar-looking face, mind working quickly trying to place it. after a few seconds, he's able to realize exactly where he knows it from. despite his best efforts to try and conceal the fact that he's blatantly staring, it's obvious that the other person has noticed. manuel isn't one to walk to people and introduce himself, in fact, he mostly dreads social interaction with strangers. feeling as if he's painted himself into a corner, unable to escape the awkward situation. โย sorry. โ he finally speaks up, sheepish. โย you just look like someone i know. โ manu explains, hoping to simply leave it at that. however, curiosity gets the best of him. โย you don't happen to be in a band, right? โ
"they do, they're probably crying!" kala can't help but argue back. it's in the nature of their relationship to always bicker at some point and she has to make the point because she knows she's right. the turtles are sad. they're babies. if she was a baby turtle in the same situation she would be crying and shitting all over the place just like she was very much sure the baby turtles were doing in the very bucket right now. but despite all of this, she's happy to have him help her. he picks up the bucket with ease and she appreciates the muscle in his bicep that flexes when he does it. they're off and start walking in the direction of the aquarium and she's pretty much skipping and smiling along as if there isn't a burly man looking for her with a bucket of illegal turtles. "thanks manu, really. i appreciate it. you're like...a knight in shining armor." she flashes him a grateful smile as they walk. "you know, i could get you an ice cream after as a thank you." or something else, but she doesn't think he'd be happy to leave his post at the shop for other activities. "unfortunately i kind of ran here. you see, my car is parked somewhere else so...we're either bumming it or taking your car." she shrugs softly before placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. "thank you, i mean it."
arguing about turtles is not how manu hopes to spend most of their impromptu trip to the aquarium, even if he really wishes to disagree with that statement. he would usually not have any reservations about sharing his opposing views, but he feels the situation calls for some serenity. โย hopefully they won't be crying once the people from the aquarium take them. โ at least the sentiment from his words is real, it seems to manuel that the turtles deserve some stability after being stolen not once, but twice. โย you're sure they'll take them, right? because i don't think either of us is prepared to raise so many baby turtles. โ it's mostly a joke, though there's some real concern behind it. he huffs out a laugh after being called a knight in shining armor, which to him couldn't be further from the truth. โย don't mention it. โ it's something he would've done for anyone who came to the shop in distress, although admittedly after some more convincing. if he agreed so quickly, it's only because kala was the one asking. โย you don't have to, but... i wouldn't mind an ice cream right now. โ it'd be a nice way of celebrating if they actually manage to get the turtles somewhere safe, unfortunately he doesn't think he can take much credit for that. he smiles at the kiss, growing quiet before speaking softly again. โย you know you can always ask me for help, right? โ manu is aware that they're not always in the best of terms, but he genuinely cares about kala. โย no matter what. โ
closed starter for @oscuvridad
location: manu's family's shop
ranveer nods and hums as he walks to manu's father's fish shop with little ava in hand. the six year old is talking a mile a minute and ranveer really does try his best to engage and talk to her. it was something that he had read in one of his many parenting books, to make her feel important and to listen to what she had to say. it's hard, but she goes on and on about disney princesses and a game that she wants for her switch and then suddenly when she realizes where they are, she pretty much runs ahead of him. if the hand in hers didn't have a vice grip, she would be miles ahead of him and into the shop.
"behave. please." ranveer tells her as she's wiggling and jumping and too damn excited to see one of her favorite people: manu. they walk through the double doors and ranveer let's out a sigh and let's go of her hand. the six year old lets out an excited "ahhhhhh!", her ponytails swinging in the air as she runs to him. "tรญo manuuuuuu!" she squeals, her arms outstretched, with a very tired and already annoyed ranveer right behind her. "ava, calm down please. we talked about this." he tells her exasperatedly. "hey man, sorry about that. how are you?"
even with his back towards the door, manu can already tell exactly who's walking through them by the enthusiastic exclamation, a smile halfway to his face before even turning. โย hey there, chiquitita. โ the greeting is affectionate as always, there's no denying he has a soft spot for ranveer's little sister, his usually tough surface cracked open by an adorable six years old. their visits to the shop never fail to brighten his day, which is why he greets ranveer with the same wide smile. โย nothing to be sorry about. โ he assures quickly, sending a wink in ava's direction. โย it's been a busy day around here, so i can't really complain. โ because even if that meant more work for him and his dad, it also meant more sells. plus, it often didn't feel right to complain considering manu didn't have to take care of three sisters, only a highly independent cat. โย how about you? were you guys in the area? โ he's not complaining about the visit, but simply curious. โย or were you looking to buy? because we have some great options today. โ
# closed starter for : luna ! ( @divinctions )
location : manu's apartment.
โย you can tell me if this totally sucks. โ he prefaces by saying, before presenting them with his first attempt at pastel de choclo. ever since moving to his own apartment, he's been trying to recreate his mother's recipes with debatable success. above all, manu values honesty, and he also values luna's friendship enough not to want them to eat something completely uneatable. โย i promise i won't be mad, besides... i could really use the constructive criticism. โ despite the many warnings, he's eyeing luna expectantly, eagerly waiting for them to take the first bite and making sure he can observe each reaction. โย well, maybe my feelings will be a little hurt but that's alrightโ no, i'm just joking. โ manu assures her, unable to contain the sudden rambling that's unlike him, its source being the need to impress with his culinary skills.
"you may or may not have to hide me." kala rushes in, a heavy white bucket in her grasp as she tries to ever so gingerly place it down on the ground. "i promise, it's nothing illegal- well actually, it's illegal but i stole it so i think that negates itself and i'm a hero?" she takes a deep breath. "just let me explain, okay so some guy was illegally selling baby turtles. and i mean yeah sure you can sell baby turtles, but like the morality of it? mm, murky for sure. you shouldn't be selling baby turtles on the street that's illegal and totally mean to the turtles. they're babies, they don't know what's going on. plus i'm sure that's just illegal in the country if i'm going to be honest." kala wipes her hands on her pants. "long story short, he would not give me the turtles so i took them and ran and here i am." kala frowned. "they're in this bucket and i haven't counted all of them because theres so many and i think there's a hundred of them or something because they're all crawling on top of each other and-and-" she starts to hyperventilate and kala swears she's trying to pull it together but her emotions get the better of her. "it's not fair and it's not nice and they shouldn't be living like this, so you have to help me get them to the aquarium but also make sure that crazy illegal turtle man doesn't try to hurt me and steal them back."
he's finishing his latest sale when kala's voice catches his attention, an apologetic smile being sent the costumer's way before placing the purchased fish on their hands and sending them away quickly. โย waitโ can you slow down? โ it's entirely too much information to process, especially considering his eyes seem stuck on the bucket currently filled with baby turtles. it almost feels surreal, like he's waking up from a bad dream where he had to step up to the unwanted responsibility of becoming a savior of illegal animals. โย i'm pretty sure they don't know what's going on, like, ever. โ manu points out, because they're turtles and they probably don't have the capacity of rationality like humans do. though, he's pretty sure his cat is smarter than it lets on. he listens closely to the end of the story, unable to take his eyes off the bucket for more than a couple of seconds, pretty sure the turtles might try to escape if they're not being watched. thankfully, after being a fisherman for most of his life, their presence doesn't really bother him. โย okay, let me justโ โ he signals to his dad, wordlessly letting him know he'll be unable to continue selling their catch for a little while. โย would you like me to carry the bucket? โ he offers, a gentleman at heart. โย we should hurry, i really don't want to deal with the crazy illegal turtle man. โ manuel would fight him if it came to that, but he didn't have an aggressive nature and he'd rather not.
๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ... manuel 'manu' echeverrรญa !
is that enzo vogrincic?ย oh, no, thatโs manuel echeverrรญa, aย twenty-sevenย year old fishermanย who uses he/himย pronouns. they currently live in valparaรญso, and the character they identify with most isย ruby rossi from coda. hopefully they find their own little paradise here inย el paรญs de los poetas!ย
full name:ย manuel carlos echeverrรญa dรญaz.
nickname(s):ย manu.
age:ย twenty-seven.
gender: cis male.
date of birth:ย september 17th.
zodiac sign:ย virgo.
place of birth:ย valparaรญso, chile.
occupation:ย fisherman.
orientation: bisexual.
language(s) spoken:ย (chilean) spanish, a little bit of english.
manuel is the first and only son of a seamstress and a fisherman. as a child, he had trouble making friends because of his withdrawn nature, and would often prefer his own company rather than someone else's. his father, being a self-employed fisherman, expected him to continue down his line of work. manuel was supposed to inherit his father's fishing equipment once he became of age, and help his family monetarily. he spent most of his teenage years waking up early in the morning and learning how to fish, and then would accompany his father while he tried to sell each catch. while it always seemed like more of a responsibility rather than a choice, he quickly became enamoured with the craft. it never seemed to matter if he made it to class completely exhausted after spending an entire morning out in the sea, it was always worth it.
despite everyone's expectations, manuel decided he wanted to attend university before taking over his father's business. he convinced his parents by arguing that having a degree might be useful for him someday, ifโgod forbidโfishing wasn't an option in the future. he studied business management, secretly hoping that his knowledge might allow him to expand his father's business someday, to go from a self-employed fisherman to the owner of a fishing company. while his parents tell him he's completely delusional, manuel still believes if he works hard enough, it can become a reality someday.
manuel has recently moved into his own apartment after saving enough money from his fisherman job, alongside some other side gigs. he still meets his father each morning to go fishing, and usually eats lunch with his mother every week. knowing that he's an only child has put some pressure on him to try and spend as much time with them as possible, which isn't a problem because of how much he loves them and how close they are. he's managed to break out of his shell, although it is still difficult for him to trust people enough to become friends. once he does, though, he's the most loyal friend that could ever exist.
๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ง๐ฌ.
very big fan of chilean rock music. some of his favorite bands are: los bunkers, los prisioneros and los tres.
adopted a kitten after a few weeks of living on his own, having found it after coming home from work. he usually jokes the kitten, named tesoro, was a gift from the universe.
doesn't like his birthday because of how close it is to the chilean independence festivities, which usually overshadow the excitement of his own birthday.
i know i said he doesn't have a lot of friends but i would love to develop some friendships, maybe it was difficult gaining his trust at the beginning but now they're the best of friends! i would also be interested in romantic connections, maybe past relationships or old flings that didn't work out because of his workaholic tendencies, current romantic interests that are trying to make it work, etc etc. and finally i'd also love connections where they don't like each other, maybe not as much as enemies but general dislike.
dailybridgerton
titsay
gummygunk
yousharknotpass
prguitarman
areudirty
snowghoul
romaincrisis
