"Enduring things is what you do best. Gritting your teeth and bearing them."
Pronouns: He/him
Traits: Powerful build and Street Smart (Hardcore mode: Hot)
Hometown: Pittsburgh
Full write up under the cut. Spoilers up to chapter 5
🧱Background/General Overview
Vivian fled Scarlet Hollow before Alex was born, putting as much distance as she could between the family she'd left behind. Alex grew up in Pittsburgh knowing only the vague shape of what she'd escaped. The stories were incomplete, and he never pushed for more. Whatever had happened in Scarlet Hollow wasn't something he cared to bother his mother about. They had enough on their plate already.
Alex was a kid who struggled greatly. Learning disabilities and autism made systems that were already hostile feel impossible to navigate. He got into trouble often and got into more than his fair share of fights, earning a reputation as a problem student. By the time he reached high school, he'd already decided academia wasn't for him. He dropped out and went into construction instead.
At eighteen, he realized he was trans, and while Vivian didnt seem quite too keen on his chosen name, she was incredbily accepting, even if it little shakey in practice.
Few friends, few complications. Just the work, and Vivian at the other end of a phone line.
When Vivian got sick, Alex simply worked more. The bills didn't stop and neither did he.
He was two hours away at a job site when he got the call that his mother had taken a turn for the worse.
He didn't make it in time.
🍂 In The Holler
Episode 1:
Alex and Tabitha got off to a rocky start from the moment they met. A union man and the current coal baron of the Scarlet Mines were never likely to find much common ground. After Tabitha left, Alex immediately broke into the forbidden wing of the estate, standing in front of the family tree and the scratched-out portrait of his mother.
While he joined Stella at the diner, his inability to make conversation didn't exactly endear him to her, and the two parted ways shortly afterward.
Which is what led to Alex attempting to fight a mountain lion with a stick.
That still somehow ended with him trapped in the woods. Thanks to his Powerful Build, however, he managed to protect both Duke and Gretchen during the attack.
Episode 2:
Alex spent time with Avery before heading to the library, where he promptly decided none of the books were worth the effort they would take to read.
Later, he snuck around the mines, using his Street Smarts to avoid Tabitha's attention while digging into his counsin's background, and planting further encouragment for union support. He learned about Tabitha's past relationship and got Isaac's phone number to continue investigating what had happened before his arrival.
He also tried, and failed, to start a fight with Wayne.
Though he did manage to grab the veil.
Ran into the mines without contacting Tabitha, never one to leave kids in danger, and managed to get all the kids out without anyone getting hurt.
Episode 3:
Alex slipped away from Tabitha at the first opportunity, sneaking out to meet with Isaac and discuss what happened to Sam Wayne. With some time left afterword, he wandered back towards the diner to check in on Avery
Alex knows very little about plants, but there was something comforting about asking Avery questions and listening to them talk about something they knew so much about. Having the only other outsider in town around helped more than he was willing to admit. He made sure to invite them along to the ghost hunt later that night.
The ghost hunt itself was a deeply frustrating experience.
Ghosts, Wayne, curses, visions, whatever the fuck. None of them could be punched. Alex's repeated attempts to antagonize Wayne were met with the same effortless indifference as always, which did not make matters easier.
In the end, Alex refused to sacrifice himself for a family debt he never agreed to.
He was furious about the entire situation.
Episode 4:
Alongside Avery and Kaneeka, Alex searched for Stella, though the effort ultimately led nowhere.
His growing suspicions about Sybil finally reached a breaking point, and he refused to participate in whatever the fuck that tea reading was supposed to be before storming out of the general store.
Instead, he ended up at the clinic, where he stole his family's medical records and came away with the growing sense that something was deeply wrong.
Reese's transformation startled him less than the realization that Reese was strong enough to carry him while he was unconscious.
In the end, Alex stepped back, allowing Reese to kill his mother. What had been done to her was monstrous, and Alex would never stand by while someone remained trapped like that.
Wayne walked him home afterward. No matter how hard Alex tried to shake him.
Episode 5:
Currently, there are a few different runs for this chapter, though they all begin in much the same way. Alex stumbles through the forbidden wing of the estate and finally learns the truth of what his family has done. The horror lasts only briefly, the anger much stronger.
He still tries to punch Wayne, but by now there's a growing awareness behind it.
From there, the paths split.
In one, Alex goes to Avery first. Avery immediately recognizes the danger he's in, and together they begin planning a way out of town.
In the others, Alex's impulsiveness wins out and he storms off to confront Tabitha directly. In these, either way, Isaac ends up back at the estate. Alex carries a tremendous amount of guilt for what he believes his actions set in motion.
When Stella's is with Tabitha, her presence keeps things from entierly boiling over, even if her actions do no favour to Alex's opinion. Otherwise? Well, Alex has never been particularly intimidated by a shotgun...
🤝 Relationships
Tabitha - Dislike would not begin to describe the relationship between the cousins.
Despite sharing a number of surface-level similarities, every conversation between the two eventually disolvers into an argument. Each believes the other is stubborn, reckless, and making terrible decisions.
Whether there's any familial affection buried underneath all of that hostility remains an open question.
Stella - Alex gets the sense that Stella means well.
Unfortunately, she's also exactly the sort of person who grates on his nerves.
Alex can only tolerate so much being talked over, pushed around, or told what to do before his patience wears thin. He isn't naturally empathetic, and often struggles to understand where other people are coming from or why they're behaving the way they do. Which creates an inhrent friction with Stella's behaviour.
Still, he makes an effort, even if that effort doesn't always land.
Avery - Avery is easily the person Alex gets along with best.
Whether that means they're actually close remains to be seen.
There's a kindred spirit quality between them. Two outsiders trying to navigate a town they feel they are on the outside looking in.
Alex has never really had a friend before, and his attempts at friendship are clumsy at best. But Avery, meanwhile, seems genuinely appreciative of someone who actively seeks them out. Hopefully it all balances out in the end.
Isaacs - Alex and Isaacs spend a significant time working together behind the scenes.
For Isaacs, Alex is someone willing to listen and help investigate what happened to his missing friend. For Alex, Isaacs is a valuable source of information about what occured before his arrival.
In timelines where Isaac returns to the estate after Alex told him where 'Watne' was, Alex carries a tremendous amount of guilt over what follows.
'Wayne' - Alex cannot stand whoever, whatever this thing is.
He'd never admit that the stalking unsettles him, nor would he consciously acknowledge how much it bothers him.
What truly shakes him is his inability to do anything.
Alex is used to solving problems physically. He can fight. He can work. He can endure.
Wayne ignores all of those rules.
Every attempt at physical resistance fails. Every threat is met with vague amusement. Every effort to force some kind of reaction only seems to entertain him.
Which, naturally, only makes Alex want to punch him more.
📖 Character Details
Prefers straightforward communication and has little patience for social games.
Quick to anger, slow to trust.
Very stubborn once he's made up his mind.
Much better at expressing care through practical help than words.
Aromantic and Asexual
Interfaith kid, has some of his father's jewish features
Has dark curly hair that he keeps pulled back, pretty much only wears his overalls and maybe a change of shirt.
Heavyset and strongly built, more so from labour rather then any sort of gym work out
Alex is trans, and has inverted t top surgery scars
Numerous disability aspects, including Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and general learning disabilities.
Working class, pro-union to his bones, finding out his family had owned mines and broke strikes was a personal insult
Has not procesed any of his emotions around Vivian's death
ALL THE OLD MEN WAS NOT INTENTIONAL I PROMISE LMAOOOO 😭😭😭 the only one that probably was was Julis but OTHER THAN THAT GIRLIE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT SHE’S DOIIIIING
waow lookit that a little more info on Liz!! oh my darling bakery lady you truly are the people’s princess 😔🙏 big shoutout to @grouchythefish for the template it’s so peak
I did my best with all the journal info I did so much cross referencing but there might be a few hiccups so I apologize for that. ANYWAYS!! have some more info on Liz below!! brief tw for mentions of neglect
Vivian became pregnant with Liz while having a brief, secret affair with a then single father, David Sylvestre. Panicked, she fled Scarlet Hollow for a variety of reasons, and ended up marrying David before Liz was born on June 30th. Moving to New Orleans was a challenge but a lovely change of pace compared to the Holler.
What Vivian wasn’t prepared for was actually being a mother. She figured doing the opposite of how Edwardine raised her; by staying out of Liz’s way and allowing her to do as she pleased. Which, unfortunately, led to neglect on her part. Vivian took to helping raise David’s own daughter, Anne, much more seriously. No connection to the Scarlets after all.
Liz was a latchkey kid, learned how to raise herself and do practically anything on her own. She knew she was different, based on the treatment of her peers versus herself. Even so, she let her heart stay true..even if it resulted in mixed opinions on her. Some found her honesty and passion endearing, while others felt she never could truly connect to them beyond a surface level and found her to be a little selfish.
Instead, she took to observing the world around her in an effort to learn how it worked. Overtime, these observations led her to find a deep love and passion for cooking and baking. Made her own recipes, tried new things, nothing quite made her feel so alive..except for feeling as if something was missing in her life.
Of course, she did have a small handful of friends. Charlemagne, or Critter, was like an older brother to her, and she found her first love in a sweet girl named Madeline. Always been entranced and drawn to those who were authentic and passionate.
But, in the end, her father was rather embarrassed of her, and found her odd behaviors to be a stain on his own family legacy. Her mother, fearing for ever returning to the Holler, never stood up for her. Liz ended up disowned by the Sylvestres after leaving for culinary school.
People came into and left her life, such is fate, yet she did receive letters from her mother from time to time. Until, they stopped, and it wasn’t long until she learned of her passing. Along with those hospital bills.
Now operating a bakery of her very own back near her hometown of New Orleans, Liz truly thought she had found peace despite that itching in her mind. Until, of course, she learned of her cousin Tabitha’s existence as well as the death of her aunt Pearlanne. Something told her to go, despite the love she held for her beloved bakery. She knew she needed to close this chapter her mother never read to her.
wait I’m so happy you guys like Liz umm expect more Scarlet Hollow content involving her, plus a comprehensive breakdown of her role as a Scarlet cousin (she’ll be a tiiiiny bit canon divergent but who isn’t)
umm have some stupid oldish doodles of her in the meantime I’ll whip up some more stuff of her either today or tomorrow!! 🫶🫶🫶 LOOK OUT NEW COUSIN
guess who got attached to another horror game and is gonna make it her personality
anyways oh boy play Scarlet Hollow it’s so peak!!
I hope y’all fw OCs cause I’ve only got this lady and she’s all I care about. I’ll defo be making more art and such for Scarlet Hollow and its world and other characters too tho don’t worry 🫶🫶🫶
Okay okay listen listen SGSHSGSHSGSH are we rockin’ with carrotcake?? 🥕🧁
I’ve got ideas for them, they’re gonna be very very silly 🫶
the relationship chart is actually meant to take place after a little while of Mallow being in the circus, I kinda wanna make one of how everyone felt when she first arrived 🏃🏼♀️💨
