𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕚-𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕠

a dependent blog penned by gianna for corneliastreethq

[folkloved]

A noncommittal hum escaped her as she continued to type for a moment longer— the lull ending with a decisive tap against the spacebar. She flexed her fingers before leaning back to give her full attention to the brunette beside her. In truth, Desirée did not have the best impression of Aurora. The first time she'd ever seen Aurora, the woman had been here, driving one of the baristas to near-tears. While the other brunette hadn't been overtly rude, she had certainly been dismissive, and Desirée could not help the seed of distaste that had planted itself within. Although, it was possible that it had been an off-day for the other woman— she knew she shouldn't just write off Aurora completely, not after seeing her reaction to her cat making itself home in Desirée's kitchen.

"You didn't have to thank me—" Desirée started. She may not know the other woman well, but keeping a fleet-footed cat occupied was no imposition. Besides, losing a pet sucks. Still, her hands reached out automatically to catch the jar being thrust in her direction, and a quick glance told her that it was the fresh marmalade they sold here. "Thank you, though. You don't need to get me anything else; a jar of Marjorie's marmalade is a great gift, even though it really wasn't necessary." She set it down beside her laptop before gesturing to the space in front of her. "Have a seat, if you'd like?" She quickly gathered some of her stray papers and reorganized them to make room for Aurora if she decided to take her up on the offer. "Has Diana slipped away from you since? She seems quite crafty."

[rorythorne]

❛❛ i do need to thank you, actually. you're welcome to disagree with me on that, but—❜❜ she pauses, trying to find the right words to express what she wants to say. ❛❛ diana is, like, one of the most important things in my life right now and if i'm completely honest, one of the only things keeping me sane aside from coffee, so losing her - however briefly - kind of terrifies me. and given that she's decided to become a master escape artist since we moved here, you can only imagine what wonders she's done for my stress levels. so, yeah. i do need to thank you because i probably would have spiraled while trying to find her if you hadn't messaged me.❜❜

relief floods through her as the other accepts the fresh marmalade. aurora has never felt just words to be good enough when expressing gratitude, almost always including some sort of gift offering. is it the most financially sound decision? no, but she also never had anyone actually teach her money management, so the habit formed and stuck. ❛❛ as i said, absolutely necessary. you saved my cat from the streets of new york and me from an anxiety attack, so this is quite literally the least i could do. ❜❜ the brunette really hadn't planned on staying — the slice of pie sitting in her bag reminding her to head out soon — but leaving when she's been offered a seat feels impolite, so she sits down opposite desirée, legs tucked to the side so she can make a quick exit if need be. ❛❛ thankfully, no ! i've kept the windows closed despite the heat and it's seemed to deter her a little bit, but i'm sure she'll take the first opportunity she can to weasel her way out of the loft again. ❜❜

[folkloved]

location: marjorie's

A half-eaten plate of cake sat in front in front of her, slowly drooping, as fingers flew across a keyboard. A well-worn notebook with crinkled pages sat under her right arm, and a pen had made itself home in her mouth as Desirée kept typing. Images of disquiet and a quiet yearning for a home that never was began to unfold on her screen. Desirée was thankful for the burst of inspiration, but she needed to get it all out, now. Maybe, eventually, she would add a hint of something more— a street upon which dreams go to die, perhaps. She continued typing with her left hand as her right hand plucked the pen as she scrawled out the idea on the notebook, before returning it back to its previous position in her mouth. Her mug of coffee lay abandoned to her left, and she did not stop typing as she felt a person approach. If anything, she began to type faster. "If you want to use the socket, I'm so very sorry. I promise I'll be all done in a minute." It was impressive how she managed to say all this without dropping the pen in her mouth.

[rorythorne]

aurora stands outside the entrance to marjorie's, looking down at the picture of diana on her phone's lockscreen that reminds her why she's here. the little brown tabby had developed a new talent as an escape artist since moving to cornelia street, and it was more than stressful, to say the least. the brunette loved the cat dearly, truly she did, but she was starting to become convinced the cat was intentionally trying to give her an anxiety problem, because that would just be great for her public image. sighing, she pockets the phone, steps inside, and walks up to the counter to order a slice of pie and two jars of marmalade — one for herself and one as a thank you gift of sorts. hopefully desirée wasn't allergic.

she approaches the table slowly, a jar in each hand with her to-go box of pie tucked carefully into her bag. ❛❛ actually, i'm not here for the socket. i'm not staying. i, uh. i wanted to thank you for the other day, with diana. it means a lot to me that you kept her safe until i got there. so. ❜❜ she pauses. ❛❛ this is for you. ❜❜ she thrusts one of the jars out awkwardly towards the other girl, mentally praying she hasn't made some sort of mistake in her offering. ❛❛ if you don't want it, i can get you something else, but i'd also rather the earth swallow me whole than go back up to the counter right now and tell them that i made the wrong choice so please like it. ❜❜

[rorythorne]

HITS DIFFERENT. what is something that deeply resonates with your character? it could be a song, a quote, a piece of art, or any other form of inspiration.

HITS DIFFERENT. what is something that deeply resonates with your character? it could be a song, a quote, a piece of art, or any other form of inspiration.

something that resonates deeply with rory is this poem by David Jones, which reads: I have shed my skin So many times. The graveyards must be full Of all the people I used to be.

[rorythorne]

QUESTION. . . ?what is the one burning question your character has about themselves, their purpose, or the world around them?

QUESTION. . . ?what is the one burning question your character has about themselves, their purpose, or the world around them?

aurora is currently really struggling with her identity right now. the biggest burning question i think she has is ❛❛ who am i without the money / without my mother's name? ❜❜ she's spent so long in the spotlight, changing herself to fit what others want her to be, whatever will get her the most attention, that she doesn't really know how to put down the facade and be herself, if she can even find who she used to be again.

[follklored]

closed starter for rory thorne ( @rorythorne ) location: midnights music festival

the festivities carry on without ingrid, as she is glued to the screen of her phone , awaiting an important text message. her phone dings ! near-imperceptibly as she looks at the screen , lets out an exasperated sigh, and puts the phone to her ear.

❛❛ if i had wanted for moët , i would have asked for it. i didn't ask you to cut corners, and i'm sure addie didn't either. this is a dom perignon kind of function. fix it. ❜❜ a pause before she adds ❛❛ please. and fix it tomorrow if it's not time-sensitive. you shouldn't be working right now , and i bloody well won't ask addie to get on this now, understood ? ❜❜ she hangs up , taps her phone frustratedly to her forehead, before realizing she has amassed a spectator in the form of one heiress slash actress. she shrugs apologetically, smoothing down the front of her dress which had ridden up slightly as a result of her pacing.

❛❛ i'm not going to pretend that that wasn't the most privileged work call. i know, it's as ridiculous to hear as it was to say. ❜❜

[rorythorne]

the former actress has mostly kept to herself throughout the start of the festival, unsure who to strike up conversation with — though she's lived on cornelia street for six full months now, her friend group has remained practically miniscule. still, she wants to be here. the festival is an incredibly well-organized social event, and she's not one to shy away from live music and a party. spotting a familiar face in ingrid, the girl makes her way over, standing to the side until the older woman is done with her phone call.

rory raises a brow and gestures to herself as if to say, have you seen me? ❛❛ i know i'm not the most self-aware person on the planet, ingrid, but please. i know privilege. i mean, just look at any article about me from the past ten years. ❜❜ she teases. ❛❛ but anyways, how are you ?! i don't think i've seen you since before –❜❜ she cuts herself off, gesturing wildly with her hands, ❛❛– well, everything. ❜❜

[karmaswrite]

𝐶𝛬𝛮 𝘐 𝛬𝑆𝐾 𝑌𝛰𝑈 𝛬 𝑄𝑈𝐸𝑆𝑇𝘐𝛰𝛮 . . .?

below are 20 character development questions, each loosely inspired by a track on taylor swift's midnights. remember to specify muse for multimuse blogs !

LAVENDER HAZE. how does your character find solace and relaxation in their daily life?

MAROON. how does your muse deal with complexity and conflict in their relationships?

ANTI-HERO. what are your character's biggest anxieties or insecurities? does it affect the way they perceive others?

SNOW ON THE BEACH. what's something unexpected or contradictory about your character's personality or interests?

YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, KID: how does your character handle difficult situations or adversity without relying on others for support?

QUESTION. . . ?what is the one burning question your character has about themselves, their purpose, or the world around them?

VIGILANTE SH*T. does your character believe in taking justice into their own hands?

BEJEWELED.what is your character's most prized possession, and what does it symbolize to them?

LABYRINTH. describe a time in which your character realized they were falling in love

KARMA. does your character believe in the concept of karma? how do their actions reflect this belief?

SWEET NOTHINGS. what are some secrets or intimate details about your character that few people know?

MASTERMIND. is your character a strategic thinker or someone who excels at planning and manipulation? how do they use these skills to their advantage?

PARIS. as your character ever had a transformative experience while traveling or visiting a new place? describe the impact it had on them.

BIGGER THAN THE WHOLE SKY. what is a loss that profoundly impacted your muse?

HIGH INFIDELITY. has your character ever betrayed someone's trust? how did it affect their relationships and self-perception?

GLITCH. describe a moment when your character felt out of sync with the world or experienced a significant disruption in their life.

WOULD'VE, COULD'VE SHOULD'VE. what is something your character regrets not doing or a decision they wish they had made differently?

DEAR READER. what is a piece of advice your character would give to a loved one. is this advice they follow themselves?

HITS DIFFERENT. what is something that deeply resonates with your character? it could be a song, a quote, a piece of art, or any other form of inspiration.

YOU'RE LOSING ME. has your character ever felt disconnected from their emotions or struggled to maintain relationships? how do they handle these challenges?

[follklored]

maggie does a check after the fact, ensuring that the other person has not been harmed by a brief moment of carelessness. as predicted, they are not particulary amused by her historical trivia, and she offers an uncomfortable nod. ❛❛ i'm sure that they do, but public and commercial establishments need to have outward opening doors. my dad rennovated a brownstone into a commercial business about 35 years ago, and the doors were a huge issue. everything opened the wrong way. the more you know, right ? ❜❜ she bites her tongue at the brief addendum about the chicago fire of 1871 that also contributed to fire safety laws. she's not even sure where she picked up that information. the weather is a far less gruesome segue, and she's surprised that the other person is up for it.

❛❛ right ?! i think i've resolved myself to the understanding that the city's just an oven in the summer, and there's absolutely nowhere for a breeze to go even if it wanted to. but anyway -- did i get you too bad? all good over there? do you need a replacement? or some sort of pastry? sweet nothings splits the storefront, so if you want to go next-door for a slightly worse cup of coffee and a much better, i can hook you up. ❜❜

[rorythorne]

aurora nods along as the other girl rambles about the safety laws of doors, feigning as much interest as she can muster when the girl's father's renovation is mentioned. she can't imagine doors being that big of an issue, but then again, she's an actress (or she was), so this isn't really her wheelhouse. still, she decides to be contrarian despite her lack of knowledge on the subject. ❛❛ but what about, like, ADA laws, people in wheelchairs? wouldn't inward opening doors be the better option? or, like, shouldn't more doors be power doors if they have to be outward opening so they're accessible? does OSHA have regulations on that?❜❜

❛❛ god, just walking here felt like a sauna - trust me, i know saunas. and it's just a minor spill, really. no need to replace the coffee, but i will take you up on a pastry, and maybe some napkins? not the biggest fan of spending the rest of my day with latte-scented wrists. ❜❜

[follklored]

perhaps she is a bit overzealous in the way she pushes the swinging doors of the coffee shop, holy grounds, open wide. it's a near miss from the person headed for the door, as their pull to her push nearly sends them falling to the ground.

❛❛ oh shit , sorry !! don't know my own strength. ❜❜ a sheepish grin as she scoots past the other person, ❛❛ you know, if the doors don't open outward, it's an OSHA violation ? that's the result of safety laws that were put into place after a massive factory fire 1911 -- that actually happened here, in the village. ❜❜ somehow , she gets the impression that this conversational tidbit has not made anything better. she winces, lets in a sharp intake of breath.

❛❛ so, now's when you pull me out of this conversational hole i'm digging for myself and throw me a bone. maybe a comment about the weather? ❜❜

OPEN !

[rorythorne]

aurora's grip on her iced coffee tightens, nails digging into the hard plastic as she stumbles backward from the force of the door opening. as some of her coffee spills over the lip of the cup, she sends mental thanks to whatever gymnastics god there is for the years of lessons that allow her to right herself before she can completely fall over become more of an public embarrassment than she already is. she does a quick visual sweep of the floor and herself, determines any mess to be not on her person (aside from coffee up her wrist), and finally tunes back in to what the other girl is saying, just catching a wince before she speaks again. ❛❛...don't the doors in a lot of older places still open inwards? also, like, are you really asking me to talk about the weather? ❜❜ rory raises an eyebrow, pausing for a moment before deciding may as well. ❛❛do you think it's been warmer than usual lately? it feels like summer started extra early this year? ❜❜

[rorythorne]

.*･｡ﾟ ━ ( natalia dyer / cis female / she/her ) i think i just saw AURORA ‘RORY’ THORNE on the subway. the 27 year old FORMER ACTRESS has been living on cornelia street for SIX MONTHS. aurora’s friends know her to be charismatic, spontaneous, and ambitious, but she has a reputation on cornelia street for being self-indulgent, superficial, and impulsive. when i see aurora , i can’t help but think of a sun-kissed body laid atop a bed of silk, perfectly manicured french nails, the lingering smell of cigarettes, half-empty bottles of wine, and missing for something no longer there ! in fact , i sometimes i think i hear ANTI-HERO when i see her walk by.

THE BASICS

Full name: Aurora 'Rory' Celeste Thorne

DOB: May 27th (i am deciding she is just now going to be turning 27 bc I picked this bday after applying)

Zodiac: Gemini Sun, Libra Moon, Libra Rising

From New York City, NY.

Daughter to the Anastasia Thorne.

Rory is the middle child.

YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF AURORA THORNE?

Born and raised in New York, NY among the elite, Aurora has always appreciated the finer things in life — regardless of price. That's not to say she was a toddler in Balenciaga or anything, but she was most certainly spoiled.

Her career started when she was just a toddler, modeling for diaper companies and various children's clothing lines.

Being the middle child, she often felt like she was vying for her mother's attention and she'd do anything to keep it, even if that meant acting out. Unfortunately, maintaining her mother's attention wasn't particularly easy, and just trying to was beginning to become tiring.

Rory often jumped from hobby to hobby, having a tendency to give up when she grew bored or things just seemed too hard. Over the years, she tried gymnastics, pottery, knitting, sewing, archery, and piano, the last being her longest-held hobby. She performed in recitals, her mother bought a piano for the house, and soon she started voice lessons to be able to accompany herself.

She was encouraged to pursue a music career, and she did end up releasing an EP, but her passion faded and she broke her contract without a care for the financial consequences.

Acting, on the other hand, was where she felt herself thrive. Some think it's her form of escapism, but she refuses to acknowledge such claims.

At age 23, she moved out to Los Angeles. Her mother's name was more than enough to get her into auditions, and her appearance sealed the deal. However, after her first four films, she gained a reputation for her pickiness with her work, often dropping scripts just weeks after casting or partway through filming for unexplained reasons.

After a heated phone call with her mother and manager, she got her act together enough to land and maintain her role in her most recent film, but she had no idea as filming wrapped that it might be her last.

“SHE'S LAUGHING UP AT US FROM HELL!”

Rory would never pin all the blame on MUSE B, buuuuuut it was their choice that seemed to be the final straw for their mother.

Money management, who's she? Up until now, she'd had what seemed like an endless supply of money, never blinking an eye at price tags for the things she wanted.

Being cut off felt like a slap to the face, and forced Rory to address the harsh realities that she doesn't know who she is without money and her mother's name. She doesn't know how to survive the way the rest of the world does, still spending beyond her means and waiting for it to bite her in the ass.

The news of her -ahem- financial independence is a touchy subject, so those who address her by her full name or even begin to mention her situation are met with a glare and a bitchy tone, which certainly isn't helping her build a positive reputation on Cornelia Street.

MISC. / OTHER

Find Aurora’s stats page here.

She is a cat mom to a beautiful little brown tabby, who she spoils rotten the same way she was spoiled for the majority of her life.

Her favorite colors are pink and seafoam green.

She is a social drinker!

She picked up smoking cigarettes on the set of her first film and has tried (and failed) to stop smoking a handful of times in the years since, but her recent stress has re-sparked the habit.

Her best friend in L.A. was supposed to be her impulse control, but was more of an enabler. Said friend dropped her as soon as her mother did, making it clear to Rory that they were only friends because of her name. As a result, this bitch does not know how to trust people.

about the mun

hi! i’m gianna (27, she/they) and i reside in the hell state that is florida in the EST timezone. i’m open to all kinds of plots, so please feel free to message me here or on discord at any time! i also write astrid beckett who is muse a in the new year's day skeleton. 💛

[userhaiz]