❝ ⸻ You say that like an insult but I'll take it as a compliment . Grace Kelley has been cited as one as one of the most elegant women in cinematic and world history. ❞ Anora flipped her long locks away from her shoulder . She was used to Dilan's taunts . It was nothing new and this past year it because the norm for them . He would taunt her and she would SUNT him .
❝ And I my worth and looks , so thank you . ❞ the blonde heiress smiled at him as she was carrying a box of apples , she gotten from the colony house tree . ❝ I'm here because I needed apples . Niles' ipod died and with the outlets being useless , I can't charge his ipod . I want to listen to LADY GAGA , COBRA , BRITNEY , TAYLOR SWIFT , GWEN ... all the best . ❞ niles had her favorite artist on his well preserved old ipod and thank god he did .the old man had great taste in music aside from her own . may he rest in peace . ❝ Can you please help me carrying this box home ? ❞
Dilan studied her carefully, trying to discern what the hell apples had to do with listening to music. Was she going to carve each one into some musical instrument and make the music herself? Unlikely, but anything seemed possible with Anora. "Is this where you tell me some shit like 'apples can transmit radio waves?'" It was probably more sophisticated than that, but it was the best hypothesis he was going to come up with on a dime.
Dilan clicked his tongue, eyes scanning over the box like it was a particularly complex ask. Realistically, he had nothing better to do than to help her with her box of music making apples, but he was nothing without a fun game. "I don't know, Princess. What's in it for me? It's a long walk back to town, and I am bartering man."
"Well, well, if it isn't Princess Grace." Anora Du Pont, but it was all one in the same to Dilan. He was posted outside some building, soaking in what little unthreatening outdoors time he could in the limited daylight. One could only manage to be sequestered to a glorified prison for so long, after all. If he didn't take his chance to see the outside world when it was there, he'd snap.
Anora was, without a doubt, the most confusing person Dilan had ever had the pleasure of coming across. How hellish it had to be under these circumstances, but enjoyable for him nevertheless. When word spread of an heiress rolling into town, her driver being an unlucky victim to the night, Dilan was sure she was in for some rude awakening. I mean, a gazillionaire sorority girl being tossed into... whatever this all was? Call it dinner and a show. Unfortunately for his amusement, she was smart. Gifted, even. But, that didn't stop him from taunting her like that wasn't true. "What's got you out and about today?"
Stepping out of the house he was assigned to, he winces a bit, holding Oliver before bending down and letting the cat out of his arms, leash connected as the orange cat moved away, “Alright, take your shit.” He muttered, walking with Oliver away from the house. Kiran looked around, scrunching his face a little as he scanned the place. He hadn't been outside much since arriving and being placed in a house, and was a little sore for the last couple of days. Reaching his left hand up, he gingerly poked at the bruising around his right eye, the surprise punch to the side of his head, and the beating that followed, which was still lingering a little.
Kiran stood by the woods a little as Oliver did his business, then walked back up to Kiran, rubbing his head against Kiran's leg, “All better?” He cooed, kneeling down and petting the feline before starting to walk away, coming upon his car, still parked beside the road, unlocking it, and taking a seat in the driver's seat, looking through his stuff he had with him in the car, “Wonder how much battery my Switch has left...” He muttered before jumping as he noticed someone holding a hand out toward Oliver, now pawing around in the passenger seat. Kiran raised an eyebrow at the person standing outside his car, “Can I...help you?”
It was, putting it gently a little uncouth to stick her hand in a strangers' car. Scout had that thought a moment too late, as she was caught like a kid with her hand in a cookie jar staring at this perfect stranger. He seemed mildly alarmed to see Scout as well, which was oddly comforting. Also oddly comforting was that Scout really didn't recognize him, which meant he was probably new. She could at least lean in to the weirdness of this place to explain away her social faux pas.
"Oh," At this point, she was frozen, arm extended as the cat squirmed around, perfect in every way. But she also figured continuing forward from here wouldn't be the best look, so she retracted her hand. "Sorry. I was just... well, it's been a while since I've got a chance to see a new furry friend." There weren't exactly adoption events happening on the weekly calendar. "Uh, you must be new. I'm Scout." Real smooth, Scout. Way to change the subject. "Well, Scarlet if you want to chastise me by my legal name for just... sticking my hand inside your car like a boundary free weirdo." She takes a beat. "But, I prefer Scout."
ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ⸻ josh heuston. cis man. he/him. ⸻ i saw DILAN WARD around COLONY HOUSE, you know? the 28 years old that was driving from ABERDEEN, WA when they saw the tree on the road. DILAN has been here for TWO YEARS and I think they were DOCK HAND before they got stuck in the town. with the way things are now, they are now struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out without losing themselves or dying. lets hope you at least survive the night. ⸻ casey, she/her, est, n/a.
basics:
full name: dilan ward
nicknames: dil
gender: cis man
pronouns: he/him
sexuality: pansexual
aesthetics: see pintrest here
age: 28
date of birth: august 20, 1992
zodiac sign: leo
residence: colony house
former occupation: dock hand
current occupation: handyman
appearance:
faceclaim: josh heuston
voice claim: josh heuston
height: 6'0
build: athletic
eyes: hazel
hair: dark brown, worn a little long and floppy. natural curl pattern
piercings: lobes only
tattoos: ocean wave on the back of his right shoulder
other distinguishing features: light eyes against darker features
style: casual wear, typically, jeans and tshirt, sometimes sweatpants, a fan of a good button down
skills: can lift heavy, good at fixing up machinery
quirks: adopts people quickly, especially younger
pet peeves: open mouth chewing
family:
mother: unknown
father: unknown
siblings: avan ward
birth order: dilan (eldest), avan (youngest)
spouse / lover: tbd
children: none
pets: none
notable close relatives: none
other: tbd
best friend: tbd
rival: tbd
crushing on: tbd
nemesis: tbd
other: tbd
outline:
The Ward brothers started life in a rough way. Abandoned at only one and a half, his brother only a few months old, they quickly became wards of the state.
Whoever had abandoned them all those years ago and scrawled their names in permanent marker across their arms, and everything else was a mystery. Without any records or information, they were victims to the system for years.
Dilan and Avan were bounced from home to home with nowhere to land for years. To the credit of their social worker, they often managed to be housed together. Dilan saw to it to make a scene anytime they weren't, so there was rarely a real choice. He felt it was his responsibility to care for Avan. Especially when those overcrowded group homes failed to provide the protection they needed.
When Dilan was ten, Avan and him were separated. The family was nice enough to let them visit each other, but they would not take in Dilan. He had a bit of a history of being reactive and sometimes violent, but it was only when it called for it in his mind. Not that they disclosed that personal opinion in his file, but it was all for his Brother.
Eventually, that family decided they wanted to adopt Avan, but even then, Dilan was too much of a liability, as they so lovingly put it. They promised him weekly visits, and even said they would invite him for Holidays. But, all Dilan could see was what he was losing. He wanted to beg his brother to find a way out of the adoption. He knew with the right time, they could find someone who would take them both in. But, he was happy. He was well fed for the first time in his life. Dilan knew it would be cruel to take that away.
Without his Brother, it took away any incentive Dilan had to behave. The new family had already decided he was trouble, so Dilan figured he'd just lean in to their beliefs. His grades dropped, he found himself getting in unnecessary fights, and wreaking havoc at any chance he got. He was often held in juvenile correction centers every few months.
For eight years, he worked to earn some troubled kid label, and was spat out by the system into the real world. Still, his social worker felt some level of pity for him, and he managed to get him work at the local dock.
He was the youngest there by a mile. Everyone else was sun-weathered and ragged. Not a single one of them held an ounce of respect for Dilan when he started, constantly doing the worst of the grunt work until they finally deemed him worthy of anything else.
Oddly enough, it was an outlet for Dilan that he didn't know he needed. It was therapeutic in its own way, even if it was a nasty and hard job. His more aggressive tendencies seeped themselves out into the worst of the grunt work. He was more regulated than usual with his job there. It even gave him time to reflect on who he was and who he had become when his Brother joined some other family.
After ten years, Dilan worked his way up the ranks to some respected level of dock hand. Most everyone knew him by name, and knew him as some suave, young kid who could work the room and keep up with the gruffest men in the room. He and Avan saw each other weekly, too. On their own terms now that they were both well into being adults. Life finally seemed okay.
It was almost a sick joke that Dilan ran across the tree, and landed in some landlock hellscape. It's been two years since he's been on the outside, two years since he had seen his brother. Two years since the life he thought he was putting back together fell apart before his eyes again.
Dilan works around the town on anything he can trying to keep things running as smoothly as possible. It's the only thing that manages to keep him sane. Though, he still finds the days where he wants nothing more than to march straight into the forest and find his way out of here. As if it would bring him anything but a death sentence.
ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ⸻ adria arjona. cis woman. she/her. ⸻ i saw THALIA TORRES around THE TOWN, you know? the 33 years old that was driving from BUFFALO, NY when they saw the tree on the road. LIA has been here for NINE YEARS and I think they were LEGAL SECRETARY before they got stuck in the town. with the way things are now, they are now struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out without losing themselves or dying. lets hope you at least survive the night. ⸻ casey, she/her, est, n/a.
basics:
full name: thalia torres
nicknames: lia
gender: cis woman
pronouns: she/her
sexuality: pansexual
aesthetics: see pintrest here
age: 33
date of birth: august 20, 1992
zodiac sign: leo
residence: the town, house
former occupation: legal secretary
current occupation: farm hand
appearance:
faceclaim: adria arjona
voice claim: adria arjona
height: 5’6
build: athletic
eyes: dark brown
hair: very dark brown, usually worn either curly or tied back when it’s particularly messy
piercings: lobes only.
tattoos: small stick and poke smiley face, collar bone leaf pattern
other distinguishing features: sharp jaw
style: somewhat vintage tomboy. Loves a good button up and t shirt combo, wears a lot of layers usually
Thalia started life as far from normal as it could get. Born in to a wealthy family with a fancy criminal lawyer Dad in New York City, Thalia was almost always set up for success. There was no end to the cash flow for her Father, and it bled into life life with his kids more often than he'd like to admit. But, he convinced himself it was all fine. Because they had their mother, who was as doting and caring as they come.
And then one day, she was gone. And he was alone with two little kids who didn't know how to comprehend what was happening, meanwhile he knew everything and only knew to throw himself into work to keep the feelings away.
Jonah took it better than Thalia. He was always and self-assured and independent one of the two. He would be out in the world while Thalia was glued to the hip of her Mother. Too shy and unsure to venture out without permission. She lacked that anchor now, though. There was no easy way for her to navigate.
It eventually turned into Thalia acting out. She would find herself getting into whatever trouble that would get her Dad out of the office, and sitting in her school instead. As intelligent as she was, it was easy for Thalia to find a way to get what she wanted.
Mateo was not too fond of the pattern. It eventually culminated in him picking out a troubled teens boarding school for Thalia's High School career. When nothing else seemed to work, shipping her off seemed to be the best option.
Suddenly, the only times Thalia got to see the family she was so desperate for was holidays and school breaks. Even then, it had to be earned. It turned her much more cold and unforgiving the longer she spent away.
When she finally graduated from school and the program, she returned a mere husk of the little girl she had left home as. But, Mateo took note of her finally, and that was the only thing that seemed to matter to Thalia. She used his new found appreciation of her to her advantage. She would do everything he asked, she even started working for him while she studied pre-law in college. While she was hardly herself, at least she was finally being noticed.
The recognition and approval she looked for could be found in work. And, even though Jonah was the eldest, when things in Mateo's life started to shift, it was floated that Thalia would take over his firm. She was still young, just barely through her first year of law school, but the pieces were already being moved for her like a game of chess, and she was the pawn.
It was around that time that she came across the tree in the road. She was coming from some conference upstate, heading back to school when it happened.
At first, it seemed like a death sentence. Trapped in this strange world. What would her family think? She had all but vanished off the face of the earth in their eyes. But year after year passed, and Thalia started to realize just how good this all was for her.
She's still working to unpack her feelings even after almost a decade. For the first time in years, she feels like she can be herself again. But, she doesn't know how to find that kid again either. It's like she's stuck more than just in town. She's stuck between two worlds. One of her Father's creation, and one where she's her own person.
ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ⸻ leah lewis. cis woman. she/her. ⸻ i saw CHLOE LI around THE TOWN, you know? the 29 years old that was driving from CAMDEN, MAINE when they saw the tree on the road. CHLOE has been here for ONE YEAR and I think they were UNEMPLOYED before they got stuck in the town. with the way things are now, they are now struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out without losing themselves or dying. lets hope you at least survive the night. ⸻ casey, she/her, est, n/a.
basics:
full name: chloe héng li (li héng, 李恒)
nicknames: chlo, lili
gender: cis woman
pronouns: she/her
sexuality: bisexual
aesthetics: see pintrest here
age: 29
date of birth: decmber 19, 1995
zodiac sign: sagittarius
residence: the town, house
former occupation: unemployed
current occupation: bartender
appearance:
faceclaim: leah lewis
voice claim: leah lewis
height: 5’3
build: athletic
eyes: dark brown
hair: very dark brown, visually almost black, long and very well maintained
piercings: multiple. Nose ring on left nostril, double helix on right ear, three lobe piercings
tattoos: so many. patchwork tattoos on both arms, rib tattoos, thigh tattoos. just covered in ink.
other distinguishing features: dimples and light freckles
style: grunge to the max. leather jackets, combat boots, old worn out jeans, motorcycle gear
quirks: she’s not always good at connecting with others
pet peeves: lying, especially little lies
family:
mother: anna mei li
father: gregory li
siblings: none
birth order: only child
spouse / lover: tbd
children: none
pets: none
notable close relatives: grandmother (deceased)
other: tbd
best friend: tbd
rival: tbd
crushing on: tbd
nemesis: tbd
other: tbd
outline:
Chloe was born and raised as a small town pride in joy. Camden, ME was a small town with a small populace, and Chloe always knew there was more in store for her. She flung herself into sports young, knowing that was her ticket out of Maine.
It wasn’t long before she was a soccer star of sorts. She had spent years in youth leagues, training tirelessly after school until she clawed her way into a captain position as a High School Junior. It didn’t come without its setbacks. Consistent injuries and general burnout plagued her. So often she found herself dreaming of quitting the soccer team and just letting herself exist for the first time in her life. But that was all dashed when her big scholarship offer came rolling in.
The University of Michigan had offered a full ride to her, and never in Chloe’s life had she ever seen her parents look so proud. They were thrilled to know that their girl would be set for life. She could go pro, they’d say to anyone who would listen. But, the closer she got, the further away from it all Chloe wanted to be.
The only person who seemed to see this in her was her grandmother. She always seemed to see and understand this side of her that longed for normalcy. While everyone cheered and celebrated, she seemed to look on her with sad, understanding eyes between the congratulations. She was the one that would come up with excuses just often enough to get Chloe a break from soccer practices. But still, Chloe pushed through knowing what this opportunity meant to her family.
When the time finally came to start school, Chloe was full of nothing but dread. The always said that the first six weeks were the hardest to acclimate. But those six weeks passed. And then another six and then Chloe started to realize that she wasn’t acclimate. And her grades showed it.
She was nineteen when her grandmother’s sudden passing rocked her entire world. The only person who seemed to know her was gone, and she was stuck in the world performing as someone she very much was not.
In her grief, Chloe dropped out of college. Maybe it was sudden and irrational, but she saw no other solution. She didn’t tell anyone what she was doing or where she was going. But within a week, her dorm was cleared out, and she was gone.
Chloe started traveling the country from there. Selling personal effects and picking up under the table side jobs for the cash to pay for a night in a cheap motel room. For a while it felt fun, and freeing. Eventually it started to morph into something sad and lonely. She felt more like she was running from something. And maybe she was, but she wasn’t ready to address that.
Sometimes, Chloe would pull a year in a new town. Settling into something that started to feel like roots until that got too scary and she was gone again. Not once did she ever tie herself town to a city or town. She never got so far as putting art up in her apartments when she rented them. It would always feel too permanent. Too much like home. And she hadn’t known home in too many years.
Chloe hadn’t spoken to her parents since she dropped out of school. Sending them to explicit message that she was fine. She was not kidnapped. She did not want to be found. Just enough to keep any kind of police presence from dragging her back to Maine.
It was one whole year ago, her usual expiration date on a town, when she came across the tree in her path. And she was now trapped in this place, unable to get out. Chloe wasn’t sure she could handle that, though she’s been desperately trying to make the best of a bad situation. Going from nine years of freedom and no roots to being forced to stand still and face herself for the first time is not something she’s prepared for. With it officially being one year since her arrival, it’s more real now than ever.
ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ⸻ daisy edgar jones. cis woman. she/her. ⸻ i saw SCARLET BAKER around COLONY HOUSE, you know? the 28 years old that was driving from KENTON, OK when they saw the tree on the road. SCOUT has been here for SEVEN YEARS and I think they were WAITRESS before they got stuck in the town. with the way things are now, they are now struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out without losing themselves or dying. lets hope you at least survive the night. ⸻ casey, she/her, est, n/a.
basics:
full name: scarlet marie baker
nicknames: scout, baker
gender: cis woman
pronouns: she/her
sexuality: bisexual
aesthetics: find her pinterest here
age: 28
date of birth: June 30, 1997
zodiac sign: cancer
residence: colony house
former occupation: waitress/farmer
current occupation: waitress
appearance:
faceclaim: daisy edgar jones
height: 5'7
build: slim, athletic
eyes: brown, round doe eyes
hair: shoulder length dyed blonde hair, brunette roots growing out
piercings: ears
tattoos: none
other distinguishing features: scar on right thigh
quirks: nail biting, bottom jaw twitches when she lies
pet peeves: open mouth chewing
family:
mother: samantha baker
father: george matthews
siblings: none
birth order: only child
spouse / lover: none
children: none
pets: none
notable close relatives: clara baker, allen baker (maternal grandparents)
other: tbd
best friend: tbd
rival: tbd
crushing on: tbd
nemesis: tbd
other: tbd
outline:
Scout never knew her parents. She was born out of wedlock to a couple of teenagers without much to their name. The story goes that she was left on her mother's bed, Samantha nowhere to be seen, placed in the care of her grandparents.
Growing up, Scout was often put to work. Her family had been longtime residents of Kenton, they had their own farmstead that had been passed from hand to hand. On a technicality, Scout was next in line. But, she never wanted the farm.
It was always a point of contention in her household. Scout wanted so badly to go out into the world, and see all of what it had to offer. Meanwhile, her grandparents wanted her in a gilded cage. None of it was helped by the circumstances in which her Mom left.
The fights were constant the older Scout got. Finally culminating in the complete breakdown of her relationship with her grandparents right before graduation. Scout broke the news that she wouldn't be taking over care of the farm. She wanted to travel. There was a whole world out there left to see. If it had been good enough for her Mom to leave her behind, there had to be something to the big beautiful world.
There were choice words exchanged amongst the small, broken family. It ended with Scout leaving the night of graduation, and rarely looking back. She would find a place, settle for a year or two, and then it was on to the next place. A small part of her always wondered if this was the direction her Mom took. If that stinky motel bed was the same one she had slept in years ago. If there was any proof that she was even alive and breathing somewhere out there. But, it always made Scout feel closer to her somehow to believe leaving was some sacred pilgrimage.
And right when the world seemed so free, the unthinkable happened, and her grandparents passed. It was not some kind, poetic death, it was harsh loss that created some hollow empty feeling that she was forced to navigate. Scout had no choice but to go home to Kenton.
The whole property was now hers, a sadistic and legally binding tether to the life she never wanted in the first place. But now with some sense of obligation tied to it as the next known living kin.
From that day up until the day she saw the tree, Scout spent the better part of her days working the farm and trying to upkeep everything by herself. It felt near impossible to manage, but there didn’t seem to be another choice with Scout being left on her own.
The time spent managing the farm was painful and embittering for Scout. She’d often find herself breaking down in the middle of tasks that her grandparents made look so easy. It seemed like everything would break, and she’d have to shell out a few thousand dollars to get it back to working order every time. Every minute off the farm was spent in the local restaurant, scraping together every dollar she could manage with tip money. All of it seemed to get sunk in to the farm.
It was a particularly bad day for Scout when the tree appeared. After a ten hour waitressing shift, she was meant to go back to the farmhouse with its faulty plumbing and shot HVAC. She could barely see the road through blurry tears when she came across the tree. It was a narrow miss on her part, swerving off to the shoulder with a split second to spare.
After barely making it through the stages of grief over her grandparents, Scout was thrust right back into the thick of it all as she learned about where she had ended up. She was trapped in some impossible scenario with no way out, no connection to the outside world, and no clarity on what would happen to her. If she thought things were bad before, it was nothing compared to the situation she had found herself in this time.
Scout spent a lot of time avoiding dealing with what had happened to her. She threw herself into anything she could manage to not think about it. Waitressing in town felt almost normal. Even helping manage the farm and the land at the Colony House felt almost normal.
It’s been seven years since Scout first arrived and she still feels that looming sense of grief for everything. She masks it well, but in the quiet hell of night, even she’s not immune to a breakdown. Especially with the way that those things lurk out there, an ever present reminder that she’s truly trapped. From the day she was born, it seems.