Brown eyes still stinging from the smoke, her lungs aching with the effort it took to get a full breath into them, Astrid's eyes threatened to glaze over as she stared down at her fluffball of a black cat, nestled in his carrier at the foot of her hospital bed. She couldn't help the leaden ball of guilt sitting like an anchor in her stomach, threatening to drag her down. You had time to go back for Cerberus... but you couldn't get Boris out. She was too sick with the feeling to even be grateful that she'd escaped the fire in her home at all, let alone with her pet in tow. The weight of the life lost, despite her best efforts, was too heavy to bear. Her asthmatic lungs just wouldn't allow for another act of heroics that night. What else could she do, when she was coughing hard enough to see stars, when the smoke was too thick to even shout for him? Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was her fault somehow, that she really was cursed. Another one of her almost lovers... gone. Clutching the mask strapped to her face, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind.
Her melancholic solitude didn't last, though, as another patient was brought into the bed to her right. She wondered distantly if he was out of the woods and just being monitored, like she was. In the confusion and chaos of that evening, the dancer hadn't even called her siblings to let them know what happened yet. The hospital staff might have done that for her, but she couldn't be sure. So, maybe it was a good thing, to have some company. "Long night for you too?" she wondered, unaware of the hour. The darkness blanketing the window to her left was little help in deducing the hour.
HEY, i think i just saw ASTRID PALLAS-DEXICOS walking down the strip. stop by to catch up and you’ll learn the THIRTY-TWO YEAR OLD is working as a BURLESQUE DANCER AT DOLL HOUSE BURLESQUE CLUB AND AN APPRENTICE AT CASUAL EDGE BOUTIQUE and lives in THE CROIX TOWNHOUSES. given they are RESPONSIBLE but DEFEATIST, it’s likely that they ARE NOT a vampire. i bet you can find them tearing up the dance floor to BLACK VELVET BY ALANNAH MYLES and you’ll know why they’re called THE CRUSED FRUIT. ☾ .⭒˚ jennie kim. cis woman + she/her. pansexual + aquarius.
pinterest / playlist / not shipped
FACTS (to be expanded)
Childhood:
Astrid has always been the peacekeeper of her family, praised even as a child for her level-headedness and diplomacy. She was often called upon by her siblings to settle arguments between them when things got out of hand, a task she willingly assumed and excelled at.
Consequently, this also meant that Astrid was always labelled as the "responsible one" growing up, a moniker she takes some pride in but has yet to fully escape in adulthood.
A very studious and smart child, Astrid did well in school all throughout her life. But her true calling lied in the creative arts.
She began studying ballet when she was a child and continued her training well into her adolescence, developing a love and passion for the art form.
She had her sights set on the New York City ballet, and managed to score an audition and get into the company when she was 22. Though she trained and danced there for about two years, she decided to return home shortly afterwards to help support her family.
Astrid still hasn't parsed whether she truly left her dance dreams behind for the good of her family, or if a part of her was scared she couldn't hack it after all and used her family troubles as an excuse to escape the pressure.
Present Day:
Since returning to Nevada, Astrid taught dance for a while, seeking out any and all opportunities to stay connected to the world of dance and performance.
It was during those years that she stumbled into the world of burlesque and began to pursue this line of work, adoring the way she could escape into a persona and lean into showmanship, so different from the world of ballet she was used to.
Adopting the stage name "Scarlet Rouge," her persona during her act is bold and daring where Astrid herself tends to be more reserved and warm.
Burlesque also introduced Astrid to the art of sewing, since she was tasked with sourcing and making her own costumes when she first started out. It's a craft that she intends to pursue further in the future.
STATS
General Info:
Full Name: Astrid Angelique Pallas-Dexicos.
Nicknames: None.
Age: 32.
Date of Birth: February 14th, 1965.
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn.
Gender: Cis woman.
Pronouns: she/her.
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual.
Romantic Orientation: Panromantic.
Relationship Status: Available, single.
Alignment: True Neutral.
MBTI: INTJ, the Architect.
Appearance:
Faceclaim: Jennie Kim.
Height: 5′4.
Eye Color: Brown.
Hair Color: Black.
Tattoos: A poppy on her left ankle, a pomegranate on her right hip, and a series of three stars on her left wrist.
Piercings: One earlobe piercing on each ear.
Background:
Education: Bachelor's degree in dance.
Occupation: Burlesque dancer under the name Scarlet Rouge at Doll House Burlesque Club, an apprentice at Casual Edge Boutique, and an occasional seamstress.
Residence: The Croix Townhouses.
Mental Health Conditions: Anxiety, depression.
Disabilities: Asthma.
Class: Working.
Ethnicity: Korean.
Language(s) Spoken: English / Korean.
Identity:
Label: the cursed fruit.
Positive Traits: diligent, charming, practical, gracious, resourceful.
Negative Traits: pessimistic, hesitant, secretive, distrustful, rigid.
Quirks/Habits: bites her nails, bounces her leg, will idly stretch and roll her neck/shoulders.
Love Language: acts of service.
Hobbies: sewing, record collecting, putting together puzzles, journaling, dance.
Likes: floral sundresses, scented candles, beautiful journals, floral arrangements, cap sleeves.
Dislikes: talking about her problems, being perceived as weak.
Fears: losing herself, never putting herself first.
