All she could do was close her eyes. That wasn’t what she had meant but quite frankly, Lupe should have known it’s where her words would lead. Somehow, it’d always end up being her fault. She tried putting distance between them and Belle poked and proved until she gave in, only for it all to end right back where they were - with Lupe being the asshole. She nodded her head, agreeing to stay but unsure of just how long she could manage. “ Please, don’t put words in my mouth. You know that’s not what I meant. ” Truth be told, she had merely been speaking her truth. Speaking her mind with the person who was meant to be her best friend shouldn’t have been so difficult and yet… It was another reason why Lupe wished they had merely stayed friends. That none of this confusion that surrounded them had taken place. “ This is just - Belle, this isn’t me. ” she said with intent, though whether she meant to convince Belle or herself was uncertain. This can’t be me.
her hand rested just below the brunette's shoulder, her thumb brushing slowly over the soft skin beneath. light and careful. belle had obviously noticed how lupe looked uneasy, uncomfortable even, at the thought of staying despite agreeing to it. the way her eyes stayed shut, as if she were trying to imagine herself somewhere else. anywhere but here with her. still, belle couldn't bring herself to pull away. even if she had a feeling her touch was only making things worse. "what's not you? liking women?" she asked quietly. because she saw the way lupe looked at her. she couldn't have imagined it all. "why is liking women such a terrible thing? because some book written a million years ago says so?" reasons belle could never understand but it wasn't fair. "you don't touch me the way you do, or kiss me the way you do, just for me." with a shaky exhale, she shook her head. the concept that everything lupe had done might have been only to please her, and not because she wanted it just as much, was a hard pill to swallow and it weighed heavy on her chest. if there was one mistake she could think of, it had been asking guadalupe to stay.
"c'mon, man. you telling me this place still isn't up to code?" amari asked after giving archer the whole tour of his ranch. the warning he'd previously been given had been warranted. but this one? well he thought he should be let off a little easier given the work he'd finally gotten around to putting in to the place. // @sztellites
"i know y'all don't usually accept perishable items as donations, ma'am. but i got a whole lot of milk in the box of my truck needing a home, if the church would accept it." amari lowered the tailgate to show his supply, hoping lupe could find a home for it. "also happy to deliver it to families in need, you can ride shotgun." // @succulentwhims
"for you." ayanna said, offering archer a bottle of the newest lotion she'd received but hadn't yet to put on the shelves. so maybe he was the guinea pig, didn't mean it couldn't be beneficial to him too. "let me know what you think of it, yeah?" // @sztellites
closed for isabelle auclair ( @sou1ties )
located outside geovanna's home
spring break for most in the education world meant rest, travel, and a week away from responsibilities. for tomas, however, it had mostly meant noticing the absence of certain routines and company he had grown quite fond of: the morning drives, the small conversations between office hours, the way geovanna's presence had slipped into his days so naturally... and now it was quiet. almost unbearably so.
still, perhaps the flowers were a little impulsive. he held them carefully in his arm, a small but thoughtful bouquet selected on his way over. in his other hand was a book: a well-loved copy of a novel he'd spoken about to her just the previous week, its margins already marked with his handwriting. he'd jotted down a few observations, quiet thoughts he'd meant to share. by no means would geo have to read it, but it was an invitation: a conversation built between pages. now, standing outside her door, he wondered if it was a bit too much. before he could reconsider further, the door opened.
tomas blinked once, clearly caught off guard, the flowers shifting slightly in his grip as he felt the heat creep up his neck and across his face. "uhm," a quiet, apologetic laugh escaped him as he straightened instinctively. "i'm sorry, i was..." his words stumbled briefly as he tried to recover his composure. "i was looking for geo... dr. auclair, i mean." he offered a small smile, though still clearly flustered by the unexpected audience. "is she... home?"
once her sister had stepped out to run a few errands, the house felt silent in a different way than her shared apartment with lupe did. silent in the way that calmed her thoughts rather than made her focus on them. with all the blankets she could find and arty by her side, belle had made herself quite at home on geo's couch as she wallowed in self-pity, accompanied by the notebook on tv. belle had barely been there a day, yet had managed to nearly turn her sister's living room upside down, with a now melted tub of ice cream, multiple snacks and drinks strewn across the coffee table (and the floor), so she'd barely need to get up.
a loud sigh fell past her lips as she heard the sound of the doorbell echo throughout the house, rolling her eyes as she cursed, presumably geo, for forgetting her keys and making her leave the comfort of the fort she'd built herself. "damn, what too—" she said as she opened the door only to be met with a man she immediately recognized as guadalupe's brother. a man she'd only seen in photos, but it was him. her eyes slowly traveled down to the flowers in his hands, not quite piecing everything together just yet. "i... no, she's not. had to step for a bit. are you— a friend?.. or was she expecting you?" was her sister secretly seeing someone? was she secretly dating her roommate's brother without telling her? or did lupe fail to mention her brother worked as a delivery guy?
"you're welcome to wait for her inside." she said with a small smile, stepping back slightly as she invited him in. "i'm belle, by the way. her sister. ignore the mess in the living room— that's mine. i swear geo doesn't live like this." waving towards the chaos before glancing down at her sweats and frowning. not exactly what she envisioned herself wearing meeting tomas for the first time. "i mean, i don't either but y'know.. nevermind. can i, uh, get you something to drink? you can grab a seat. she shouldn't be long." belle motioned to the stools below the kitchen island.
open starter ( @marinastarters ) !
located outside of ambiance
the cigarette burned slowly between aria's fingers, its ember glowing softly each time she drew in a breath. the night air was cool against her cheeks, though it did very little to steady the tightness sitting squarely in the middle of her chest. she had kindly excused herself from the bar, saying she'd step outside for a moment of air, that was all. or that had been the plan, anyway. but the tears had come the way they sometimes did: sudden and stubborn. usually this sort of thing happened behind closed doors, whether that be in her office after a particularly heavy session or at home when the day finally loosened its grip on her composure. public sidewalks were decidedly not her preferred venue.
when she noticed someone approaching (or worse, noticing), embarrassment flickered immediately across her face. “oh,” a soft, breathy laugh escaped her, her free hand quickly swiping beneath her eyes as though the evidence might simply vanish if she moved quickly enough. “sorry,” she said, voice warm despite the slight tremor in it. “i’m alright, truly. it’s just...” a small pause, her gaze dropping for a second before lifting again with an apologetic smile. “allergies,” she finished gently, lifting the cigarette in a faint, self-aware gesture. “you know how it is.”
a heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach the second she stepped out of her vehicle and onto the streets of tower hill. not danger but rather a wave of sadness crashing into her long before she even spotted aria, only growing stronger the closer she got. for the most part, ayanna minded her business. she kept her head down unless someone spoke to her first. but as she approached the blonde, the first thing she noticed were her tears, and instinctively came to a halt. this was the very woman who had seen her cry more than anyone else. who had spent years helping her through so much. well, she couldn't walk past without making sure she was okay.
"doctor bellemore?" not a question. she knew who she was. more of a quiet announcement of her presence. ayanna had never been a smoker, but god, did she love the smell of a freshly lit cigarette. a moment passed as she let the silence and the smoke settle between them, taking a long, guilt-free, inhale. "trust me, if anyone knows how it is, it's me." ayanna glanced between the woman and the growing crowd inside ambiance. "i was just on my way to my shop if you'd like to join. couldn't sleep. i've got tons of allergy remedies... and some wine and scotch for the rest." she offered with a smile. "no pressure."
Dropping her eyes from the ceiling down to Belle, Lupe remained unmoving - words unspoken, but wreaking havoc in her thoughts. She didn’t understand why it always ended this way. Knowing what Belle knew, Guadalupe wondered if perhaps she truly didn’t care for what came after. A moment went by before she allowed herself to speak, maintaining a level of cautious softness in her tone, “ How does it help? ” she asked, shifting but not entirely moving away from her hold. “ Is it just easier for you to pretend? And what then? ” Bringing her hand up to brush Belle’s red mane back, she went on, “ We’ve been here before Belle. ” Belle - no longer her Isabelle. Lupe wondered if she noticed the change like she always did. Each word, though spoken with pure honesty, cut through her like a paper cut. She never even felt the slice. “ Must we keep making the same mistakes? ”
she let lupe speak. airing out the same frustrations and grievances she always had after giving in to belle. it was nothing she hadn't heard before, but each time it hurt no less than the last. as lupe shifted beneath her, belle moved to lie next to her, leaving a small bit of space she knew the other would appreciate. the questions kept coming, and belle's expression faltered more with each one. "i know.. i just— please?" because it was easier to pretend. she hadn't put much thought into anything beyond that, she simply dealt with the consequences as they came. the redhead winced as her nickname slipped past lupe's lips, a telltale sign that she already regretted the past hour, or however long, they'd spent together in her bed. the instant switch was terrifying but nothing new. "is that all this is to you? is a mistake all i'll ever be?" she asked, barely above a whisper as she fiddled with the strap of lupe's dress, searching for any distraction she could find.
belle circled the block a handful of times as she hummed and hawed over wether she really needed to impose, before finally pulling into her sister's driveway. no matter how big the problem or how small the inconvenience, belle always found herself in this exact spot— rushing to geovanna like she could fix anything in the world. and in all fairness, up until now she always had. with a deep breath and one last glance at herself in her rearview mirror, she reached for the duffle bag in the seat beside her. dragging her feet up the walkway as she searched her pockets for the set of keys she'd definitely forgotten when rushing out of her apartment. as if she wasn't feeling pathetic enough, she was left knock and wait. when the door finally opened, belle was quick to be the first to speak. "can i stay with you for a couple days?" never a question she really needed to ask, but suddenly she felt hyperaware of how consuming and exhausting she could be. even to geo. // @vib3sdontlie
coffee in one hand, sandwich in the other with her newest read carefully tucked under her arm, ayanna glanced around the coffee shop for a spot to sit and sighed at the full house. all of marina island had the same idea, apparently. walking over to the only empty seat at an otherwise taken table, she cleared her throat before speaking up. "sorry, i hate to be a bother.." and she really did. "do you mind if i join you, or is this seat reserved?"
belle dreaded this part. pulling away for the last time, equal parts flustered and breathless. she made no real effort to move from where she lay sprawled across lupe. a subconsciously effective way to stop her from running the moment the air changed between them. "stay?" the single word spoken so softly and full of hope. but even as she said it, belle braced herself for the worst knowing she'd already pushed her luck as it was. "we don't have to talk if you don't want to." an unmistakably pleading look filled her eyes as finally dared meet lupe's own. she typically avoided close eye contact fearing she'd see guilt or shame in her roommate's hazel hues, but she also usually avoided the possible heartache from asking her to stay. // @succulentwhims
dominic always made it a point to meet with first-time (potential) clients in person to gauge if there could be any chemistry with other people he was already working with. love wasn't just a feeling to him; it was a business. that came with trolls who find his job as a matchmaker to be a waste of time or others who have a vendetta against him because of their broken relationships. strangers or not, it all came with the territory, and sometimes, he had time for the nonsense. "are you supposed to be, ahem," he cleared his throat for dramatic effect as he read the name from his work email, "frank n. stein? we gotta get more creative, don't you think?"
if her sister were ever to find out that belle had gone to the extent of meeting up with a self-proclaimed cupid in an effort to spice up her love life, she'd probably kill her. so top secret business required a secret code name. y'know, to save her ass if it all went south. "well, it was between that and hugh jass but i figured you'd heard that one a few times before." she said with a laugh, finally turning to meet dominic's gaze. definitely not what she was expecting. "you really a matchmaker or is this your way of picking up girls?"
welcome to marina, ayanna morgan ( cis female, she/her ) ! they are a thirty-six year old who resides in hyland park. they work as a shop owner @ belladonna's and are said to look a lot like laura harrier. people around the island find them to be intuitive and grounded, but also fatalistic and withdrawn. what do you think?
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬.
full name. ayanna rose morgan. nicknames. yanna, yani. date of birth & age. february 20th 1990 / thirty-six. zodiac. pisces. gender & pronouns. cis woman & she/her. orientation. bisexual/biromantic. relationship status. single. place of birth. marina island. occupation. apothecary/occult shop owner. traits. intuitive, grounded, resourceful, perceptive, withdrawn, fatalistic, isolated.
𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲.
life was pretty easy in the beginning. an only child to parents who adored her and would move mountains to make sure she never went without anything. the quaint family life they had always dreamed of inside a comfy home in hyland park. her father predominantly worked as maintenance worker at the local motel and high school, and ran fishing tour guides for visitors in the summer, which was more a passion then his job. her mother was always the friendliest face at the grocery store where she truly loved being a manager. enough to get by with a little left over to spoil their girl was all they needed. both born & raised on marina island, the pair were high school sweethearts who loved each other more with each passing day who passed down nothing but kindness, happiness and warmth to ayanna. though happiness isn't as easy to find nowadays.
growing up, she kept mostly to herself, preferring spending time with her grandma (her nana donna) at her shop than hanging out with people her own age. sure she had a handful of friends and her high school basketball teammates, but she never found joy in field trips or crazy weekend parties the way her peers did. ayanna never strayed very far from her, spent all of her free time at the occult shop her grandma had opened in her twenties. inseparable and nearly indentical, ayanna inherited her sense of curiosity, her love for natural remedies and her gift of being able to connect with those who have passed. if you believe in that sort of thing.
her grandma had just received new inventory for her shop and unpacking the boxes full of trinkets, herbs and crystals was 10 year old ayanna's absolute favorite thing. so when her parents asked her if she wanted to join them on the boating outing they'd planned for the day, naturally, the answer was no. a divine intervention that would alter her entire life given it had been the first time she'd ever missed out on a boat day. the hours flew by quickly, losing track of time as she and her grandma sorted through every box and only when nightfall had completely settled did they notice her parents hadn't yet returned. the search party went on for days to no avail. to this day, she wonders if things would have been different if she'd agreed. if her parents would've turned back at the first sight of the storm ahead. if they would have stayed a little closer to shore. life went on as it does, ayanna moved in with her grandma and the house she once knew as hers went up for sale. slowly, she retreated more and more into herself, obsessing over all that could have been.
after graduating high school, her grandma tried to push her to see the world, chase her dreams whatever they may be but moving away, even for a short period of time never interested her. what she swore would only be a gap year, turned into two and three and her grandma eventually stopped asking what her plans were when she realized she was exactly where she needed and wanted to be.
𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬.
she has purse sage, car sage, shop sage & house sage. will never go anywhere without out.
has the cutest black cat, (gifted to her by nana just a year before her passing) named raven, who can often be seen roaming the shop. she refuses to let strangers pet her.
she finds ultimate peace by bodies of water but will never go in deeper than her knees. also hasn't been on a boat since the tragedy.
she's an absolute night owl! loves the darkness & quiet that comes at night.
she's afraid to love because she 1000% believes she loves people to death, literally. and you cannot convince her otherwise. immediately pulls away the second she gets the tiniest feeling.
welcome to marina, isabelle auclair ( cis female, she/her ) ! they are a thirty-two year old who resides in tower hill. they work as a personal assistant and are said to look a lot like madelaine petsch. people around the island find them to be endearing and spontaneous, but also envious and dogmatic. what do you think?
𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬.
full name. isabelle maude auclair. nicknames. belle, less of a nickname now and more of a preferred name. isa (ee-zah) is another, though more commonly used by friends and fam back in france. date of birth & age. august 9th 1993 / thirty-two. zodiac. big leo. gender & pronouns. cis woman & she/her. orientation. raging bisexual/biromantic. relationship status. single. place of birth. brantôme, france. occupation. personal assistant. traits. endearing, passionate, spontaneous, envious, stubborn, dogmatic.
𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲.
though she was more than likely not planned, belle never felt that way. and if she ever did, her parents would waste no time consoling her or reminding her that she was the perfect little surprise to complete the auclair family. the one who could do no wrong in her father's eyes despite being quite a handful and a little rebellious as a child, and never truly growing out of it. she'd always been one to speak her mind and push her luck.
she grew up in a strict household with rigid expectations and iron clad rules yet always seemed to get away with a little more than her older sister geovanna. which is probably why she thinks rules don't necessarily apply to her. belle was met with more wiggle room when it came to their parents' set standards of how the kids should act or behave. she was too young to truly notice that things were different when it came to her, and belle never questioned why or how that was until she was older and living on her own.
she doesn't remember their younger years or her parents divorce like geo does. she was sheltered and protected from the brunt of it by her sister. and she surely wouldn't be who she is today if she hadn't been. she often wonders how things would've been if the roles had been reversed and still carries the guilt of being so much luckier than geo on that front.
probably to geovanna's dismay, isabelle never strayed too far. still doesn't. typical little sister attached at the hip who followed her everywhere, climbed in her bed after a nightmare, got into her makeup and stole all her clothes (and this would be where her love for all things fashion started). her favorite person in the world since day one. so much so that when teachers asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always replied with the same answer; her sister.
as she got older, that answer eventually changed to wanting to be a fashion stylist. a stupid, unrealistic and frowned upon career choice according to her parents who hoped she'd follow her family's footsteps but she never let that get to her or change her stubborn mind. she had her sights set and would stop at nothing.
she got her first job at sixteen, working at a little boutique on the weekends and loved it for what it was but moving to nyc, chasing the american dream and making a life for herself as a fashion stylist was the goal. shortly after high school with financial support from her father and way more suitcases than she needed, belle boarded a flight and never looked back.
the real world hit her like a ton of bricks. achieving her goal had proven to be harder than she ever could've imagined. a bachelor's degree, outgoing personality and persistence is what eventually landed her the job at scarlet magazine as an intern, eventually moving up to editorial fashion assistant. a position in which she begrudgingly stayed in for 4 years. what was originally supposed to be a short vacation to marina island, getting out of the city to clear her head. some fresh air as she reevaluated her whole life, turned out to be a lot more than that. belle fell in love with everything she thought she'd hate, only returning to new york to quit her job, pack her life up move to marina just a month later.
she returns to france to visit friends and family for a week every 2 years or so. definitely not as close to her parents as she thought she would be, though she calls her dad nearly every week for money lmao brings up the fact that he ruined their family to really guilt him into giving her what she wants.
𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬.
belle has only ever been in one long term relationship (wc pls!!!!!). she's here for a good time, not a long time. always leaves before she's left and has a hard time truly being vulnerable.
she's eternally optimistic and believes everything will eventually work out in her favor. truly cannot break her as she believes failure is temporary. but when she doubts herself, it hits hard and quietly.
she texts back immediately!!! unless she's spiralling, which you'll know because she'll reply in 2-3 days.
social anxiety is afraid of her. she'll invite herself anywhere, barge into any apartment and make a b line for the fridge, inserts herself into situations and must know what everyone's dynamic is at a party.
she walks ten times faster when she's excited about something and will not shut up about said thing. tends to hyper fixate a lot and always talks with her hands.
has about 6 credit cards (seriously no clue how she gets approved for those) and has zero clue what she owes on them but still makes monthly minimum payments.