hi everyone! iโm excited to finally introduce lim jian to you all! also known as the lifelong seomri resident who always says i hate it here yet hasn't made an effort to actually leave. i've left more about her and a few plot ideas under the cut.. if you're interested in plotted with jian, leave a like on this post and i'll reach out!
being born and raised in seomri, every fiber of jian is intertwined with the place. from the small kid who could barely keep up with the others as she chased them to the young adult barely making it through the day on three hours of sleep, jianโs pretty sure 98.5% of her total time alive has been spent there.
she grew up in a household containing parents that wanted her to be extremely successful and become something bigger than what seomri could offerโฆ but only in ways they considered respectable. they pushed her to do well in school and encouraging anything that would make her a well-rounded individual. this even led to her summers being filled with helping out around town as a teen, earning her some brownie points.
the older she got, the heavier those expectations became. it grew more obvious that the only thing that ever really fulfilled her was music. she wasnโt good at studying like her parents had hoped, and frankly the careers they wanted for her werenโt ones she could see herself in. the topic actually caused a huge rift between jian and her parents, starting small when she was a teen rebelling against them and still ongoing.** jianโs unsure if the fuss was all because they wanted an excuse to leave through her or if they genuinely wanted her to be their perfect, successful child that they could brag about. either way sheโs still disappointing them so she doesnโt care to find out which it is.
** during her teenage years, jian rarely ever actually got into real trouble. she stayed out past curfew, snuck out, ditched family plans, and sometimes wasnโt exactly where she told her parents she would be, but she knew her limits. most of those nights, sheโd end up somewhere quiet, staring up at the sky. stargazing was something that made everything she was dealing with feel small, and that often was an effective method to ground herself when she was in her head too much..
despite barely speaking to her parents present day, jian still keeps up the appearance that everything is fine between them. to everyone else, theyโre a perfectly functional family. her parents care way too much about how theyโre perceived, and sheโs never quite had it in her to disrupt that image after entering her twenties. it was easier letting them frame her as someone whoโs just momentarily confused and hasnโt quite figured things out yet. because the truth is she does know what she wants. she just doesnโt want to explain her reasoning or why sheโs never been entirely convinced itโs something someone like her is allowed to have or could achieve.
jianโs kind of been living with an inferiority complex her entire life. itโs not something she talks about. she doesnt even fully acknowledge it herself, but it's hard to ignore with the things she cares about. like her singing, or her writing. literally anything she creates. itโs just hard for her to not compare herself to others when she puts so much of herself into those things and just wants to be good enough. most days itโs easy for her to ignore, but sheโs just so unhappy with those particular things that itโs threatening to spill into every other aspect of her life. sheโs doing her best to not let it, but she's only human.
layback is possibly the main thing keeping her head above the water right now. as unhealthy as it is, itโs her entire world at the moment, and she uses it as the main pro in her life to cope with the several cons she can easily list about her life. the tiktok attention has had her more motivated than she has ever been in recent time, so you can say that maybe has negated at least three cons off her list. but some people might argue that sheโs wish-washy about the band now since sheโs also been juggling and momentarily prioritizing her job as well, but most of her time and attention still goes to layback. as one of her top priorities, she fits everything else in her life around anything concerning layback, even if it doesnโt always look that way to people on the outside. not like she cares that much what outsiders think... as long as her bandmates know she's full committed, then it 's all fine... right?
speaking of her job, she doesnโt mind bartending at the wheat barrel. she actually likes it on most days, but itโs still not something she sees herself doing long-term. she shows up because sheโs getting paid, and does well enough to not get fired. ideally, sheโd want to fully focus on music, but unfortunately the world runs on money, which she needs. but still, itโs an enjoyable job, especially when she pulls a prank or can annoy her favorites.
jian is pretty friendly, typically mirroring others and matching their energy, which sometimes makes conversation easy with her. but itโs typically low-effort and of little substance since she had a lifetime experience of refraining from sharing too much about herself to remain likable.
donโt be fooled, she likes to joke around. her humor leans more dry and is often delivered with a straight face, which makes it hard to tell if sheโs serious at firstโฆ but sheโs also easily amused so people arenโt left wondering for long. she often gives herself away once she starts smirking. she also has a tendency to playfully tease the people sheโs comfortable enough with.
while she is pretty easy-going most of the time, she does have bit of a temper. but she doesnโt really lash out. instead, she either gives short responses, distances herself, or both. but sheโs also not spiteful so she doesnโt stay angry for long.
sheโs also spontaneous, typically opting to change something or go somewhere on a whim. this often leads to her wanting to take a day trip elsewhere the moment she gets bored and has nothing to do all day. some may say that her ability to make plans and effectively make herself unavailable has been a hindrance on multiple occasions.
but all in all, sheโs generally closed off, valuing her independence, but she also really loves having others around. she cares for those around her, even if she doesnโt express it openly. because saying it feels a little awkward for her, she makes sure it comes through in her actions at the very least.
jian also has a handful of small, fun quirks. like the fact that she carries a harmonica on her at all times. she refuses to play it if anyone actually asks her to, since itโs more so about having it there within reach. she jokingly calls it her emotional support harmonica. though, she has whipped it out to abruptly end a conversation before.
for plots, i like to brainstorm them since iโm typically open to anything, but iโm leaving a few ideas below:
friends? i think jian has always used the word a little too easily and claimed people as friends even if the feeling isnโt mutual. so she probably has a lot of โfriendsโ of varying degrees. maybe itโs real, one-sided, or somewhere in between. i would love it if she had a one or two, maybe three friends that she considered her closest friends that may or may not have been there throughout the past few years!
the wheat barrel regulars? as a bartender there, she tries not to give anyone special attention, but she's only human. maybe they continue coming because she gives them special treatment or maybe she has it out for them... could be both. she likes joking around and once she picks a target she's all-in with the teasing and harmless pranks.
someone who shares her deep interest in the arts? she likes nearly every form and is always willing to partake in any creative activity. maybe they spend time making things together/getting each otherโs opinions, or maybe she makes it a harmless, healthy competition between them.
someone who knows about her ten step plan to leave and has yet to see her make an attempt towards step one. in fact, the more she talks about it the further down her roots in seomri seem to grow. whether they call her out on it or just quietly watch and listen to her complain is up to you.
people who entertain/encourage her whims and more often than not ends up getting dragged along with her. (includes but not limited to spontaneous trips, last-minute plans, or little โquestsโ like deciding to dye her hair for the umpteenth time)
