closed for. sidney faulkner — @sunl1ts.
location. county fair.
jackson doesn't know why he suggested it in the first place. maybe it was an olive branch that he was offering up after he had bared his soul to someone for the first time in what seemed like forever. someone who, by the way, jackson doesn't even know is gonna be here long enough anyways. he'd seen all types of people living in willow glen his whole life — seen people disappear and never come back, seen people come and go at the drop of a hat — and he never knew who was going to be which. so even if he offered his home to sidney, he had no idea if she was going to stay.
it was too late to turn back now anyways. his shitty pickup truck had roared to a stop on the fairgrounds, the radio that had played gently in the background of their drive fizzling out to a static before he turned the engine off, "remember—" he starts, unbuckling himself from the driver's seat and taking his leave from the car to walk around to sidney's side. like any southern gentleman, jackson was raised to open the door for his passenger, a principal he hasn't given up with age, "my treat tonight," he's pulling the squeaky door open when he addresses them again, "i see you pull out that wallet one time, sidney—" the threat doesn't get farther than that, dissipating into the warm evening air. jackson had been pooling his tips for the last week, stuffing them into his sock drawer after every shift to make sure he'd had enough for tonight. "food, games, anything for the house — on me, alright?"
the more sidney thinks about it, the more they realise how they have slowly but surely created some roots in this town — tiny and perhaps even fragile, but they are roots nonetheless ( though they believe they are at the mercy of the universe, waiting for whatever shitty hand they get dealt next ). it is a terrifying thought, to think they are giving themself something to lose when the next bad thing comes to ruin what they have — who they have, especially now. sidney can't help but agree to jackson's plan, to go with him to the county fair to get more stuff for their little home ( or at least, the makings of one ).
they ready themself to open the door before they are reminded there is such a thing as southern manners, head shaking slightly as their lips curl into a small, somewhat teasing, smile. eyebrow raises at jackson's words and sidney would be lying if they claimed to know how to even react to it, genuinely. "alright —" sidney starts, jumping out of the truck, hazel eyes glued to jackson, "what if i find something i really wanna get, it's the last one and there's someone that also wants it and you're nowhere around, jack?" there is a lopsided smirk on their lips now, gaze filled with playfulness. sidney lets a few heartbeats pass, trying not too thing too long about just being given something. "you gotta let me at least buy you a corndog or something."
" is it just me or is this band ... kind of bad ? " kind of was an understatement ⸻ the vocalist had been yodeling for the past thirty minutes while the drummer struggled to keep up with their pianist, who genuinely sounded like he was playing an entirely different song. noemi was no expert in anything to do with music, but this definitely was ... awful. an adjustment of a three-year-old in her arms, one that seems to agree as he covers his ears with an uncomfortable look on his face, tucked into her neck, teacher rubbing over his back. " are they local or something ? not that local is bad ! just ... curious. "
&. open starter, willow glen county fair stage. ( 0 / 4 )
there's a small chuckle that escapes the whitney once she hears noemi's words, head shaking as she takes a sip from the drink she's been nursing. "it's not just you, no. i think they are objectively bad. they would be the perfect band to go last to get everyone to clear this place." zarina had been looking at the stage with a mixture of annoyance and amusement — although her ears are not enjoying it, she knows it will be fuel for the talks of the town. that will keep people busy. "i've never heard of them. but if they are local, i don't think they like willow glen that much if they are subjecting us to this shit." although the words are less than nice, they still come attached to an amused half-chuckle, head shaking. "maybe they just want to see us bleed from our ears."
“ so i made us a flight of fair foods , ” as if the trays of fried delicacies displayed across the weathered table wasn't enough of a giveaway . “ personally , i'm a big , big fan of funnel cake — however … cinnamon sugar cheesecake bombs ? might be a contender for the top spot . “ arms fold across his chest like he just did his big one . ” so what's your first pick ? are you feeling more sweet or savory ? "
a small chuckle escapes sidney before they can even properly react. "when did you even get all of this together, dude?" eyebrow quirks up playfully before she turns to the table. arms crossed, sidney takes on the role of a serious judge as they look over the trays though it was all for show. she would be lying if she said she didn't want to try all of it but a decision comes quicker than they thought it would. "definitely sweet. you know what, i'll start strong and go for the cheesecake bombs, top spot and all." not contender. a small tease — funnel cake was never really her go-to, anyway. "what are you starting with? the second place fair food?" words exchanged about the funnel cake before sidney takes a bite into one of the cheesecake bombs.
❛ ⅋ 𝐢. 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 ━ setting description : event one , the rodeo.
🦢 ﹕ ʚɞ the wide brim of her hat casts a careful shadow across her face , its edge softened only by the single bloom pinned there. cut that morning from her own garden. the rodeo stretches out before her in all its noise and dust. a tradition willow glen insists on calling unchanged. though vivienne has lived long enough to know better. time refuses to preserve things , it loosens them. it softens standards , invites a kind of carelessness she has never quite learned to tolerate. “it used to be different ,” she says. “people understood what it meant to be seen. even here.”
her gaze drifts before settling on the person beside her. she takes them in the way one might assess a room , noting every detail without appearing to linger too long in any one place. there is a faint pause , the suggestion of something almost like a smile , though it never reaches her eyes. “sunday best , always ,” vivienne continues , tilting her head just slightly. “it was less about the occasion and more about the respect one had for it.” another glance , sharper this time , though still impeccably polite. “now …” she lets the word rest between them , “it seems anything will suffice.”
almost three decades living with a shitty hand dealt to her the moment she is born, sidney's skin has grown thick. so, instead of growing self-conscious about the way the woman speaks and seems to study every inch of sidney's chosen outfit ( dark denim jeans, brown boots to go along with the whole rodeo thing and a light jacket that falls under the casual umbrella ). "sunday best? guess i missed the dress code part on the welcome to willow glen brochure." as if they wouldn't have just used that piece of paper to scribble some improvised shopping list. "maybe people don't really care how they're seen or if they're seen. i sure as hell have nothing to lose by dressing how i wanna dress. no big family name to live up to." with those last words, sidney's fingers dancing as she spoke. "why is it so important, anyway?"
› 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚂 : closed for @sunl1ts.
› 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 : the corn dog stand @ the county fair.
"shit!" she exclaims, suddenly feeling stupid. there's mustard all over the cardigan she'd been wearing over her dress, which is probably going to feel way too revealing if she takes it off, "i knew it was a mistake to eat this standing up. do you have, like, a tide pen or something? this is going to have to go to the dry cleaners, i think, but it's worth a shot." she begins dabbing at the stain, only making it worse, and then sighs in frustration. she doesn't know why, but she turns back to the person who's been watching this entire debacle and poses a question to them, as if it really matters — she will be losing the cardigan for the night, "do you think it's fine if i take it off? i don't — i'm not used to wearing things that are too low-cut."
zarina had slowly but surely grown fond of the town of willow glen, familiarity ten years in the making. and she had grown into a big fan of corndogs, especially those eaten at local fairs, no matter what event brought them out. zara is in the line to get something to eat when the woman's focus gets pulled from the inside of her mind onto the familiar figure, the image of a spoiled cardigan with mustard yellow staining it catching zarina's attention. "i don't usually walk around with tide pens, unfortunately." the words are playful, yet the tone remains flat. "and i think you gotta answer that question yourself — so it comes down to if you would rather walk around with a stained cardigan or without it, completely. i think the dress is fine but it's up to you."
🏜️ ⋆ ⭒˚。 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓! ──── 𝑂𝑃𝐸𝑁 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑅𝑇𝐸𝑅 ( capping at five )
Despite wearing pristine suits and sitting behind a desk most of the day, Jasper loved to be in the outdoors, especially at the stock show and rodeo hosted by his good friends the Whitneys. He adored being a part of the excitement, a part of the traditions of Willow Glen.
One of his favourites was the fudge stall that was set up by one of the local elderly women, who made thirteen different types of fudge by hand, but only sold them on this day of the year. Jasper, having a sweet-tooth, had made a beeline for the stall in the hopes of getting the best selection.
He was always one to help local businesses, so, as he tucked into a piece of salted caramel fudge, decided to persuade the person closest to him to jump on the bandwagon too.
“Oh, you should definitely try those,” Jasper said with a smile. “They’re incredible. It’s a shame you only ever see them once a year at the rodeo. That lady should really make a shop dedicated to it and have it open seven days a week.”
a year in and sidney still cannot get used to how different things are in towns like willow glen — and they don't know whether it's because it's a whole new state or because it's smaller than the city she'd come to know better than their own self.
sidney stands with their arms crossed in front of a stall, mind battling whether or not she felt patient enough to deal with the small talk they would inevitable be hit with if they approached the booth. although they are good at it ( a survival tool just as any other, especially if you're relying on charm to get you through ), sidney would rather not go through it.
of course, the universe has a sick sense of humour when it comes to their life.
sidney takes a deep breath, smile already growing on her lips before she turns to face her new company. "i don't doubt it but every time i eat fudge, i spend more time making sure my teeth are clean rather than actually enjoying it." she lets out a breathless and short chuckle. "and if you know the lady, you could always go to her place and pay her for a tray of it, right? all year 'round? unless that'd be weird."
ꗃ 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 . . . ⵌ 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨
» welcome to the rodeo ( 1 / 5 )
⋆ 𓂃 “ woah — wait , hold up . . . which way is the cotton candy booth ? ” noah assesses his surroundings , phone in hand . an alleged map of the fair is pulled up with a confused look on his face — very reminiscent of a kid that got separated from his mom and doesn't know how to get back , even at his big age .
swallowing his pride , he decides to ask the person closest to him in hopes that they had more luck with overpriced & mediocre food than he did . “ i don't wanna seem like an idiot walkin' 'round the whole place lookin' for snacks , so if you could help me find where this stupid stall is , i'd really appreciate it . 'm pissed 'cause it's literally supposed to be right here . ”
for zara, there is something that is both daunting yet engaging about being in a crowd ( there are no crowds like this one in illinois, that's for sure ) — it is overwhelming yet a great opportunity to go by completely unnoticed, a known last name becoming but an accessory instead of something that pulls her to a spotlight she does not wish to be under.
and so, there is no direction to the steps zarina takes. she slowly wanders, fresh lemonade in hand as eyes scan everything she goes by — from things to people, that is where her attention lies. that is, until a voice interrupts her stroll.
for a heartbeat, zarina just looks at the newfound company. "ah, cotton candy." words repeated with an amused tone, a lopsided smile growing on her lips. "you can't find it because that crowd over there —" she points at a gather of people "— is covering the booth." you would think someone famous is manning the cotton candy, zarina thinks it but does not say it. "apparently, they're doing something new with it this year. dunno if it's flavour or... whatever else. i was thinking of getting some but it seemed like it might take a while."
⋆ ⭒˚。 [ ashley moore, cis woman, she & her. ] i can’t believe i just saw zarina whitney down at the rodeo ! you know, the thirty - two year old assistant & freelance photographer that’s been in willow glen for ten years ? i always see them hanging around moonlight drive in and live out in magnolia ridge — which sounds about right considering how much they remind me of fiddling nervously with a necklace that is never taken off, having a smile grow even if there is no real meaning behind it, losing to insomnia and spending the night wandering streets that feel unfamiliar, using tv shows as background noise while doing anything because silence is scary . most of the residents in willow glen tend to describe zara as being real loyal, but the town’s rumor mill would say otherwise, claiming they can be rather reserved behind closed doors. i’ve never seen that side of them, but lately we’ve all heard about her possession of pictures that show truths that could ruin people’s lives, which has gotten a lot of folks in town talking.
wanted dynamics ✦ pinterest
full name: zarina adara whitney. nickname(s): zara. date of birth: tbd, 1994. gender: cis woman. pronouns: she & her. romantic / sexual orientation: biromantic bisexual. place of birth: chicago, illinois. languages: english, spanish.
faceclaim: ashley moore. hair: dark brown. eyes: dark brown. height: five foot eight inches / 173 cm. build: athletic, toned. tattoos: tbd. piercings: tbd. scars: tbd.
mother: samara whitney. status: deceased. father: oliver harris. status: alive. sibling(s): to be added. status(es): alive. children: none. vice: resentfulness. virtue: patience. weather: sunny but chilly. food: smash burger and fries. beverage: black coffee.
zarina was never meant to live a life that felt ordinary, shaped early on by a mind that moved faster than the world around her and a childhood that never quite fit the mold it tried to follow. she was born in chicago, the daughter of a man whose name carried weight and a woman who carried everything else. oliver harris was present in the ways that could be measured — milestones remembered, expectations quietly set — but it was samara who raised her, who left her own home behind to build something in a city that was never meant to be permanent. they never married, and zarina took her mother’s name, growing up in a space that existed just slightly outside the lines of her father’s carefully maintained life. it didn’t take long for it to become obvious that she was different, that whatever path she was on would not resemble anyone else’s. skipping grades became routine, normalcy something her mother tried to preserve but could never quite hold onto, and by fifteen zarina had already stepped into university, her future narrowing into something precise and inevitable as she moved toward medicine with a focus that felt less like choice and more like design.
everything held, steady in its own way, until it didn’t. in her third year of medical school, somewhere between exhaustion and routine, she got the call that split her life cleanly in two — an accident, sudden and unforgiving, her mother gone before anything could be done, pronounced dead on scene with a finality that left no room for denial. whatever structure zarina had built for herself collapsed under the weight of it, leaving behind something hollow and unrecognizable. she withdrew from medical school without hesitation, not out of uncertainty but because nothing about her life made sense anymore. the months that followed blurred into something shapeless, grief settling in quietly but completely, cutting her off from everything that had once defined her. her father tried to reach her, in the only ways he knew how, but zarina met it all with distance, pushing away concern, expectation, and anything that required her to engage with a world that had already taken too much.
leaving chicago wasn’t a decision so much as an inevitability, a quiet shift toward something that didn’t require explanation. willow glen had always been there in fragments — brief visits, familiar names, a side of her family she had never fully known — and when she arrived, it was less about belonging and more about not staying where she was. she spent her first weeks with the whitneys before settling into the house her mother had always intended for her, a place that felt both foreign and inevitable all at once. the town welcomed her the way it welcomed everyone, warm and watchful, the kind of place where people seemed to know more than they said and nothing stayed hidden for long. zarina exists there now in that same in-between state she’s always occupied — not the prodigy she once was, not the person she was supposed to become, but something quieter, more uncertain. for the first time, there is no clear direction forward, no carefully constructed plan to follow. just a town that feels too small for secrets and a life she has yet to decide what to do with.
𝘵𝘭𝘥𝘳 . . . her life
zarina grew up in chicago as the daughter of a powerful but distant father and a devoted single mother, quickly set apart by a level of intelligence that pushed her far beyond a normal childhood. a child prodigy, she skipped grades, enrolled in university at fifteen, and went on to medical school with both her parents’ support, though it was always her mother who remained her constant. everything unraveled in her third year when her mother died suddenly in an accident, leaving zarina to withdraw from school and disappear into her grief, pushing away her father and everything else in the process. after months of barely existing, she left chicago behind entirely and moved to willow glen, texas, seeking out her mother’s family and settling into the life her mother had quietly prepared for her — not to start over, but simply because she no longer knew where else to go.
⋆ ⭒˚。 [ madelyn cline, demi woman, they & them. ] i can’t believe i just saw sidney faulkner down at the rodeo ! you know, the twenty - eight year old waitress at frank’s that’s been in willow glen for a year ? i always see them hanging around flo’s and live out in the oaks — which sounds about right considering how much they remind me of a bad always filled with essentials and ready to go even when roots are being created, everyone around you only knowing what you allow them to, feeling alone even when surrounded by a growing crowd, silky hair sprawled on a pillow when sleep doesn’t come. most of the residents in willow glen tend to describe sid as being real adaptable, but the town’s rumor mill would say otherwise, claiming they can be rather unreliable behind closed doors. i’ve never seen that side of them, but lately we’ve all heard about her being the love child of an affair involving known names around town, which has gotten a lot of folks in town talking.
wanted dynamics ✦ pinterest
full name: sidney quinn faulkner. nickname(s): sid. date of birth: tbd, 1998. gender: demi woman. pronouns: they & them. romantic / sexual orientation: biromantic bisexual. place of birth: san diego, california. languages: english, spanish.
faceclaim: madelyn cline. hair: dark blonde with lighter streaks throughout. eyes: hazel. height: five foot six inches / 168 cm. build: athletic, toned. tattoos: tbd. piercings: tbd. scars: tbd.
mother: unknown. status: unknown. father: unknown. status: unknown. sibling(s): unknown. status(es): unknown. children: none. vice: deceit. virtue: fortitude. weather: just warm enough, especially late warm nights. food: sweet and sour chicken. beverage: caramel machiatto.
sidney was left behind before she was old enough to understand what being unwanted meant, abandoned in a hospital bathroom in los angeles with no name attached to her beginning and no one coming back for her. from the start, their life was reduced to paperwork and temporary placements, passed from one foster home to another with a pattern that never quite broke. she learned early that trust was conditional, that kindness often came with an expiration date, and that belonging was something other people experienced — not her. there was a family that came closer than the rest, close enough that she almost believed she could stay, that they could be something more than a placement to be managed, but when it came time to handle the parts of them shaped by abandonment and instability, they faltered. and sidney noticed. they always noticed. after that, whatever hope she had left hardened into something sharper, more guarded, and they stopped trying to fit into spaces that were never meant to keep her.
los angeles raised them in all the ways that mattered after that, the nights stretching long as she slipped out of places that never felt like home and into a world that demanded they learn quickly or be left behind. she became familiar with the rhythm of the streets, with the kind of people who didn’t ask questions and the kind of situations that taught her how to think on her feet. she learned how to read people, how to mirror what they wanted to see, how to become someone else when it meant getting through another day. by the time she aged out at eighteen, there was no illusion left about what came next — she was on their own, just as she had always been. they chose their own surname, something that belonged only to them, a quiet refusal to carry a name that had never been given with intention. the transitional housing program she entered was meant to offer structure and a path forward, but sidney had never been built for rules that didn’t bend. they lied when they needed to, took what opportunities she could find, and learned how to survive through reinvention, even if it meant blurring the line between truth and fiction until it barely existed at all.
nothing she built ever lasted long. jobs slipped away as quickly as she found them, stability something that never quite stuck, and eventually even the program designed to help her had enough. being forced out wasn’t a shock — just another shift in a life defined by impermanence — and sidney adapted the only way she knew how, couch surfing between acquaintances and half-friends, talking her way into spaces they didn’t belong and staying just long enough to make them work. some would call them a conwoman, someone who lived off deception and borrowed trust, but sidney has always seen it differently — survival, plain and simple, shaped by the hand she was dealt. still, even the best lies have limits, and all it took was one person, one miscalculation, for everything to unravel. someone who didn’t take kindly to being fooled, someone who made it clear that staying in los angeles was no longer safe. leaving wasn’t optional, and willow glen was never part of the plan — just a place they ended up, quieter than anything she was used to, the kind of town where people notice more than they should. it should have been temporary, another stop before moving on, but for reasons she doesn’t fully understand, sidney has stayed — not quite settled, not quite running, caught somewhere in between for the first time in her life.
𝘵𝘭𝘥𝘳 . . . her life
sidney was abandoned as an infant in los angeles and raised in the foster system, growing up without stability and learning early not to trust anyone meant to care for them. after bouncing between homes — including one that almost felt real but ultimately failed her — they became increasingly defiant and self-reliant, sneaking out and learning to survive on the streets. aging out at eighteen, she chose her own surname and entered a transitional housing program, but continued living through lies, reinvention, and whatever it took to get by, eventually losing even that support and drifting between places and people. when one of their cons went too far and forced them to leave l.a., they ended up in willow glen by chance — intending it to be temporary, but staying anyway, caught between the instinct to run and something unfamiliar that’s begun to keep her in place.