#c. hennessy

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Where: Wine & Dine - Haunted Vineyard Maze Whom: Bianca Costa @illustratemyillusions

The night had that particular October bite to it. The vineyard maze rustled and whispered with every gust of wind, the dry grapevines scratching against each other like old bones. Cressida let out a quiet laugh, half-amused, half-exasperated with herself. She had built the damn maze, drawn the paths, hung the lanterns, even written the riddles in the scarecrow stations. Somehow though she had managed to get turned around.

"Brilliant, Cress." she muttered to herself, "You own the place and you're still the first lost soul of the night." She had probably had a little too much wine, which didn't help much. She turned a corner, smiling softly as the lantern flickered across someone's face. She'd been hoping to see her again, but there was no way she would have gotten the opportunity. She was sure of it.

"Bianca?" she breathed out, "Well, this is a surprise." Her voice was sing song. Her fingers fidgeted with the crystal that hung around her neck. She walked over to her, letting her eyes drink her up. "You decided to brave the haunted maze? Or did you come to haunt me." she teased her. Her words made her laugh. She might have been a little more drunk than she had planned on being.

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Where: Wine & Dine @turtlebay-starters

The house was still. The faint sweetness of a lavender and vanilla candle burning on the coffee table. Cressida sat at her desk in silence. The ledger book lay open before her, neat columns of numbers. She lifted her coffee up and took a gentle sip. She hummed. It wasn't quite fall, but she was certainly treating it as such. Starting her day with a pumpkin spice latte. Her gazed lifted and she twisted in her seat. Then... a knock.

Her brow furrowed. Not very many people arrived this early. Some came for afternoon sips, late night parties, but morning? Certainly not. She rose to stand up, tiptoeing across the cold hardwood floor. At the door, she paused, palm resting against the wood as she peaked up through the little window. Then with a flick of her wrist, she pulled it open.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

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[ 🍃 ]ㅤ.ㅤdo they feel like they belong ? (Cressida)

When Cressida was young, she would have said no. There was absolutely no way in hell that Turtle Bay was going to keep her here. She loved her sister. She loved her aunts. But this town was not where she belonged. Now though, she realizes that everything happens for a reason. She had to leave so that she could come back and appreciate being here. She is exactly where she belongs.

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[ 💤 ]ㅤ.ㅤhow do they sleep ? curled up, sprawled, holding onto something

For Cressida

Cressida has never been a good sleeper. She has severe insomnia and often drinks too much so that the wine will knock her out. She sleeps in various different. However, since dating Bianca, she has found that she sleeps a million times better with someone and snuggling is apparently very important for a good-nights sleep.

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MIDNIGHT MARGERITAS Where: Wine & Dine Whom: Theodora Hennessy @illustratemyillusions

The clock blinked 12:03 a.m., and the kitchen smelled like lime and mischief. Cressida stood barefoot on the cool tile floor, her silk robe tied carelessly at the waist. The moonlight spilled through the window, painting silver strips across the counter where a half-empty bottle of tequila gleamed beside a small mountain of salt and sliced limes.

She was humming something low, one of the tunes that the aunts had taught them when they were younger. "Midnight margaritas!" she announced, lifting the bottle with a grin. "Because clearly, sleep is for people who don't have unresolved emotions or impeccable taste."

She began to pour, not bothering with measurement. "Two parts chaos, one part regret, and a healthy splash of bad decisions." She said, glancing in the direction of her sister. "Now, what are we cursing or celebrating tonight, hmm?"

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BASICS:

full name: Cressida Hennessy

nicknames: Cress

age: 57

dob: February 29th, 1968

hometown: Turtle Bay, South Carolina

current location: Turtle Bay, South Carolina

neighborhood: Countryside

occupation: Owner of Wine & Dine

gender: Female

pronouns: She / Her

sexuality: Pansexual

relationship status: Single

POSITIVE TRAITS: Cultured + Sharp Witted + Visionary

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Perfectionist - Prideful - Cynical

theme song: Therefore I Am by Billie Eilish

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

face claim: Gillian Anderson

hair color: Blonde

eye color: Blue

height:  5'2

weight: 110lbs

build: Average

tattoos: [.001] [.002]

piercings: Ears, Belly Button, Tongue

FAMILY:

mother: Ophelia Hennessy.

father: Lincoln Warner

aunts: Evangeline & Selena Hennessy

siblings: Theodora Hennessy (twin)

children: None.

pet(s): Chardonnay (black cat)

BIOGRAPHY:

Cressida and Theodora Hennessy grew up among the rows of grapes and the scent of earth and wine. After their father died, their mother abandoned her and her sister. They were raised by her two aunts who owned and tended a vineyard, Wine & Dine. Their home was a place of warm chaos and quiet power: dinners that stretched into midnight with candles burning low, the clink of glasses, and the conversations that wove between local gossip and half-forgotten bits of folklore. To Cressida, it was magic - earthy, intoxicating, home.

Eager to prove herself outside of Turtle Bay, she left for Harvard, where she earned a law degree and forged a reputation as a sharp, relentless mind. Marriage followed, marrying a man at the top of their class. Warner was not the one though. In fact, he was the biggest mistake of her life. He began to beat her and when Theodora found out... it was either divorce or murder. When the marriage collapsed, Theo wanted her to go home and so she did.

Back in Turtle Bay, Cressida stepped into her aunts' shoes, taking over Wine & Dine. To her, the vineyard is more than land - it's a legacy of resilience and womanhood. She runs it with elegance and iron.

Now in her element, Cressida is as complex as the vintages she bottles: polished yet earthy, charming yet uncompromising. She is quite superstitious and believes in all the things that nature has to offer.