occupation: farm hand & riding instructor; previously rode on the rodeo circuit.
work place: Harmony Healers (at Harmony Ranch).
family: none in town!
relationship status: single.
personality
Outgoing and ambitious, Ashleigh is the kind of person who sets a goal for herself and does not stop until she's reached it. She's fiery and passionate, and has a sharp tongue and sharper mind and stands up for herself and for her beliefs without hesitation. She's been around the world (well, mostly the country) and has seen a thing or two, but has remained humble and kind, just the way her parents raised her. She loves animals and nature above all else, and enjoys a good glass of wine and a slow dance on the beach, and finds happiness chasing sunsets and sunrises. A friendly type that has the loudest laugh in the room and the brightest smile in the world when she turns on the charm.
portrayed by Kylie Bunbury; penned by Katie.
full biography / background
triggering / sensitive content warning: none.
Keith and Elin Narine had a love story for the ages: a young man looking for work on a Texas ranch, and a young woman who was smitten at first sight. It was the kind of romance in Hallmark and Lifetime movies, only made better when after years of trying, they welcomed their baby girl -- Ashleigh Eva -- into the world.
A bright, adventurous child, Ashleigh was the apple of her daddy's eye and her mother's best friend. From the moment that she could walk, she spent long hours in the barns, helping her father with the chores, promising her mother to wash up before dinner, and the only thing that she ever really asked for... was a horse of her own. A dream in her heart of riding professionally the way she saw the women do at the rodeo that she loved to attend with her folks.
But before the four legged best friend came the two legged one: Kennedy Warren, her platonic soulmate, her partner in crime, the sister that she never knew she wanted until she had her. The two were practically inseperable, finding each other in the hallways at school, spending summers arm in arm around town. Kennedy supported Ashleigh when she finally got that horse of her own and entered the junior rodeo circuit, Ashleigh had Kennedy over for long weekend sleepovers when home life got stressful. But as so often happens, graduation tore them apart, with Kennedy leaving town abruptly, and Ashleigh making her own big decision: time to chase her dream.
Thankfully, all of her years of riding, lessons and training paid off, and when Ashleigh made the decision to hunker down and really try to do this rodeo thing professionally, it paid off. She started small and slow, but worked her way to the top, traveling all over the country and riding barrels like there was no tomorrow. She received trophies, awards, recognition down south, magazine covers, even a few endorsements, but still called her folks every weekend to catch up, still flew home on the holidays. It was a good life, but riding Cheyenne... winning her event, that was it for her. That was the top of the top, and Ashleigh realized that even the best chapter of a book eventually needed to end.
She decided to study. Enrolling in a college in New York, she took up therapeutic horsemanship, working hard and eventually graduating and then going on to receive her certification needed to work in the field. For a little while, she taught lessons in New York... but knew that it wasn't what she wanted long term. So she made the decision: she'd take a year off, go somewhere warm, tropical, live by the ocean, have one big vacation, and if she hadn't figured out her life, she'd go home to Texas, start her own riding school, see what life had in store.
What life had in store, however, was a twist of fate. While packing her bags in Costa Rica (she had found the cutest little beach bungalow to spend the year), an email that she thought for sure would be her flight confirmation pinged her phone... a job opportunity. A therapeutic riding program had a leadership position open in a small town in Maine. Not just any small town, either: a few clicks on Instagram confirmed it -- Merrock, Maine, where Kennedy had ended up. Getting to reconnect with her childhood best friend and do something that made her heart soar? Ashleigh immediately canceled and rebooked her flight, finished packing her bags, and headed off for a new life on the coast of Maine.
Though Adya is not a cruel person, the saying 'cruel to be kind' rings true to her personality. What some may say is lacking tact, Adya thinks is being honest. Direct. There's no time to waste or a moment to be spared, life is for the living and death is not a fate she's hoping to meet soon. The people she loves are lucky to be in her life and the people she no longer has in her life will never have a space in it again. Though her thinking can be very black and white, Adya knows that holding onto facts over feelings is what has driven her to be as successful as she is. Adya is levelheaded, hardworking, responsible and balanced -- working hard to play just as hard. Behind such a pragmatist, the idea of a life half lived is even more terrifying than the idea of letting go. Nerves of steel and a heart of silver, Adya wonders sometimes if she wants to do more than what she's planned for herself or if she really is content just being where she is.
Adya's first memories are in a hospital room -- not their birth of course, but the beeping. The smell. The scratchiness of the bed sheets. Newly orphaned at almost three years old, Adya was lucky to have survived the car accident that her parents fell fatal to. She remembers the kindness, the warmth in such a sterile place. It's sad to think that she remembers this more than she remembers her birth parents, the ache of them deep and like a thought you can almost remember but can't quite place. Nalini and Parvin were nothing short of wonderful parents to Adya in her birth parents stead, doting and kind, giving her the choice to keep her last name or adopt their own. Aisha was the apple of her eye once she came along and anything that connected her to this familial structure was welcome -- after all -- they were the only family she really knew.
Upon moving out of the UK, Adya was anxious as she had not really planned for it. A meticulous planner, a lister, more organized than most teens her age -- she did not anticipate this move. While she had done dancing from an early age even if only to incorporate some movement into her life (that was not agonizing as she was not a runner and had no interest in kicking a ball around), she actually found herself fitting into her new school. It felt like a juxtaposition, a very studious, seemingly straightlaced, no nonsense person who dreamed of being a doctor on her school's dance team? It was the edge that helped her get into Stanford, as they felt she was more than just an aspiring Pre-Med student who wanted to help people. It was true that there was much more to Adya than that, though the minute university started Adya found herself deprioritizing dance for more lab hours, internships, readings, anything that could fast track her to Med School. Her social life was minimal; her parents and sister were the people she was closest to along with a handful of friends she found herself making. Aside from the music festivals, raves and vacations -- Adya was not one to let loose. Not when she had a goal in mind and a plan to execute.
Getting into Brown for Med School was a change that Adya was not sure they'd be able to make, but fell in love with the seaside town of Providence quite easily. Brown helped them redefine their wants, both personally and holistically in the medical field. Where passion meets purpose rang true to Adya -- realizing how much she really was passionate about her profession unlike so many of the people she'd met in school who seemed to be on autopilot. After many discussions with their family, they realized they had the stomach to go into surgery -- particularly trauma surgery. It felt full circle, as it was the trauma surgeon's who had saved little Adya all those years ago.
However, the pressure of a residency somewhere big and renowned did not call to her even though they were clamoring to have her -- she was wanting to practice medicine to help people, after all. Not for the ego boost, the accolades, the degree signage but the people. They picked Merrock, a small town alike Providence in weather and background, a town she had visited once on a small vacation getaway. Now in her seventh year of residency and in Maine, Adya can say she's found a home in Merrock. After her sister joined her a few years back, on her weekly facetime call with her parents she begs them to retire here. Make no mistake that Adya is happy with the life they've created here but sometimes they wonder if they should see more of the world, if they should've gone to a different place for their residency, if they should look into settling down properly or hit the reset button entirely. Abandoning the scrubs & stethoscope for something that isn't in their meticulous List of Life.
family: Charles & Madison Lane (adopted father & mother), Takato Shimizo (birth father)
relationship status: in a relationship with Esperanza Tamayo.
personality
A genuinely positive person who has always been in touch with his emotions and feels things very deeply. Josh is the kind of person who would take a bullet for a stranger and is often told that he cares a little too much about the world around him, although he wouldn’t have it any other way. He has a soft, warm personality, the kind of person that lights up the room without trying to. He draws people to him, but isn’t a pushover, knowing how and when to say no and to set boundaries. An absolute cinnamon roll, who just so happens to always have grease baked into the cracks of well-used hands from fixing your car.
portrayed by Ian Anthony Dale; penned by Katie.
full biography / background
triggering / sensitive content warning: anxiety.
The moment that Takato’s partner expressed disinterest in becoming a parent – despite the positive pregnancy test in their hands – he did everything that he could to arrange the best life possible for his unborn child, contacting the adoption agency and lining up a new home for the little one. On April 12th, 1978, when Joshua entered the world and then was placed in the arms of his new parents – Madison and Charles Lane – the only request made was that he was given the middle name Akio; a name often given to boys in Japan to help maintain their path towards their shining future. It was all that Takato wanted for his little Akio.
Childhood in Merrock was pleasant. Josh was the only child of two parents who made sure that he never wanted for anything, but never at the expense of raising an entitled child. He was never made to feel any different than the other kids in town, but his parents never held back on answering any questions about where he came from, or the culture that he would have grown up with back home, even incorporating some of it into their daily lives. He loved to play sports, and spent most of his summers on the beach, whether it be boogie boarding, learning to surf, or just splashing in the water. Every Sunday morning – at least the ones that cooperated, weather-wise – his family took long hikes in the state park with a picnic lunch by the water.
But that perfect, idyllic childhood didn’t come without its shake ups, as a young, teenaged Josh was introduced to his birth father on a random Monday afternoon, seeing him for the first time on his living room couch, nervously wringing his hands. For the first few years of their time together, Joshua felt angry and upset, unsure if he should let his father back into his life, not understanding why he wanted to be in his life now, why he hadn’t wanted him as a baby. But with time came understanding – from both of them – and with the permission of the Lanes, Takato made the move to Merrock full-time to build a relationship and a life with his son. He spent weekends taking him fishing, on a motorcycle ride for his sixteenth birthday, attended all of his track and field meets, and became his best friend, as well.
While flourishing in his relationship with his father, coming to love and appreciate this adoptive family even more, being active on a few sports teams, and pulling some of the best grades in his school, Josh also dealt with a lot of anxiety. He was the one hard on himself when a track meet didn’t end the way he wanted, or cried when he got an answer wrong in school. It was no surprise that his fingers shook as he read his prepared valedictorian speech. Dealing with those emotions and the distress that came with it made him want to dig in a little deeper, and he chose to attend the University of Maine (close to home!) to study psychology. During his college years, he lived a pretty clean, studious life, choosing to watch a movie with a friend over attending keggers, drinking seltzer waters over glasses of wine. To this day, he hasn’t smoked a cigarette. But he didn’t live like a complete monk; Josh also discovered his love of women, having broken things off with his high school sweetheart, Espie, for them to explore their options in their young adult years. But it didn’t break his focus, and he graduated at the top of his class.
Luckily for Josh, the ‘Lane’ last name came with recognition to go with his diploma and educational qualifications, and he soon landed himself a position as a psychologist at a clinic just outside of town, quickly amassing a large amount of happy clients due in part to his kind, easygoing, laidback nature. But it didn’t stop him, a few years into his practice, from starting to feel that nagging feeling in his chest that he was doing the wrong thing, that this wasn’t where he wanted to be. Mostly because he realized that he was helping people who could afford the help… and not those who really needed it the most. Still, he held fast, doing everything that he could to regain the passion that he felt he was losing for his chosen career until he hit the ripe old age of forty… and also burn out.
In another stroke of luck, Takato offered Josh a job – and business partnership – working in the motorcycle garage that he had just opened, having finally saved up enough money to open his own business. Having loved that bike ride at sixteen, and spending the time with his father, he accepted the position eagerly. It wasn’t long after he settled into what he thought would be his forever routine that another opportunity came knocking in the form of the director of the community center. Despite not having much money to offer, nor a promise of good hours, Joshua was asked to become a counselor at the center for those who needed the help but maybe couldn’t afford to see a psychologist.
For the past few years, Josh has been happily building up his reputation in the community center -- where he spends as much time coordinating and helping with events as he does healing young minds -- and the bike and classic car garage that he and his father have built up together. He is happily in a relationship with that high school sweetheart he could never quite get off his mind, and spends most of his free time fishing, running, walking his dog, or tending to his aquarium fish... when he's not on his bike.
full name: Rosalinda Rodrigues de Oliveira (Rosalinda Oliveira).
nickname(s) / goes by: Rosie.
pronouns & gender: cis woman, she/her.
sexuality: fluid.
birth date: April 19, 1994.
birth place: San Fransisco, CA.
arrival to merrock: arrived in 2010.
housing: coastal area.
occupation: ER nurse.
work place: Merrock Hospital.
family: Miguel (father), Bruna (mother), several siblings.
relationship status: single.
PERSONALITY
To those who don't know her, Rosie can be very closed off, sarcastic and slightly cold, as a way of protecting herself from harm. It's a habit that has never truly been broken, not since she was child. But those who do know her, well she's flirty and outgoing. She's always there when you need her, whether to bail you out or to just chat, Rosie is your girl. She's also generous, and she would give the shirt off her back if she thought someone needed it. She's always considered herself nurturing. She's considered the mother hen of her friend group, and many people know that even if she seems protective, she's doing it with love. Because of her constant worry about everyone, she suffers with being overly anxious at times, and it's one of the things that drives her the most insane. On the opposite end, Rosie doesn't have a filter. She doesn't care what she says and if she does have something negative to say, she makes it well known. She tries to show compassion for most people, and she tries to sympathize with anyone that she can. But she has a tendency to be stubborn, however, which is irritating to most.
WRITTEN BY: Nessa (she/her), EST.
BACKGROUND / BIO
On April 19th, 1992, a wonderful and warm afternoon in San Fransisco, California, the bright light that is Rosalinda Oliveira was born. A picture from that day still hangs on the wall in the entryway of Miguel and Bruna's tiny craftsman house - Rosie's mom, in the hospital bed, holding her, two older brothers and one older sister, all dangling from her father's arms or trying to squish onto the bed to get into the frame. For the first six years of her life, she was the youngest child; when her parents announced that not only was she gonna be a big sister, she was gonna be a big sister two twins, little Rosie honestly didn't know what to make of it. She'd been on her own for six years by then and the idea of having to share her parents' love with more siblings didn't initially sit too well with her - when Gabriel and Luiza were born though, those big sister instincts kicked in almost instantly and she's loved them ever since.
Because there were more children than parents living under their roof, it seemed as if each Oliveira kid would go on to make their voice heard in a unique way, some working towards being the ‘golden child’ of the Oliveira clan - which in all honesty was probably one of the easiest to achieve methods - and others taking a darker path into making their mark on this world.
Thankfully for her, out of all of the Oliveira children, Rosie was the unpredictable one. She was loud and demanded the attention. She was one that was often getting lost at the grocery store, talking to strangers or drawing on the walls. She was the type of kid that demanded everyone watch her impromptu theater shows in the living room where she was almost always a vampire hunter, a ballerina or even a pirate for a short period of time. Her mother, a stay-at-home mom, struggled to keep her out of things she shouldn't be in or from creating messes, from tracking mud onto precious rugs bought from past vacations or climbing on shelves and shattering beautiful family heirlooms. Even though she was a mischievous girl, she had one of the most charming smiles and she always seemed to know how to weasel her way out of the trouble she got herself into.
Her parents taught her how to be independent and how to take care of herself pretty early on and, in turn, she started helping taking care of her younger siblings (and her parents as well, easily picking up on when they needed a break from the twins and whatever else they had going on in her life). Rosie's always been a caring person and has always enjoyed taking care of people, which really made her eventual choice of a career very fitting.
However, things were thrown slightly off balance for her when her father was relocated for his job to Merrock, Maine. She ended up having to adjust to high school in a whole new environment with a whole new group of people. It wasn't easy, but she managed. Merrock was quaint and homey, something she sort of craved. Despite being raised in a large, touristy city, she always felt out of place there. The small town was everything she had been looking for. Being settled had a positive impact on Rosie, her average grades soon increased to high B's and low A's and she became involved with the school orchestra and art club. Her grades in science, particularly biology, were always the highest on her report card. When career day came around, the advisor suggested a career in medicine. However, when she mentioned the seven or so years it would take to become a doctor, Rosie zoned out.
Even though she didn't want to become a doctor, she decided to follow in her father's footsteps by going into the medical field, but as a nurse. In the summer break before senior year, Rosie researched courses and colleges for weeks before she finally decided to go to New York University. She applied for colleges in Maine, but she refused to commute from Merrock and craved independent living. After graduating, she packed her life into a few cardboard boxes and headed out in her well-loved Jeep to New York City.
Going to college was the best thing that had ever happened to Rosie. She built a pretty great life for herself while in the city. She earned her degree, and became a registered nurse in four years. So, by the time she was twenty-two, she had a pretty good idea what it was that she wanted to do with her life, and rather than take a break, she continued to work in New York City while also going to school for her MSN (Master's of Science in Nursing), which she did in a little over two years. At that point, she decided that it was time to move on from the city and explore more of what the world had to offer. She began working as a travel nurse, heading from city to city and meeting new people every few months. Rosie was able to do that for a few years before she got the inking to go back home. Homesickness for Merrock had set in. After getting a job at the local hospital, she packed up and moved back to Maine. Not only was she continuing to pursue her career dreams, she was also moving back to her hometown and getting to reconnect with her group of friends that had seen some variety of turnover across the years. She responded to an ad for a roommate, quickly befriending them and moving in with them, and, soon after, she adopted a golden retriever that she named Winnie and an orange cat named Pumpkin. She's been back in town for a little under two years now. More recently, she's received a promotion at work and she now works as an ER nurse, which is something that she absolutely loves.
arrival to merrock: local (returned five years ago)
housing: downtown
occupation: hotelier
work place: The Brownstone Inn
family: Elise and Clara Quinn (sisters)
relationship status: in a relationship with Oliver Sutton
PERSONALITY
At turns charming, spoiled, opinionated, and mercurial. Nicky can strike up a conversation with just about anyone and, when the mood is right, leave that person feeling like they were the only soul in a crowded room. He has the benefit of confidence, bred from an easy life and the detriment of never having to fight for anything. He's a romantic at heart and sensitive though these qualities aren't always on display. In fact, people are more likely to label him as shallow than be pressed to work through a few indulgent layers of immaturity and excess. To those he loves, he is even more of a chore, but then he is also there most ardent supporter.
WRITTEN BY: Kate (she/her) EST.
BACKGROUND / BIO
triggering / sensitive content warning: death, car accident
There was a proverbial silver spoon born in the mouth of every Quinn sibling. For Nicholas, it was a pity they didn't use it to shut him up. He was born with the privilege to choose any path in life, to choose multiple if the fancy took him. He was, in turns, too inquisitive and too unmotivated to make anything of himself. He took some interest and pride in his skills playing piano, but beside that was content to glide through his studies with mediocre results. Trouble had a tendency to glide off him when he flashed a smile. It was always - 'tomorrow I'll do better' or 'please don't be mad'. While he could fool those outside his family, it wasn't so easy to pull the blinds over his family. His father in particular. Even still, a few strongly worded lectures weren't going to turn him around.
He turned to theater in high school, staring in several plays throughout his years there. It was his junior year when he fell for the transfer student, Leo. They were an inseparable pair for the remainder of his schooling, meeting between the soccer pitch and rehearsals. Graduation granted Nicky a conditional freedom, his eighteenth birthday an unconditional one. He moved to Boston with Leo and spent the next five years moving between hobbies and careers. Eventually, he realized he had a knack and an appreciation for giving orders. (A trait rather obvious to those around him.) He managed to bypass entry level jobs and grunge work and apprentice under the manager of a five-star hotel in Boston. The work was simple enough. All it required was an eye for luxury, detail, and charm. He excelled.
He was twenty-five, near on eight years into loving Leo when a patchy bit of ice sliced him right out of his life. He'd describe it - to this day - as if he'd lost a limb. Years and years later, he could still feel the pain like the dull beating of a drum. He learned that he was rather stubborn afterward, refusing to give up on Boston and her frost-lined streets, her brick buildings and hallowed harbor. He went on living there for several more years until news of more death was dropped at his doorstep. This time his grandmother and his thoughts drifted to Elise and his siblings; to kinder memories.
He returned home. Not, he would say, to support his siblings but to lift their spirits. (Who after all, wouldn't be happier with him around.) One month turned into two, and then he was apartment hunting downtown. He managed to find himself a job as the hotelier for the Brownstone Inne and within days garner a hasty reputation as an exhaustive and capricious boss. He had partners for a night, friends for the week, and siblings for the weekends.
He's filtered out years like this with little thought to change, or to the idea that he once had an idealistic heart.
full name: euridyce meilyr de argavieso whitmore. ( the maternal surname is linked to spanish roots, with the mother herself being spanish ).
nickname(s) / goes by: riddy, for everyone. meimei, for grandparents. diddy, for close friends.liry, for parents and siblings.
pronouns & gender: cis woman, she / her.
sexuality: pansexual, demiromantic
birth date: march 10, 1998. pisces sun, cancer rising and tauros moon.
birth place: merrock, maine.
arrival to merrock: she's local.
housing: the coast & pier.
occupation: financial analyst and ceo of harmonia retreat & spa.
work place: working remotely as a financial analyst for a boston-based investment firm.
family: living members.
relationship status: dating.
PERSONALITY
euridyce 'riddy' whitmore's a character shaped by an intrinsic duality, a product of a childhood filled with abandonment and suffocating expectations. this duality forms the layers of her complex personality, making her both a figure of strength and fragility.
resilient & determined: from a young age, euridyce learned to rely on her own strength. her mother's abandonment left her with a sense of emptiness, but it also planted the seed of resilience. she developed a fierce determination to rise above expectations and the family legacy, choosing to excel in her studies and career as a way of finding her own worth.
reserved & reflective: euridyce is introspective, often preferring the silence of solitude to the chaos of social interactions. she has a natural inclination for deep analysis, both of herself and the world around her. this makes her a keen observer, able to pick up on nuances that others might easily overlook. this introspection distances her from crowds but also shields her from revealing her vulnerabilities.
independent, yet craving connection: despite her independence, there is a part of euridyce that yearns for genuine connection, for a sense of belonging she never found in her family. this desire manifests in her pursuit of validation, both in her career and personal relationships. however, her fear of being abandoned again prevents her from fully opening up to others, creating an emotional barrier that is difficult to breach.
perfectionist & ambitious: euridyce carries an almost insatiable ambition, always striving for perfection in everything she does. this pursuit, however, is not just for herself but an attempt to prove, primarily to herself, that she is worthy of the whitmore legacy, even as she chooses to build her own. she throws herself into her goals, sometimes at the cost of her own peace and well-being, never satisfied with “good enough.”
insecure & longing for acceptance: beneath this facade of self-sufficiency lies a deep insecurity. euridyce constantly questions her worth, both as a member of the whitmore family and as an individual. while she seeks success and independence, she is haunted by the idea that she will never be enough, neither for herself nor for others.
WRITTEN BY: Ethel / Theo (she/her & they/them), GMT-3.
BACKGROUND / BIO
euridyce meilyr de argavieso whitmore was born on the 10th of march, at that precise moment when winter yields to spring, in the small, melancholic town of Merrock, Maine. Merrock, a place where the salty sea air meets dense forests, where past and present intertwine, was the backdrop of her silent and fragmented childhood.
the daughter of giunone de argavieso, a vibrant spaniard whose hands crafted fabrics into creations that enchanted the fashion world, and remington whitmore, the prodigal son of merrock, heir to an empire built upon the waves of the atlantic. the whitmore dynasty, with its long-standing tradition in the naval industry and maritime trade, had its roots firmly planted in the era of great sailing ships, expanding over the centuries to dominate global logistics, maritime transport, and luxury yacht construction. however, the power and wealth amassed by the family did not translate into harmony within the walls of the whitmore mansion.
euridyce, or riddy, as she preferred to be called, was the fifth of six siblings, a girl who grew up observing the disintegration of her home. the fights between her parents echoed through the corridors of the house, doors slamming shut, and her siblings fleeing to the streets of merrock, seeking peace away from the domestic chaos. when giunone left, without saying goodbye, leaving behind her children and husband, euridyce was nearly six years old, a birthday that was never celebrated. her mother’s departure left a deep mark on her, a scar that never truly healed.
as the years passed, the whitmore siblings grew distant from one another, each seeking refuge as far away from that cold house as possible. remington, the father, was not a malevolent presence, but his absence was a burden just as heavy. he was always immersed in his empire, in the responsibilities of a legacy that left the upbringing of his children to his own mother, the stern and distant grandma whitmore. euridyce never felt part of that world, as if she were a dissonant element, something that didn’t fit into the grand tapestry of the whitmore family. Her siblings were unique, brilliant in their own way, while she... she was just euridyce.
in high school, riddy found solace in her studies, an escape from the reality that surrounded her. determined to escape merrock and prove her worth, she dedicated herself intensely to her books, accumulating credits and honours, avoiding the parties and typical adolescent gatherings. her reward came in the form of a scholarship to harvard business school, a ticket to the world she had always dreamed of. at 18, she moved to boston, reinventing herself with every step.
at university, euridyce excelled as an exemplary student, graduating with a bachelor of arts (A.B.) in economics at 22. she became involved in various extracurricular activities, including harvard undergraduate women in business, the harvard financial analysts club, and the harvard innovation lab, along with summer internships in investment banking and strategic consulting. although less than five hours from merrock, riddy only occasionally returned to her hometown, giving in to her grandmother’s pleas of longing but never allowing it to interfere with her academic journey.
determined to go further, euridyce continued with an MBA at HBS, specialising in general management with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. she actively participated in the HBS entrepreneurs and the venture capital & private equity club, undertaking summer internships in a startup and a venture capital fund. her capstone project, a prelude to her own company, marked the pinnacle of her education.
returning to merrock, euridyce was ready to start her own business, determined to break away from her father’s empire, rejecting any financial help from the family. now, a young woman forged by the adversities of her childhood and the rigorous demands of academia, she was prepared to write her own destiny, far from the shadows that had always followed her.
arrival to merrock: winter 1998, left in 2012, and returned in early 2024
housing: historical downtown
occupation: ballerina
work place: NA.
family: mother and father in merrock
relationship status: single
PERSONALITY
On her best days, Ophelia is like the first intake of cold, fresh air or a sky full of colorful fireworks that paint a night sky. Her excitement and joy comes loudly and boldly but leaves just as swiftly and dramatically. She’s quick to retort and her quips thinly hide a flurry of unsorted, turbulent emotions. With a more accurate glance into Ophelia’s mind, one might find satin ribbons coiled and swirled, nearly in tangles; or else, her mind is akin to a string of continuous pirouettes, spinning until she collapses in exhaustion.
WRITTEN BY: Starling (she/her & they/them), PST.
BACKGROUND / BIO
triggering / sensitive content: injury tw
Born to a prominent principal dancer in Busan, South Korea, Ophelia might have believed that she was destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Though memories of her years in Busan are sparse, Ophelia could recall the tireless days her mother spent in rehearsals. That is until one blurred night of panic with Ophelia being ushered quickly to a hospital by her father as the two waited for news about her mother–a rehearsal, a lift, a move gone wrong, and a ballerina came tumbling down. This resulted in a severe, career-ending injury and permanent walking disability. After some discussion, the family agreed to move to Merrock to start afresh and to put any dark memories behind them.
However, asking one to give up on their dreams and passions was difficult to do, and though Ophelia’s mother could no longer dance, Ophelia saw how much her mother missed and longed for the stage. She fell into her footsteps at an early age, signing up for ballet classes despite her parents’ hesitation. But, like her mother, she showed promise and continued her lessons well into high school. Determined to become a principal dancer like her mother, Ophelia chose to leave Merrock after high school to attend a conservatory in Italy.
Her time in Italy was harsh and brutal, and though Ophelia learned a lot, she felt alone and isolated. She realized and was often reminded that she was a very small fish in a very big and ruthless pond. Every day, she would push her physical and mental limits to their break points, believing that this was the very picture of success. However, with a wake-up call from her parents and a reminder to reel her own tenacity back in, Ophelia decided it was best to return to Merrock.
Cyrus is a generally goodhearted, community-oriented, and witty man, always wanting to be there for people, regardless if he has a connection to them or not. He makes sure to be considerate of others (especially regarding patients, who he has an immense soft spot for.) Despite this, he is rather headstrong and irrational (and in that area, a bit hard to read), often thinking about things and jumping to conclusions without seeing the bigger picture. In addition, he is rather secretive, and has difficulty opening up to others about his past.
WRITTEN BY: Dove (they/them), est.
BIO / BACKGROUND
triggering / sensitive content: parental death, mental health
Cyrus Amani was born on May 19th, 1984 to a young Iranian couple who wanted the best for their son. When he was 3, they relocated to Toronto, Canada, for Cyrus (and later, his two younger siblings) to have better opportunities. His father worked part-time as a volunteer firefighter, which inspired Cyrus’ interest in helping people. Of course, being a firefighter seemed a bit overwhelming, but the idea of working in the medical field piqued his curiosity. While he had many hobbies growing up, medical work had always been his top interest. He would spend hours researching the field and all the different career paths on end, and his family was incredibly encouraging whenever he brought the topic up.
After high school, Cyrus attended university in Toronto, though was less fortunate when it came to applying for medical school. He eventually decided to go down to the US but was stuck between several states before deciding on Portland, Maine. When he arrived, he was immediately captivated by the scenery. Despite this, he was unsure if he could ever really call Maine “home,” because for so long, Toronto had been his home. After graduating, he decided to stay a bit longer in Portland to get a feel for the area better. He completed his five-year general residency program in the city and began his three-year Cardiothoracic program there as well.
After a few months, he received a call that nearly changed the course of his life. His father had been critically injured due to an accidental fall, and things weren’t looking so good. Cyrus rushed home to Toronto to say goodbye and was especially devastated due to his father being his top role model in life. His mental health plummeted greatly, and he was heavily conflicted about returning to Portland to finish his residency because of it. He stayed with his mother and siblings for a while to ensure their well-being and went back to Portland later that year. He figured would never really get over his father’s passing and would just have to find ways to cope with it.
After finishing the program, he became officially licensed in 2018—yet he chose to stay in Maine due to his license only applying to the United States. A few years later, he adopted a golden retriever puppy, Charlie, to help take his mind off stress (and to have company in his apartment), and he trained Charlie to become his psychiatric service dog when she was old enough. He worked in the city hospital up until late 2023 when he took Charlie and moved to Merrock to give the whole small-town life a try.
