[ olivia holt, cisfemale, she/her, subplot 23. ] welcome back to montclair university, ryan grace harris ! according to your student file you're a TWENTY-TWO year old FRESHMAN, studying PSYCHOLOGY, and funny enough you were voted most ambitious your senior year of high school back home in BROOKLYN, NYC. i can totally see it with your ebullient, independent and reckless personality! but enough about that - i heard you were lizzie harrington's FRENEMY, makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a legacy student ... and the fact that [redacted], you're often seen at melody lounge, and you kind of embody the smell of strawberry shampoo, soft scrunchies stacked on wrists, red lipstick stains on coffee cups, the first chill of winter ... not to mention people always seem to hum busy woman by sabrina carpenter when you're around, but you'll always be known on campus as THE ICE QUEEN who enjoys baking and has 12k instagram followers... good luck this semester !
001 BASIC INFO .
name : ryan grace harris
nickname(s) : ry
age : twenty two
birthday : march 22nd
gender & pronouns : cisfemale + she / her
orientation : bisexual
birthplace : new york city, new york
current major : psychology
002 BACKSTORY .
you came into the world kicking and screaming, but no one was listening. you were born in the middle of spring, a city wrapped in yellow and new beginnings, and by the time you were placed in the arms of your mother, her life had already been written for her. expectation and duties placed on a head that was entirely too small to understand the ramifications of being born into a family as prominent as your own. swaddled in a cream cashmere blanket, with a whispered promise of greatness against a tiny forehead. mothers lips pressed gently against the same spot to accentuate that very promise.
you wanted for nothing, always dressed in the finest clothes that money could buy. entertained by the newest toys. when you were old enough, the concrete jungle of new york became your playground. school was something that came easy to you, like water off of a ducks back. as your younger siblings would remind you, you were one of the annoying people who never had to study to get the best grades. something that you'd carry with you all the way through to university.
your senior year of high school is when your life started crashing down slowly. the appeal of feeling good had you chasing highs that you never knew existed before. the chaos that often filled your mind : that of due dates, how you were being perceived and the ever mounting pressure from your family all became quiet when the euphoria hit. the feeling of being out of your own head, even for a few minutes quickly became something that you were addicted to. the thrill of not being able to think, of being truly free. there was nothing else quite like it.
the summer between your senior year of high school and freshman year of university was one that you were eager to forget. your very own shakesperean tragedy that haunts you even now. especially in the quiet, even more so when you're alone with your own thoughts. the weight of it makes it hard to breathe sometimes, but it's a weight you'll carry in order to protect the family name. the one thing that's always been of upmost importance.
003 HEADCANONS .
ryan loves to bake. especially when she's stressed. if there's an assignment deadline looming, you'll often find her in the kitchen at three am covered in flour. fresh batch of cupcakes in the oven as she wrestles with the icing bag to get the frosting into it without too much mess.
she lives for organization. you'll often find her with a pink highlighter in hand checking off her to-do list. she'll often feel disheartened if she doesn't get to everything on the list, every day.
fresh flowers are always scattered around her apartment.
karaoke is her guilty pleasure, though she'll only participate if she's had enough to drink. she's tone deaf, and is extremely aware of it. she's not about to embarrass herself sober.
[ alisha boe. cisfemale. she/her. muse 20. ] welcome back to montclair university, maedeline aliyah laine ! according to your student file you're a TWENTY --THREE year old JUNIOR, studying MARKETING , and funny enough you were voted best car your senior year of high school back home in NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT. i can totally see it with your clever, observant and cunning personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington's CONFIDANT. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a legacy student… and the fact that you're hiding. you're often seen at ivy conservatory, and you kind of embody sweet love taken advantage, falling before the finish line, lovely bones and lonely hearts, and the golden touch of midas … not to mention people always seem to hum i must apologies by pink panthress when you're around, but you'll always be known on campus as THE MANNIQUEN who enjoys long boarding and has 25k instagram followers… good luck this semester ! [ may. 25+. she/her. est. none. ]
The Manniquen
Maedeline had always played the perfect daughter and girlfriend. She was popular among her peers, a cheerleader, and had great grades. She kept her party life separate from her studies to avoid causing trouble for her parents. Maedeline did everything everyone wanted, even now. Mae finished her studies early last semester to be home with her parents. Going home for the semester was a painful experience. She returned this semester, hoping the party scene would bring her back to normal, but the death of a friend and watching her partner kiss someone else made her feel like her life was crumbling at her feet. This facade she had been keeping up was slowly unraveling.
Liz
Although they were cities apart, they would always run into each other at parties during high school, exchanging small conversations, and wouldn’t see each other again until another party. When they met again in college, they shared similar classes. They decided to know each other better. She wouldn’t call them best friends, but confidants. They had conversations about life, relationships, and even themselves. Mae would only listen, but over time, she started sharing things about herself too.
Made in Maedeline
Maedeline was known as a party girl in school. But these days she’s a little distant. She observes more than she talks and she seems to space out more lately. She’s a bit soft-spoken but stern. She’s not afraid to be sharp with anyone when she feels like someone is overstepping.
[ Jeremy Allen White. Male. He/Him. subplot muse 18. ] welcome back to montclair university, Cedar Avery Carrington ! according to your student file you're a TWENTY THREE year old SOPHOMORE, studying BIOLOGY/GENETICS, and funny enough you were voted the most likely to become a mad scientist your senior year of high school back home in PHILADELPHIA. i can totally see it with your empathetic, calculated and obsessive personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington's ONE SIDED CRUSH. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a scholarship student… and the fact that you're hiding [redacted]. you're often seen at The water fountain, and you kind of embody the feeling in your stomach at the top of a rollercoaster, the sense of unease in complete silence, the smell of your favourite cologne wafting past you. … not to mention people always seem to hum ride slow by russ when you're around, but you'll always be known on campus as THE RELUCTANT OVERACHIEVER who enjoys being around people and has #100of instagram followers… good luck this semester ! [ Snowy. 27. she/her. est. ]
[ cindy kimberly. cisgender woman. she/her. subplot 03. ] welcome back to montclair university, NOVEMBER SARI NAVARRO ! according to your student file you’re a TWENTY-FOUR year old GRADUATE STUDENT, studying FASHION DESIGN, and funny enough you were voted most likely to take over the world your senior year of high school back home in SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. i can totally see it with your unyielding, secretive and abrasive personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington’s NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a scholarship student… and the fact that [ redacted ]. you’re often seen at the hollow bar, and you kind of embody the sound of rain against a windowpane, energy drinks cluttering up a desk, walking with purpose and poise, heavy bass playing through headphones as you work out, the precise click of a pen while taking notes… not to mention people always seem to hum difficult by gracie abrams when you’re around, but you’ll always be known on campus as THE HELLCAT who enjoys mixed martial arts and has 10k instagram followers… good luck this semester !
BASICS !
full name. november sari navarro.
nicknames. nova, novie, ember.
gender. cisgender woman.
pronouns. she/her.
age. twenty-four.
birthday. november 1st.
sexual orientation. pansexual panromantic.
major + minor. fashion design + mechanical engineering.
relationship to lizzie harrington. next door neighbor.
BIOGRAPHY !
november sari navarro was born and raised in san francisco, california as the youngest of three children (and only daughter) in a family that valued perseverance, intellect, and self-sufficiency above all else. her mother was an indonesian immigrant and professor, while her father worked as a mechanical engineer, spending more time designing than parenting. still, they didn't have too much supporting them, and sari quickly learned that ambition was what it would take to build her own life.
from an early age, november was one thing above all else: ambitious. she was an overachiever in every field. she'd spend hours working on schoolwork, and hours after learning how to fix cars in her oldest brother's garage. she threw herself into anything and everything: martial arts and self defense courses, artwork, mechanics. in high school, that same ruthless ambition earned her the title of “most likely to take over the world”, and the truth was—she believed it. she had no intention of letting anyone outwork her.
despite that all, november's first love ended up being clothes. she spent hours sketching designs in the margins of her notebooks, turning old thrifted clothes into something new, wearing anything and everything that made her feel powerful. she eventually realized she liked the attention it commanded. clothes were her armor.
but being an artist wasn't enough. she knew that. ambition alone wouldn't pay the bills, and she had learned young that no one was going to hand her success. so she made a plan: a dual focus on the two things she loved most. artistry and practicality, hand in hand. she eventually earned a degree in fashion design with a minor in mechanical engineering.
she's now attending montclair as a graduate student, still relying on the scholarship she has in hand. truthfully, money is still hard to come by, and she's had to turn to some creative (and risky) ways to make a bit of spare cash. but she keeps moving forward.
she lives next to lizzie, and truthfully, she envied her—it was a bit irritating for november to see people who coasted by so easily. nonetheless, the thought of someone who was so close to her orbit being gone is . . . alarming to her. she's not even certain she wants to be involved.
WANTED CONNECTIONS !
academic rival: someone who's just as ambitious, just as relentless, and just as unwilling to lose. the two of them have been butting heads for a while now—competing over grades, internships, or who can pull off the most impressive project. maybe there's a level of mutual respect there, or maybe it's pure animosity, but either way, it might even be their twisted idea of fun.
blackmailer: someone who knows november's secret! they have something to hold over her head, and they're not afraid to use it to earn some extra money (whether that's a product of their need or simply for their own amusement and feeling of control).
best friend: the one person november actually lets in. someone who's managed to stick around despite her guarded nature, who sees past her walls and refuses to let her push them away. they know the real her better than most, and she probably lets herself soften a bit whenever they're around.
someone indebted: she doesn't do favors for free, so sometimes, debts come in forms other than cash. maybe this person came to her with a wrecked car, an engine problem they couldn’t fix, or something even shadier that required her help. she helped them out—no questions asked—but now? they owe her. and she always collects.
the one she's trying to protect: she certainly isn't the type to be self-sacrificing, but for some reason, she feels a strong protectiveness over this person. maybe they're younger or more naive, or maybe she just sees too much of herself in them. she might even consider them to be a sibling figure of sorts, whether they know it or not.
other ideas include . . . a rival designer, someone to teach self defense to, flings, crushes (one-sided or otherwise), a rich kid who never had to struggle (who gets on her nerves so much)!
welcome back to montclair university, katherine abigail harrington ! according to your student file you're a twenty - four year old senior, studying finance & architecture, and funny enough you were voted most likely to suceed your senior year of high school back home in greenwich, ct. i can totally see it with your dilligent, ambitious and controlling personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington's older sister. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a legacy student… you'll always be known on campus as the precisian who enjoys playing tennis and has 15k of instagram followers… good luck this semester !
* basics.
full name katherine abigail harrington. nickname(s) kit, kitty ( reserved by very few, pisses her off ). gender & pronouns cis woman, she/her. sexuality grayromantic, bisexual. age & date of birth twenty - four, born on the 5th of may 2000. occupation student, heiress, president of kappa kappa tetha. marital status dating ( on and off; w. tba ).
* background.
ethnicity white. nationality american. hometown greenwhich, ct. residence sorority house, montclair charter, greenwhich, ct. languages spoken english ( mid atlantic accent ), french. education history double majoring in finances & architecture. relatives lizzie harrington ( younger sister, deceased ); charlotte harrington ( younger sister ).
* personality.
zodiac sign taurus sun, capricorn rising, virgo moon. alignment neutral evil. likes being in control, organization, interior design, fashion, maths, competition, well-executed parties, sports, adderall. dislikes disorganization, mess, sweethearts and innocents, being wrong or humiliated, losing control, showing emotions, pot. positives tba. negatives tba. inspirations caroline merteuil ( cruel intentions 2024 ), blair wardolf ( gossip girl ), claire pritchett ( modern family ), rosalie hale ( twilight ), bellatrix & narcissa black ( h*rry p*tter ), clytemnestra ( clytemnestra 2023 ), annabeth chase ( pjo ), leighton murray ( the s*x life of college girls ), tashi duncan ( challengers ).
* physicality.
height five foot nine. build slim. hair dyed light blonde, falling in perfect waves down her chest, long bangs. eyes dark brown. tattoos tba. wardrobe preppy, feminine, the latest fashion trends.
* misc.
diagnoses anxiety, kleptomania ( both undiagnosed ). main motivation following her family's footsteps and making it better. fears failing. life goal be successful, earn lots of money, form a political dynasty. best quality determination. worst quality insensitivity. hidden talents can play piano, guitar and cello ( she made band #cool during high school ). role model her father.
* history.
the eldest scion born from stephen & valerie harrington, there were many things katherine was supposed to be thankful for. first of all, the name and the wealth that came with it — the tradition of blood, hers to assume one day, regardless of her gender ( for whatever it may be said about the harrington, but at least in this point, they were secure ). proud little kitty was, eager to take what was hers and to behave in the way it was expected. at first, it was just child mimicking — it soon became an obssession. every clothing was pressed thrice, her hair was always neatly tied, heels became second nature; she took to following both matriarch and patriarch, assuring herself she was meant to be the best out of both of them.
failure was simply not an option in her household. each daughter took to expectations in a certain way. whilst kit seemingly rejoiced and followed through, she lacked the sort of star-like quality lizzie had; kitty could excel in everything, she could be a mathathlete, an actual athlete, be class president and play in the school band, but she didn't shine as bright or captivated people as lizzie did by just being lizzie — or however that noxious chameleon did. maybe there is love in there, but the sentiment is suffocated by everything else that weights heavy — in private, of course. in public, each sister follows the other: to their private school, to montclair, to their mother's sorority.
thankfully, katherine gets there first. she has space to form her own following, an array of minions and fans — even a boyfriend she , already knows she will marry by their second date, and some true friends, though the lines blur. by sophmore year, she's risen to vice president and treasurer of her charter house, and she's president by the next year. in here, they make their own path. it doesn't stop being heavy, nor does the comparisons stop. katherine is self-assured enough not to grovel and wear the hundred faces her sister wears, but there's still a façade she doesn't retire, not when she's marble and gold and must be perfection, must do perfection.
she brushes the cracks under the rug, where no one can see. panic attacks are dismissed, anytime something misses from another's room and appears inside a box under her bed, anything she breaks in a fit of anger when things don't go her way.
never one to deal with sentimental things properly, lizzie's death is no exception. katherine doesn't know what to feel, and she can't shake off the overwhelming feeling of annoyance that it has happened on her party — rather than the tragedy that is her sister's mysterious passing. here's to hope the afterwards will be better manageable, at least.
welcome back to montclair university, cade weston anderson ! according to your student file you're a TWENTY THREE year old JUNIOR, studying ART HISTORY, and funny enough you were voted most likely to become a real cowboy your senior year of high school back home in WIMBERLEY, TX. i can totally see it with your charismatic, stubborn and confrontational personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington's CONFIDANT. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a scholarship student… and the fact that you're hiding [redacted]. you're often seen at ink & steel, and you kind of embody the rev of an engine in the dark, old boombox blasting music, southern lilt and a smirk to match, bruised knuckles… not to mention people always seem to hum do i wanna know? by arctic monkeys when you're around, but you'll always be known on campus as THE BLACK HOLE who enjoys painting and has 9k instagram followers… good luck this semester !
as midnight approaches, CADE ANDERSON and AVA BATISTA are locked in a vicious argument. old grudges, long standing resentment—it all spills out, escalating beyond words. people are watching now, whispering, waiting to see if the fight will turn into something bigger.
in short,
name. ██████ cade ██████, aka cade weston anderson. nickname. no. age. twenty - three. gender. cis man [ he/him ] birthday. august 1st. zodiac. leo. sexuality. bisexual. education history. high school graduate, junior [ art history ] languages. english + asl. relationship status. single.
ethnicity. white. nationality. american. faceclaim. harris dickinson. height. 6'2. hair. light brown. eyes. blue. body mods. here, here. scars. scar over sternum, scar cutting over left brow.
at length,
yeehaw! cade was born on a ranch in texas and he's got the southern charm to prove it. son of a rancher and a stay at home mom, he's the second-born and first son of six kids, so he's used to fighting for attention. also lived with his grandparents. he's very big on family.
used to do rodeos and racing as a kid, which is where a good amount of his small but mighty instagram following comes from. otherwise, he barely uses social media. not for any cool or mysterious reason, mostly because he can't be assed to keep up with it.
despite his cowboy tendencies, he grew tired of texas. his passion's not in racing or ranching, much to his parent's disapproval. it's in art. while he has aspirations of becoming a curator or making a living selling pieces of his own, his parents are convinced the degree's just a phase he'll get over and once he graduates, he'll be at the ranch where he belongs.
this is about as much as he tells anyone about his backstory. details aren't something he's willing to give just anybody, and it's a miracle if you get him to admit the exact number of siblings he has. something of an enigma on purpose. he can't have anyone know that ███ ████████ ████ ██ which he ████ ███ █████ ███ was so bad that ██ █████ ████ ███ ██ █████ ███ █████. after he's been through the trouble of ███████ ███ ███ ███ ████████ ███ ████, he wants to put the past behind him.
scholarship student. doesn't have anything against rich kids unless they test him, but he also likes to fight, so sometimes he pushes just because he can. volatile in the sense that he loves a push and pull, unpredictable in his mood. mostly he's nice-ish, though. again, that southern charm does wonders for his reputation.
wanted connections,
best friend. these two have been through thick and thin together, meeting by chance during freshmen year ( maybe dormmates? ) & have been attached at the hip ever since. easily his favorite person in the world, and one of the only people he trusts to know everything about him ( aka, one of the only people with insight on his secret ).
rival. maybe academic rivals, maybe some other kind of rival. the point is these two do not like each other, but they also can't seem to stop getting in competition with one another. there's almost a thrill at beating the other at their own game. like two pieces on a chessboard, no matter how much they claim to dislike one another, they're always back at it.
hate at first sight. here's the thing: cade likes to fight. this character is unfortunately his favorite to start shit with. they haven't gotten along, ever. being in a room with them is explosive... in the worst way possible. they can't be in the same place without starting something.
party friend. what it says on the tin! very barebones, shallow friendship, but they still enjoy each other's company. there's nobody they'd rather get drunk with than each other.
bad influence. as in, he's a bad influence on them, of course. or perhaps it's better to say they're a good influence on him? whichever way the wind blows, these two are polar opposites on the morality spectrum, but somehow they manage to make good friends. someone he genuinely likes, maybe even someone he trusts.
flings, hookups, one sided crushes. none of them have been very serious or lasted very long because he prefers to keep people at a distance, but maybe some of them have had crushes on him and tried to grow closer, maybe some of them hate him, maybe someone has kept his attention?
[ matthew broome. cismale. he/.him. subplot m29. ] welcome back to montclair university, isaiah james bennett ! according to your student file you're a TWENTY TWO year old SOPHOMORE, studying LITERATURE, and funny enough you were voted most likely to keep a secret your senior year of high school back home in GREENWICH CONNECTICUT. i can totally see it with your protective, stoic, and stubborn personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington's BRIEF ONLINE CONNECTION. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a scholarship student… and the fact that you're hiding [redacted]. you're often seen at the sinclair reading room, and you kind of embody burned cigarettes, restless eyes, a mirror image of the father you don’t know, whispers of old wounds, sharp tongue and sharper mind, the smell of black coffee every morning not to mention people always seem to hum false confidence by noah kahan when you're around, but you'll always be known on campus as THE OUTSIDER who enjoys writing and has 105 instagram followers… good luck this semester !
BASICS
FULL NAME: isaiah james bennett
FACECLAIM: matthew broome
BIRTH DATE: january 11
AGE: 22
ZODIAC: capricorn
ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: biromantic
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: bisexual
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS
EYE COLOR: brown
HAIR COLOR: brown
HEIGHT: 6’1”
TATTOOS: a few tattoos around his arms and ribcage.
STYLE: dark colors. has a leather jacket he likes to wear often. boots or sneakers. doesn't always dress up but if an event calls for it, he will do his best to look well.
MANNERISMS
POSITIVE TRAITS: protective, intelligent, self-reliant
NEGATIVE TRAITS: stubborn, self- sabotaging, distant, can be cynical at times
AESTHETIC: burned cigarettes, restless eyes, a mirror image of the father you don’t know, whispers of old wounds, sharp tongue and sharper mind, the smell of black coffee every morning
BACKGROUND
isaiah was raised by a teenage mom who had very little but was determined to give the best she could to her son. she had some help with her grandparents and that became just about the family isaiah ever knew. of course he knew he had a dad but he just never seemed interested in the life isaiah and his mom had built. not much was told to isaiah other than his father and his parents weren't exactly fond of the relationship his parents once had, and for his mom going through with the pregnancy. of course his father had a legacy to uphold and he would just mess it up. it became a reminder to him as he grew up fully resenting him.
isaiah’s father grew up to be a wealthy and influential man, known in certain circles for his business acumen and social status. he’s the type of man who is rarely emotionally available, caught up in his own world of deals, power, and appearances. their relationship has always been marked by coldness and distance. isaiah can remember the occasional extravagant birthday gift or a brief phone call, but the connection has always felt superficial, more about maintaining appearances than building a bond.
isaiah never quite fit into his father's world of luxury and high expectations, and he’s always been painfully aware that his father sees him as something of a disappointment.
attending montclair shocked his mom, not because of the money, but due to the legacy the university holds, what the school meant to his father. it was far from what isaiah really ever knew but deep down he still feels like he has something to prove despite his stoic demeanor. he still doesn't fully fit in, attending the parties, making friends, but it doesn't always seem like he has it together. he may look like he's finally going to reach the top, but he's still at the bottom of the social heirachy at montclair.
HEADCANONS
isn't much of a drinker although he won't say no to one or two drinks at a party. he prefers to smoke instead, maybe even more recently dabbling in some other party favors.
has long struggled with feelings of isolation and anxiety, though he never speaks about it. he's often restlessness and has an occasional emotional withdrawal that he doesn't often acknowledge. he tries to work through it on his own, but sometimes it feels like he’s drowning in his thoughts.
isaiah has a sarcastic, dry sense of humor that catches people off guard when he chooses to share it. he can be witty, often using humor to deflect from serious topics or to poke fun at the world around him. his humor is sharp, and it’s one of the few times he shows his true personality to others.
he is all around very loyal and protective to those around him. he'll check in on his friends without asking and pretty much be the person they need if they are ever in trouble.
LIZZIE HARRINGTION (BRIEF ONLINE CONNECTION)
isaiah had always known who lizzie harrington was. or at least, he knew of her and the reputation that preceded her. he didn't truly know her, aside from the whispers that surrounded her and the undeniable power she seemed to wield. it was unlike anything he'd ever encountered, which, truth be told, piqued his curiosity. it wasn’t until the previous year that he found himself connecting with the blonde online, a relationship that was meant to be anything but serious. but it didn’t take long for him to remember exactly who he was talking to. the image of her that everyone had, this mix of allure and danger, was something he found strangely captivating. still a nagging feeling gnawed at him, a sense that this could all end in disaster. that somehow he was being set up for some twisted joke, while lizzie had something to gain, and he wanted no part in whatever game he believed she was playing. their online communication ended swiftly, and sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder what her true intentions had been. was he just a pawn in some scheme? he never bothered to ask, though. they went on, each passing the other by, never acknowledging each other in person. even after her mysterious passing, that thought, the unanswered questions, still linger in his mind.
WANTED CONNECTIONS
party friend: someone who has recently been introducing him to partying. he's never been much of one in high school but he's having a different experience at montclair.
unlikely friend: someone who you wouldn't expect to be friends with isaiah. maybe brings out his personality and they feel comfortable with each other.
exes: (1/2) could have ended on good terms or bad. we can figure out if there is any lingering feelings or if something else was at play.
the legacy (family ties): this can be someone who his parents are close friends with his dad. maybe they sort of know the story and upbringing of them. maybe it can even be a distant family from his dad's side who he isn't close to or know much of at all.
enemy: isaiah does not like this person at all. we can come up with any reason as to why they just don't mesh or haven't gotten along. they could have disrespected a friend. if it's a guy, we can even say maybe they had an actual fight. i'm game for anything.
a hookup (past or present), will they won't they, close friends, roommate, etc. i am pretty open to most connections. ofc we don't always need to establish anything and just go with the flow! if you guys have any ideas or wcs i am also down for some of those too <3
[ Rudy pankow. Cis male. He / him . subplot 6 . ] welcome back to montclair university, Daniel ‘Danny’ turner ! according to your student file you're a TWENTY TWO year old JUNIOR, studying SOCIAL WORK, and funny enough you were voted most likely to go off the rails your senior year of high school back home in CONNECTICUT ( moved from the UK at age 14 ) . i can totally see it with your fiercely loyal, dependable and self destructive personality ! but enough about that — i heard you were lizzie harrington's SOUNDING BOARD. makes sense when you take into consideration your status as a scholarship student… and the fact that you're hiding [redacted] you're often seen at the prism, and you kind of embody power ranger bandaids over bruised knuckles, misplaced anger, a blinding loyalty that’s sure to get you killed … not to mention people always seem to hum boys will be bugs by cavetown when you're around, but you'll always be known on campus as THE SPARK who enjoys soccer, rugby, running and has 12.3k instagram followers… good luck this semester ! [ charlotte. 26. She/her. GMT. ]
full name — Daniel Alexander Turner
nickname(s) — Danny, Danny boy, Dan.
name meaning — god is my judge
age — twenty two
date of birth — april 1st
place of birth — hackney, london, england
current location — connecticut
gender — cis-male
pronouns — he/him
sexual orientation — homosexual
height - 5'11
religion - agnostic
family - Douglas ( father ), Kathrine ( mother ), joshua, caleb, poppy, beau, max, mila ( siblings )
medical diagnosis’ — adhd, depression, ptsd, anxiety, oppositional defiance disorder
voiceclaim — danny dyer
Inspired by : James Cook ( Skins ), Mickey Maguire ( shamless ), Neil Sutherland ( the inbetweeners ), Nathan Young ( misfits ), alex karev ( greys anatomy )
Tw for abuse, substance misuse, violence, addiction, overdose.
Danny is the second born of several children that Douglas and Katherine Turner forced into the world. From the moment Danny was born, the odds were stacked against him.
He grew up in a two bedroom housing estate in Hackney, East London. His childhood, to those on the outside, was nothing exceedingly special - he and his siblings attended a state school on the verge of closure, and when not there, danny was often at the youth club kicking a ball around, or running wild around the estate with older peers. Nobody bothered to scratch the surface or question why the young boy never seemed keen to go home - it was always easier to ignore the signs.
Douglas and Katherine did not parent well. They barely existed well. Douglas was an angry man with drug abuse issues and Katherine was so beaten down over the years she could barely get out of bed unless to get a bottle of vino. Douglas was violent within the walls of their home, and his anger did not end with the children.
The first time social services visited the home, Danny was four nearing five. He had recently started school, and some of the things he had said had raised alarm bells. Social came, they inspected the home and chatted with Josh, Danny, Caleb and Poppy. When they left, Danny was told by his father that if he ever opened his gob again, if social ever came back they would probably take him away from his siblings and they would never see each other again. that terrified him into compacency. They were on the radar, but not of high concern. You see, Social work is an underpaid and overworked profession, and the amount of cases coming in meant priorities had to be made. Danny sees that now, but he didn't at the time.
Every day was a battlefield, and Dannys way of coping was to lash out at anyone around him: a scream for help that everybody seemed to turn a blind eye too. Those turner kids are trouble, they are.
- Coming into teenage hood, Danny grew angry at his situation and the cards dealt to him. He had always struggled in school, but now his behaviour was unmanageable. It was like his body was constantly in fight or flight mode. ‘Defensive, Lazy, Unmotivated - a teachers nightmare’ - all words scrawled across his report cards over the years. they don’t care, Danny had realised. They don’t want to listen to my screams for help. nobody fucking cares.
But maybe someone did - because rumours started going around the estate about social services being on their ass again. It was that week that the family immigrated to the states ' too much fucking trouble over 'ere' Douglas had mumbled.
It would have been obvious, to anybody who stepped back and looked at the entire unit, that Danny had a magnitude of odds stacked against him. Some days all he needed was a fucking win. Somebody to turn around and say that they saw him. Nobody did, and especially not now, in a new country and different, bigger school.
Back in England, Danny had established himself. He went to the local primary school that fed into the local secondary. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. He was popular - because despite the anger and anxiety bubbling under the surfice, Danny was personable. All he ever sought was human connection, and although he was defiant towards adults and both desperate and reluctant for their help, he was great with his peers. He was the star of the football team, he was funny. He was always getting into trouble. He was a big fish in a small pond. Now he was a small fish in the fucking ocean
Back in England, Danny knew he was a failure at academics, he had been pegged that way before he had even gotten a chance to learn to read. But now it seemed he would also fail socially. He was a fourteen year old boy with a thick british accent, raging hormones and a very dry sense of humour that didn't land as well it conneticuit. Nobody really wanted to get to know him, not in that first year at least.
Douglas only grew angrier with age and the aggression only got worse as his kids grew stronger and started to fight back. Stupid sack of shit - you’ll never win against him.
Danny knew he would never win. He knew by teenagehood that it was futile to try. He spent his time pleading with his mother to do something. If she couldn’t protect them, he would. Josh had grown useless in his own years (according to Danny). While Danny only felt anger, josh’s way of coping was to retreat. Coward - why don’t you grow a better fucking coping mechanism !! When he turned 16, Josh left and never came home.
aside from the obvious, there was another undetected reason for Danny's piss poor school performance. He couldn’t read - not well at least. He had managed to skirt by this issue for the majority of his life. He used the teachers own diastase of him to hide the embarrassment. He spoke in jibberish with a shit eating grin when asked to read aloud, made sexual innuendos when questioned about board work and kicked off or doodled on school tests. Fuck it, if they didn’t care, why should he?.
Until one teacher did. One teacher who didn't know about his history back home. One teacher who didn't see a write off, but rather a boy who needed a chance. He kept him back one afternoon and asked Danny to read a passage from the assigned text to him. Danny did the usual - pout and moan and roll his eyes and demand to be let go for lunch. This interaction repeated itself again and again. after years of screaming to be seen by adults, he suddenly wanted to be left alone again.
this teacher didn’t leave him alone. In fact, he invested in Danny. He encouraged him to take up drumming, and payed for his lessons (unbeknownst to Danny, who assumed it was free), he tutored him after school and once building up some trust he took Danny for an eye test one afternoon. It transpired that not only could Danny not read well, he couldn’t see very well either. The opticians where shocked at how he had been going about day to day tasks with one blind eye and the other with intense short sightedness. It seems that at some point in his childhood the nerve in his right eye became detached - possibly from a KNOCK TO THE HEAD - and the sight went completely. (not that he will wear the stupid glasses. Fuck that).
it turns out, Danny wasn't as stupid as he was always told he was. Yeah, he lacked a lot of common sense, but he had potentially academically. It took him a few years, but with he started to find his footing again. First academically, than socially. He was still the angry, feral kid he had always been - but he was also kind. He had a strong sense of justice, and a blinding loyalty that often saw him throwing punches. His favourite thing was still sports, he spent hours on the school fields after class kicking a ball around and was placed on nearly every school sports team.
Going to college was never something Danny saw being on the cards for him, but when the idea of floated by the teacher who had taken him under his wing, he wasn't totally opposed to it. SOCIAL WORK, that was what he had always considered. He had been let down by the system, and Danny didn't want that to happen to anyone else. He worked hard to get the grades, and his sporting ability landed him a scholarship. He was the first turner to ever to go to college, a badge he wore with both pride and shame. He picked a local college, and he still goes home almost every day.
Danny mental health began to rapidly deteriorate after his 20th birthday. Without the security and structure of a classroom, he found himself on the verge of breaking point. He tried to push through, tried to continue as he always had, but something had shifted. He drowned himself in drugs and alcohol as a way to numb his busy mind. It all came to a head on the night of his 21st, however, when he overdosed. The school was supportive, but firm with their drug policy. He was forced to go to therapy twice a week, and assigned a case worker that he could contact at any point ' should he start to fall apart again '
WANTED CONNECTIONS
- Exes / hookups / fwb
- a love interest !!! Intense and messy bc danny doesn’t believe he’s worth anything, let alone someone taking the time to want to know him!! Someone maybe with calculated anger (rather than danny misguided and chaotic) who almost uses danny as their morality chain and vice versa!!
- best friends
- friends
- older brother / parental figures
Enemies: It’s well known this boy likes to throw a punch or two - if you’re lucky it could be you!
