[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { ASTORIA THORNE } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { SHE} is? they kind of look like { SOPHIE THATCHER } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { 26 } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { 3 YEARS }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { ASTARION } from { BALDUR’S GATE 3 }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { SATIN ROSE LOUNGE } as a { MANAGER }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { MANNEQUIN } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { SECRETIVE } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { CHARMING } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { 2 BEDROOMS } apartment beside me over in { PACIFIC DRIVE }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!
astoria timurova thorne ✦ she/her ✦ 26 ✦ bisexual
faceclaim: sophie thatcher
birthplace: manchester, england
date of birth: august 13 1998
occupation: manager @ satin rose lounge
location: pacific drive, 2-room apartment
duration in palmview: 3 years
based on: astarion (baldur’s gate 3)
also inspired by: rosaria (genshin impact), arlecchino (genshin impact)
label: the mannequin
zodiac: leo sun, scorpio moon, capricorn rising
mbti: infj
temperament: melancholic-choleric
moral alignment: neutral good, uhhhh - may lean a bit towards chaotic good at times
Appearance:
✦tousled platinum-blonde hair — usually loose or tucked behind one ear, always perfectly imperfect. ( don't let the gifs deceive you if she has black hair in one and blonde in another!! lmao )
✦her features are angular and expressive — mischievous one moment, tired the next.
Usual Style:
✦ silk shirts half-unbuttoned, long coats ( if the day isn't boiling hot ), delicate silver jewelry, short heel boots. color palette: dark red, gray, black, gold, silver, white.
BACKSTORY:
trigger warnings: !! parental neglect, missing people, emotional manipulation, death, false accusations, survivor's guilt, implied murder, rich people being creepy.
tldr:
- born in manchester to a russian father and american mother.
- she kinda.. was there as a child. hey !! she had a roof, food, clothes, and stuff right? so it could've been worse.
- it did. her mom simply vanished when she was 8, and she never knew why or how.
- it got even worse!!! her dad remarried to an even wealthier woman and so the parties and elite connections began.
- astoria was molded to smile, to listen. and she soon enough learned that people gave her anything she could ask for if she said what they wanted to hear.
- one particular person from the circle, an "artist" they would call themselves, found an interest in her and so appointed her as "the ultimate muse."
- no one cared. not even her father, being too busy with work, women, and the overall idea that astoria would server as a bridge and connection for said "artist." in the end, connections were power.
- she learned to perform. to lie. to be charming and desirable without being touched. but it was lonely. was this really who she was?
- at least, she wasn't all alone. there was another girl, who had grown in the same circle. knew what it was like. was someone else's "muse." and so, one day they carefully planned how to escape to never come back.
- she was 19, when the night came, they had already planned it all out. had collected enough money and belongings to still let them live a life with enough wealth, and found a contact to help them erase their tracks.
- after another party where she just played arm candy, and bidding goodnight to "the artist." the plan was set into motion .. however her friend never arrived.
- astoria waited, and waited. but time was running out. she had to make a choice, look for her friend and risk losing the window, or leaving without her. and a choice she made.
- having dropped the last link to her father, astoria thorne traveled through cities to escape. and to finally make a life for herself. but the guilt of leaving her one friend ate her away.
- little did she know, the next day after she left manchester. two people were found missing, and another one dead. two girls had vanished like a lot of people did, and "the artist" was found dead.
- the death was ruled an accident. but whispers were shared, who was the last one to see them alive? who was always by their side? all the answers led to astoria timurova.
- but ahem... it wasn't her who did anything, she's blissfully unaware that people think it was her, and astoria timurova? idk her.
- eventually, she found herself at palmview grove. and you know? she can actually see herself long enough. proof of that is she's been here for 3 years now.
- started as a bartender at the Satin Rose Lounge, she became a manager within the year. no one remembers hiring her. no one really knows if she's the owner or not. she lets people think what they want.
- behind the seeming control she found again, she's still looking. for the girl she left behind. for a version of herself that doesn't need to pretend.
- little does she know, she's also been looked for. oh well that's a problem for future her lmao
✦ personality + headcanons:
!! in a nutshell, she's flirtatious, uses humor and performance to hide herself and how tired she might be ( her traumas, her jokes !! ), enjoys watching people squirm , only a bit. she doesn't mean harm though. unless you touch one of the dancers, do not touch her girls !!
!! she’s witty, self-aware, and hard to pin down sometimes. she rarely says exactly what she means, but always means what she says.
!! underneath all those theatrics, there's someone desperately tired of pretending — someone who wants to believe in softness again, but only knows how to survive with a persona.
!! If she ever lets someone in, truly — it’ll be on her terms. and it’ll probably be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done. not like she ranaway, right?
+ wakes up late, and looks like she had the best night of sleep ever. she didn't. and if you look closely it will be very easy to see the dark circles under concealer but don't look too close okay?
+ rarely seen smoking, even if the cigarette smoke lingers deep under her perfume. btw she wears billie eilish no 2.
+ keeps a notebook behind the bar with no names. only initials and drink orders.
+ speaks in very butched russian when very drunk. she doesn't know what you're talking about when asked.
+ never corrects people if they think she owns satin rose - let them think whatever they want.
+ changes the music depending on her mood.
+ still carries a bracelet from her friend.
+ don't call her any kind of nickname, you're gonna make her regress 32464 years.
+ randomly mumbles tunes she didn't know she remembered. doesn't address it. probably some of her mother's lullabies.
+ VERY protective. and will actually help someone out. but don't mention it. she doesn't know what you're talking about either.
+ kinda of a workaholic. you will see her more at work tbh than at her own apartment.
🔗 POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS / PLOTHOOKS
1. The Golden Regular
A regular customer — older or younger — who she tolerates more than others, could even say she likes them. Maybe they flirt. Maybe regular overshares. Maybe sometimes they ask too many questions she doesn't want to answer. Either way, they’ve earned a rightful seat.
2. The Former Performer
Someone who used to dance or sing at Satin Rose. Left on good terms… or under duress. There’s tension. There’s memory. There’s unfinished business. Dun dun. !!
3. The Unwanted Attachment
Someone who insists they’re her friend. Tries too hard. Follows her around. She finds them annoying… until they do something that earns her silent, permanent loyalty.
4. A Ghost From The Past
Someone who doesn't necessarily know her from before (but it could be if you want to), but someone who makes her remember someone from her past. Whether it's something good or bad.
5. The Bartender / Bouncer
They work under her supervision. The "muscle" that kicks badly behaved patrons out. At first, they were nothing more than another shift to cover. But now… They share slow nights, late smokes, and soft laughter. She never tells them the truth, but they might be the first person she doesn’t want to lie to. She may have let them a bit too close.
6. The Suspicious Local
They’ve heard whispers. The way she never talks about her life before Palmview. The fact no one remembers hiring her. They're watching her. And she knows it.
Anyway, if you read all the way through here ily. My name is Gaby, and I love angst and ic drama. I might be super slow at replying in general, dms and... replies. But I promise I am always so down to plot and write !!!
[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { MAXWELL “MAX” LOCKHART } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { HE } is/are ? they kind of look like { NUNO GALLEGO } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { TWENTY-FOUR } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { TWO YEARS }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { KRONK } from { THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { SUNSET SHACK } as a { SURF INSTRUCTOR }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { THE SILLY GOOSE } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { SCATTERBRAINED } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { OUTGOING } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { TWO BEDROOM } apartment beside me over in { SUNSET VILLAS }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!
STATS
full name: maxwell alexander lockhart
nickname(s): max (pretty much exclusively goes by this), maxi
likes: watching the sunrise from his board, doodling, cotton candy flavored anything, facetime calls, smoothies, running, edm, doing a backflip (benson boone style but cooler), calling people nicknames, his air fryer
dislikes: complicated board games, wearing socks, conspiracy theories, cold weather, prolonged silence, jello (childhood incident, don't ask), not getting the joke, critical thinking, the concept of pickle ball, when the sleeves are too tight on shirts
BACKGROUND
the youngest of the lockhart clan and it SHOWS; has pretty much never had a responsibility in his life, enjoys being the (6 foot tall) baby
when his parents split up and his dad remarried he was mad and sad, of course, but he also gives his dad more grace than he probably should —heart's too big
he was pretty popular in high school, was voted prom king etc., but he wasn't very good academically
his TRUE passion was always surfing, has been from a young age, and he often was late to school because he was busy on the beach doing what he wanted to do
he tried college for a year, studying sports medicine at university of california san diego, but it really wasn't his Thing so he dropped out and kinda just went up and down the cali coast surfing and hanging out
when his siblings started moving to palmview he was like WAIT UP and decided to settle there too, thinking he'd maybe find some direction or at least have some fun
and well... he is lowkey living his dream, he's teaching surf lessons and just a guy being a dude doing dude stuff
PERSONALITY
a sweet boy!
the type to go out of his way to be nice to you, not a particularly helpful neighbor per say but a very good neighbor
pretty irresponsible, but not maliciously, just kinda accidental
chaotic good to the core
not the sharpest tool in the shed, but makes up for it in kindness
naturally kind of flirty, has definitely broken someone's heart like... on accident just bc he's the type to keep 327 unread texts and doesn't always pick up on the flirtation of others
never beating the loverboy allegations though, goes HARD when he has a crush
has never met a stranger, will immediately treat you like a friend unless you're overtly mean to him at which point he just feels kind of neutrally, no hard feelings
definitely fits the chill surfer dude vibe
loves his family! would go to war for his siblings, it's true
a true_friend.mp3, always gonna be there when you need him!
[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here, are you ? i figured because you totally just missed brett nasr walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who he is ? they kind of look like roby attal and i could be wrong but i think that they might be twenty-nine years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last month. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of trent lane from daria. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at tidepool drive-in as an attendant. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the deviant of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty careless at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty forthright to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that two bedroom apartment beside me over in oasis heights. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!
STATS:
full name : brett rami nasr
nickname(s) : n / a
birthplace : chicago, illinois
date of birth : march 12, 1996
parentage : rami nasr ( deceased )
sibling(s) : _____ ( half )
relationship status : single
gender identity : cis man ( he/him )
sexual orientation :
faceclaim : roby attal
BACKGROUND:
( tw: infidelity, neglect, paranoia, drug use, drug overdose / death, grief )
since the day he was born, it had always been brett and his dad.
rami nasr was not necessarily a good man – he was a married man with a kid at home, and brett was the result of him stepping out on his wife. so, when brett was dropped off at rami's door, it was just the two of them.
according to brett, he had a great dad. he was very attentive when he was around, he was full of energy, and was constantly taking brett on long drives just to get out of their apartment. their adventures were always accompanied by loud rock music, because THAT'S WHAT MEN LISTENED TO.
he's four years old when his dad buys him a mini drum set ( much to his neighbors disappointment and irritation ). it was meant to keep brett busy when his dad couldn't be as attentive to him as he wanted to. and it worked ! brett would spend hours on his little drum set, only stopping during quiet hours.
according to brett, he had a great dad. it didn't matter that his dad was coming home late – he enjoyed watching tv with his neighbor, and his dad always had a surprise when he came through the door. it didn't matter that he didn't have a usual bathing routine because real men don't need to shower that often.
he's five years old when his dad and his dad's ex-wife have a nasty argument. he's not used to this side of his dad, and he barely knows the woman whose voice was taking up his living room. he puts an alice in chains album in the cd player to drown out the noise. he never saw his sibling again after that.
his dad had always been energetic and talkative, so it was only natural for brett to develop that same personality. because of this, brett doesn't notice when his dad may be speaking too much. he doesn't realize his dad is different, until he attends a birthday party in the first grade and watches how his dad moves around the room. HE WAS JUST A GOOD MAN. the other kids could never have as much fun with their dad as brett had with his.
for as long as brett could remember, his dad had always had ... theories. any moving object in the sky was automatically an unidentified flying object, and he was always telling brett to be wary of birds – they were spies sent from the government to watch your every move. when you're seven years old, your instinct isn't to assume your father spends his free time eager to get certain substances into his system. a father is meant to guide his son, so follow brett did.
which is why rami's overdose ( which happens just a few weeks before brett's eighth birthday ) hits him so hard. sure, brett and his dad had been an odd pair, BUT THEY WERE A PAIR. brett had no other family to rely on. where was he supposed to go ?
according to the state, foster care was the only option. he's given two duffel bags, and, unfortunately, that was not enough for his drum set. he doesn't have much time to pack, so he's stuffing any little thing he can think of. his father's clothes, a couple photographs, little cards, and his dad's favorite cologne.
life after that is a bit of a blur. who was brett nasr without rami nasr ? to this day, he still doesn't have the answer to this question.
he spends the rest of his childhood bouncing between foster homes in the state of illinois. some were good, some were not. no placement stuck, but he didn't want them to stick. perhaps he was extra annoying at the beginning – he's not exactly sure what he was wanting ( well, he wanted his dad back. that much he knew ).
as he grew up, he grew more apathetic towards life in general. IT WAS WHAT IT WAS. he was less annoying to his foster families, but he was still a bit strange. he didn't like to get comfortable.
he drops out of school at fifteen and was just focusing on keeping himself afloat. he knows once he turns eighteen he's on his own.
except, when he's sixteen, he finds himself at a foster home in libertyville. a village with a curfew is not ideal for brett, but the family was something he wasn't expecting. it had taken nine years, but he finally felt like he'd found a home that understood him. they didn't try to encourage him to go back to school, they cared about his theories ( or at least ... pretended to ! ), they didn't pressure him to open up about anything ( and listened whenever he would drop some piece of information ), and they even bought him a drum set for his seventeenth birthday.
which made leaving them so much harder. it wasn't like they didn't want to adopt him. in fact, they offered numerous times. brett could really see himself in this family. maybe not in libertyville, but with connections to it. unfortunately, the thought gave him a sinking feeling in his stomach. was this not the ultimate betrayal to the man who made him ?
a seventeen year old brett doesn't realize he can accept this new family while keeping the memory of his dad alive. because, at the end of the day, BRETT AND RAMI WERE A PAIR. he just couldn't let that go.
so, as an act of devotion to his late father, brett gathers the important things he can fit into a duffel and leaves out the window. he would be a free man soon enough. he just hopes he doesn't hold onto the loss of this family like he holds onto the loss of his father.
after he turns eighteen, he just kind of moves around. he couch surfs with coworkers, switches jobs, and just kinds of exists. he doesn't stay in illinois for long, and pretty soon, he's moving state to state just because he can. he has plenty of numbers in his phone, but does he have many friends ?
as he grows older, he realizes life is what you make of it. his old foster family taught him that. he gets back into socializing ( something his dad was always good at ), looks for any excuse to be busy, and tries not to be so hard on himself. life doesn't have to be serious!!!
he ends up in palmview simply because a friend asked him to and he doesn't have any reason to object. who knows what this chapter will hold for him ?
PERSONALITY / HEADCANONS:
drives a beat up minivan from 2013 with far too many miles on it, but it took him a long time to save up for it so he's not letting it go!!!!! so what if he's constantly having to look up youtube videos and reddit threads on how to fix it ???
speaking of reddit .................. yea hes IN THERE
he's a pretty good conversationalist in the fact that he can hold one, it's just about whether or not he's in the mood for one
always wearing a chain that belonged to his dad
before he dropped out, he would always join whatever school's band so he could get access to their drum set LMFAO hated the actual part of being in a band butttttt he was making do
he still has pieces from his dad's wardrobe all those years ago, and he'll cycle through them in his outfits.
he doesn't think before he speaks and doesn't really care once he says something either
he's really trying to figure out how to just ....... be happy and not stuck on an event from 21 years ago but sorry guys he still struggles
he has an idea of who he could be at his best, but also doesn't want to get too comfortable in that.
just kind of ............. a social menace honestly he's just a man that's all i can really say just crude and classless.... KFHGFDJKGHFDJKGHFDK
also guys i promise he showers more now he's learned okay <3
[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { ROWAN TALBOT } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { HE } is/are ? they kind of look like { BEN HARDY } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { 30 } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { TWO YEARS }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { WILLIAM THACKER } from { NOTTING HILL }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { THE BOOK NOOK } as an { OWNER }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { PRECOCIOUS } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can be pretty { BLUNDERING } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { EARNEST } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { APARTMENT } beside me over in { SEAGLASS HEIGHTS }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!
hi friends ! i am lemon. below is a lil bit about rowan. i will have his bio page up soon, but here's a brief insight into who he is now. know that i am very excited to write (even though it's been a hot second since i've rped tbh) and just a warning that i live in australia so my timezone is horrendous lmao. but without further ado, here's rowan !
also here are some links to other pages with further details if you want to learn more !!
bio (wip, will work on it in the coming days)
connections ( only 9 atm but am hoping to expand this in the future ! am completely keen to plot also hehe )
STATISTICS
NAME: rowan talbot
AGE: thirty
GENDER: cismale
PRONOUNS: he/him
SEXUALITY: pansexual
OCCUPATION: owner of the book nook in seaglass heights
when constructing rowan, i found myself torn between ben wyatt from parks and rec and william thacker from notting hill as his counterpart. rowan is in many ways an amalgam, though favouring will mostly for the fact that anything to do with law and politics causes at the very least, a headache in this day and age. but those are his roots !!
rowan is a soft spoken, soft hearted man whose strength is his ability to care for others. though ironically, it is also his undoing. he cares far too much about the opinions of others and fitting in :(
he is a little socially awkward and horrendously self deprecating, but wears it ever so graciously. the British accent i am sure helps in that regard. he also has no understanding of his Corporeal Self and the fact that people could perceive him attractive. it doesn’t help that he dresses the part of a middle aged man lmao
speaking of which, socially at least, he never takes things too seriously. he's always laughing, making jokes, trying his best to fit in and have a good time. however, anything revolving around work - time stops and all his attentions will fall to that. he is fastidious in that regard.
lowkey falls in love too hard and too fast. that's how he ended up in palmview at the end of the day. he spends so much time seeking validation from those around him, he forgets that he is his own person and is just as deserving of the things he wants in life. but what does he want ?? rowan doesn’t know !
he has a rescue greyhound ! i wanted to go for a horse but it wouldn't fit in his apartment.
an absolute lightweight and would take a milkshake over a beer, tbh
he is absolutely a dork and though he knows this, he somewhat conceals it for the most part. though it shouldn’t at all be surprising from the accounting major with a bookstore that hosts board game events lol
rowan knows how to catastrophise and be anxious and worry at all hours. if his heart rate isn’t elevated, something is wrong. he is a great friend to have in that respect but he can also go a little too far … think doling out sanitiser wipes in a book bag he always has on him, constantly fretting about a cataclysmic weather event, or double and triple checking to make sure he’s actually locked the doors he thought he locked
TIMELINE
rowan was born a middle child to his wealthy parents in cambridgeshire, england
he has one elder brother who was and remains to be nothing but a bully, and his younger sibling [ possible wanted connection ! ] had every bit of vivaciousness and life that rowan lacked. his father was strict beyond words and had always desired to mould his children in his image (that of a stoic, wealthy and powerful man). rowan was always close and very similar to his mother, which seemed to be a failing to everyone else but the two of them. rowan never desired to change.
doing well academically was all rowan knew growing up - though to be sure, rowan grew up incredibly privileged. despite knowing he had the manners, reverence and self-awareness to understand his upbringing certainly wasn't the norm, he had always felt so isolated in its' opulence in that he had no one to share it with. he craved friendships his youthful shyness had prevented. perhaps his younger sibling was close with him, but he had no best friends, or lovers that he bonded with that were at all close in age.
despite being invisible for the most part, rowan was determined to make his parents proud with his endeavours later in life. rowan did not have the exuberance for law nor the stomach for medicine. so naturally, he went on to pursue accounting (for which he had an affinity for), minoring in business management. like many in his family, he graduated from cambridge with his masters and was all but handed a position at one of the top accounting firms in london upon his graduation.
enter his ex partner [ possible wanted connection ! ] this person was nothing at all like rowan, and the two find themselves swept up in a whirlwind romance. after having spent a couple years in corporate, rowan naively follows this person who he is engaged to at this point to palmview in florida. either due to that person being from this place or simply wanting to relocate there, rowan did not question what the love of his life (at the time) wanted. his family were not at all thrilled with this development.
as whirlwind a romance as it was, it certainly was not meant to be. a break up before the wedding (or maybe after!) is finalised as the two part ways, and rowan has to come to grips with the fact that he threw away his life in london for this person and start from scratch. but there's a romanticism for him, an allure. no one in florida knows what his name means, and he doesn't have to fit the mould his family expected of him. still, he spoke none of these developments to his family as he started to forge his new life.
as it would happen, a sweet older gentleman - the previous owner of the book nook - was selling the business. given the savings he accumulated back in london and the relevant qualifications, and the reality of having such a wealthy family behind him to instil faith upon investment, rowan was able to purchase the rights to the book nook and let it become his new purpose.
it has been two years since the purchase went through and rowan has gone on to fortify the foundations of a thriving business ... and little else. especially since his apartment sits right above the business. though he shouldn't be, he is still a stranger to palmview and a lot of the beauties within. he has built his business, and now it's time for him to build his life.
thank you so much for reading - and i cannot wait to write with you. <3
[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { FRANKIE SULLIVAN } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { SHE } is ? they kind of look like { CHLOE BENNET } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { THIRTY-ONE } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { 4 MONTHS }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { POISON IVY } from { DC }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { PALMVIEW } as a { BUSINESS OWNER + SOCIALITE }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { ANTHOMANIAC } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { ALOOF } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { GENEROUS } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { FOUR BEDROOM } apartment beside me over in { CORAL COVE }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!
𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬.
𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 frankie sullivan
𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬 she/her
𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 june 3
𝐚𝐠𝐞 31
𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 bisexual
𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬 whiskers (ragdoll cat)
𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 las vegas, nv
𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 business owner + socialite
𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.
𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 chloe bennet
𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 5'5"
𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 dark brown
𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 dark brown. prefers the length to be shoulders and either has her hair down or in a ponytail depending on her mood
𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 two on each lobe
𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐬 for now she only has two and isn't in a rush to get more, but she loves what she has. on her left side and right upper thigh are flowers. if she gets any in the future, it'll most likely be floral themed
𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬.
𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐬 the recluse, the anthomaniac
𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 frankieftw
𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬 adaptable, aloof, pessimistic, stubborn
𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 laying in bed, scrolling through her phone, taking care of her plants, watching tv shows and movies, walking through nature trails, visiting parks and gardens, traveling
𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 her family, whiskers, her plants, sex, art museums, books, cooking, coffee
𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 loud people, loud music, clubbing, dishonesty, liars, cheaters
𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 walk-in closets but wearing the same 5 outfits, walking through trails, smelling fresh air, having polaroids of flowers, not needing glasses but wearing them for fashion, stacks of books that were read, a hot cup of coffee, plants scattered throughout the bedroom, a person reading alone in a library, being the wallflower at a party
𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.
she grew up in las vegas, nevada with loving parents who thrived in the hotel business. life was good and she felt secure, until her parents divorced. she was confused as to where the decision came from when she was younger, and for a while, she lived with her aunt to adjust. eventually, she began moving between her parents' homes. it took time, but she learned to adapt. if they were happy, she was too.
her real heartbreak didn't come until later though. during her senior year of high school and into her first year of college, she was in a long-term relationship. unfortunately, it fell apart in the worst way. her boyfriend had been sleeping with her best friend and her entire friend group had known along. nobody told her or warned her either.
it's been years since the betrayal, but the pain stayed with her and she's never completely forgiven them. after everything, she's grown to be more guarded and a little cold toward those around her.
❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed LARK HENDRICKS walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who SHE is ? they kind of look like LAURA HARRIER and i could be wrong but i think that they might be THIRTY years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last TWO WEEKS. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of YASMIN KARA-HANANI from INDUSTRY. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at PALMVIEW CITY HALL as the MAYOR'S ASSISTANT. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the MAGICIAN of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty HYPERCRITICAL at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty METHODICAL to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that THREE BEDROOM apartment beside me over in HARBORVIEW RESIDENCES 4C. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you! psd credit.
★ statistics.
full name: lark annabelle hendricks. nickname(s): lala (parents only), whatever julian and savannah decide to call her on any given day. age: thirty. date of birth: 20th november. star sign: scorpio. sexual orientation: bisexual. romantic orientation: biromantic. hometown: palmview, florida. occupation: finance officer at palmview city hall. ethnicity: mixed, african-american and white. nationality: american. inspo: yasmin kara-hanani (industry), jessica pearson (suits), annalise keating (how to get away with murder).
★ personality.
click here! she's just a bit meaner now, oops.
★ biography.
i. lark's biography prior to her most recent departure from palmview can be found here. below is what caused her to leave and why she returned, and how it's affected her since.
ii. in truth, the monotony of palmview eventually proved itself to be too much for lark, who found it increasingly difficult with each passing day to play into the smiles and pleasantries exchanged by the locals. she found herself unsatisfied by the humdrum lifestyle and, perhaps due to an addiction to the underhanded environment she once knew, she fled back to new york city and leapt right back into the fire. perhaps she would get burned even worse than before but this time she didn't care, failure was not an option.
iii. fortunately for her but unfortunately for the rest of us, being back in the city meant she found it much easier to tap into that dark, machiavellian side of her she'd tried so hard to repress and disappear back in her hometown. with the help of a few sly contacts, she scrounged up enough dirt on her old boss to scrub that ‘decent enough’ reference from her record, replacing it with the shiny, gold star, smoke up your ass sort of recommendation that she truly deserved. she sat in her airbnb that night and celebrated with a few enemies she never called friends, the expensive bottles of wine flowing like never before… but at what cost?
iv. she could return to palmview again now, unburdened by the anchors of her one and only failure, but as her private car drove her back over the city limits she found herself feeling… different. above her body, almost. she hadn't ‘fixed’ herself, quite the contrary, in fact, now the hunger seemed worse than ever. now the eyes on her seemed beadier, sharper, like they were simply waiting for her to set a foot wrong or have a hair out of place, even in a place like this.
v. all lark's done is delay the inevitable. she can get meaner, she can build herself higher, she can grip on tighter to that sparklingly flawless reputation of hers, but it doesn't erase that feeling beneath that she just can't shake. as time goes on she seems to isolate herself more and more from those friendships she'd spent two years crafting, who knows what she'll have left the next time it all comes crashing down?
★ extras.
i. lark is a polyglot and she knows 5 languages: english, spanish, portuguese, mandarin and japanese. she's currently learning french and arabic, which she believes won't take her very long. she didn't really discover this until a bit later in her life, when she got really serious about getting into finance, but it's actually something she genuinely enjoys. her goal is to have a conversational grasp of every major language so, as per usual, she's setting realistic goals.
ii. although most people would never know it because she isn't the type to help freely, her purse is the swiss army knife of purses. anything you could possibly need, lark will have it in her bag – not only that, she's bought multiples of everything to keep in multiple bags, so she's never caught unaware by an accident or emergency.
iii. she has possibly the worst road rage. it went largely undiscovered for quite a while, since in the city there was really no need for her to be driving anywhere and, if there ever was, she'd just get a cab, but lark can't contain herself when driving. it's 100% down to the fact that she isn't able to get any work done during it and she resents the entire experience, especially if there's traffic. yes, she has the money to pay a private driver forever, but even lark finds something like that to be garish in a place like palmview.
likes: forest green, charcuterie, red wine, stationery, matcha, snow, green tea, reading, cocktails (good ones!), long-distance running, early mornings, lilies, funny dog videos, youtube video essays, hot yoga, winter, christmas.
dislikes: clutter, iced tea, calisthenics, fireworks, 4th july, people who snap their fingers to get the waiter's attention, driving, more tba bc she's a hater.
★ counterpart inspired plots.
i. her harper – intense rivalry with a healthy dose of tension, sexual or otherwise. two hyper-focused, career-driven people who should, in reality, be the best of friends but the desire to be on top keeps getting in the way. nobody can really tell if these two love or hate each other, one day they're at each other's throats, the next they're falling over each other after too many glasses of wine and spilling their darkest secrets. nobody gets lark like harper – the problem is, nobody could destroy lark like harper, either.
ii. her robert – she's sleeping with this guy but can it really last? if lark's going to settle down for anybody, especially a man, it's going to be for someone pulling in 6 figures in their sleep. someone who can provide her with security. someone who can keep her name squeaky clean. someone powerful. this guy… is not. but there's just something that keeps pulling her back, no matter how desperately she tries to detach herself emotionally. on his side, he's in love with her but she's a total bitch, bordering on pure evil sometimes… and yet, again, something pulls him back. could've started before she left palmview the last time and now it's messy, because she left without saying goodbye, could be something from either of her times in new york.
iii. her hard ass mentor – not necessarily her boss, but someone who, unlike most of the people in lark's life, is pushing her to do better, when she's already doing her best. this person's standards are high, impossibly so in some cases, and for some reason lark has taken it upon herself to set ‘impressing them’ as one of her goals. maybe it's because they bare a striking resemblance to the assholes back in nyc, maybe it's because she thinks she deserves the pain, maybe she's just kind of insane now.
★ other wanted plots.
people pissed at her for leaving (0/?) – lark left without saying goodbye to anyone but her family and anyone adjacent to her family because, as per usual, they're the only people she seems to actually care about. i think some people should be MAD about it!!! what she did was shitty and she should be confronted with it, even if she won't admit to any wrongdoing for quite a while. if ever.
enemies for sure, lovers for show (1/1) – someone else who cares about their reputation and status and, therefore, wants lark on their arm as much as she wants them on hers. problem is, beneath the public flirtations and tongue-wagging instagram posts, they hate each other. they likely went on one actual date and barely got through it without murdering each other, but a pretty face is a pretty face, and people high up in the world love two beautiful people together.
girl gang (0/3) – i just need lark to have a bratz-esque group of girls who have known each other for years and have each other's backs and are still riding for her even when she's being a bit too type a. in fact, that's what they love most about her. definitely have a preference for them having known her in school/when she was getting bullied, likely stayed in touch when she left palmview via msn and myspace (throwback, #showingmyage) and stuff like that.
silk fabric slipping from shoulder while padding through luxurious home, spontaneous tropical vacations only ever revealed on social medina, never forgetting to take an outfit picture before leaving the house, the salted water of the beach clinging to your hair after an early morning run, starting every morning with a perfectly made iced coffee, perfectly manicured nails trailing down your skin in a blazing trail of desire.
[ … ] ❀ you're not from around here, are you ? i figured because you totally just missed sunhwa "suni" lim walking by. don't tell me you don't know who she is ? they kind of look like kim jisoo and i could be wrong, but i think they might be thirty years old right now. they've been living in palmview for the last three years. i don't know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of daphne bridgerton from bridgerton. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at cove wellness center as a barre instructor. you see, this town isn't really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the amaranth of palmview ! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they're coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can be pretty stubborn at times. i wouldn't take it too seriously though, from the times i've spoken to them they seemed pretty warmhearted to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that one bedroom apartment beside me over in coral cove. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you !
being born in hawai'i, on the beautiful island of oahu, one would assume that sunhwa lim's life was nothing short of paradise. while her family has wealth, it lacks the warmth and everything else a child would want from their parents. bora song and sangwon lim are parents, but they're not a mom and dad— they're two selfish people that unexpectedly became pregnant, but didn't want anything to do with their own child. they found children to be too needy and dependent, go figure, ultimately hiring a nanny for their daughter almost immediately after she was born.
sunhwa, affectionately nicknamed suni by her nanny louise, was attached to the young woman's hip almost immediately. there was never not a time where louise wasn't with suni, where the little girl sometimes had to be reminded of who her actual mother was. bora and sangwon were always like random people living in her home, and when sunhwa was growing up, she'd do her best to try and get to know them but it never worked in her favor. her parents always seemed to be annoyed with the mere fact that they had a child who craved their affection, and eventually, sunhwa stopped trying.
during her formative years, it's louise that comes to her recitals and helps with her homework. louise is the one to help get her ready for the first day of school and talk her through navigating her first crush. suni's used to it, and the weird reactions she gets when she mentions that louise is her nanny. even after bora and sangwon fire louise for some entirely made up reason, suni still keeps in contact with her. it's only louise who comes to suni's high school graduation, and suni wouldn't have it any other way.
suni can't start college at the university of hawai'i at manoa fast enough come the fall of that same year, ready to leave behind the parents she didn't care for. she studies kinesiology and rehabilitation science with a concentration in health and exercise science while there, and graduates cum laude just four years later. then twenty two year old suni finds peace moving on with her life in hawai'i, working at a local sports clinic. her life is comfortable, especially considering the fact that her grandparents made sure to set up her trust fund to be immediately accessed. she often wondered where they were during all those years, but suni never cared to get to know them either.
after five years at the clinic, suni decides it's time to move on. during those five years, she dates and gets cheated on, which completely broke her heart. she never expected for her ex boyfriend to cheat on her with someone that she considered to be her best friend, but suni took that as a sign that it was time to move on. suni sells her condo after doing her research, finding a cozy beach town called palmview to make her new home. the only person she tells is louise, who encourages her to find her peace wherever it may be. suni settles in palmview three years ago, instantly feeling a weight lift from her shoulders when she steps off the plane. florida is incredibly different from her life in hawai'i, but it's a change that she needs. after a while of allowing herself to rest, suni decides to become certified as a barre instructor, and has been working at cove wellness center for about two and a half years.
suni, pronounced as sunny, is the definition of her name. she has a bright personality, often looking for the positives even if there's really none to be found. she tries not to be the mood killer, sometimes even going out of her way to help someone else feel better even when she's at her lowest.
despite growing up with money, she isn't afraid of some hard work. maybe it's because of her being primarily raised by her nanny, but suni has always enjoyed making a little effort.
as related to her counterpart, suni has an elegant air about herself similar to daphne. she's not particularly naive, but she tries to be kind and considerate of someone else's feelings. she's an only child, and has learned to be independent from a rather young age.
she wishes for a life with a partner and maybe children someday, but right now she's just coasting. she has no issues with a long term relationship, but considering that her ex partner cheated on her with a close friend, it's just not in the cards right now.
suni can be rather stuck in her ways at times, unwilling to let up once she's made her mind up about something. it takes a lot of convincing for her to change her mind, and definitely holds grudges once she's been crossed.
she likes to end her nights with a glass of wine and her favorite television show with her favorite face mask. her barre classes are hard, she plays tennis for fun, and will spend her mornings at the beach after a run. suni drives a jeep wrangler, has a pink stanley, and fell for the labubu hype— there's one hooked on her purse.
NAME: marianne maria shephard
NICKNAMES: maria, mar, anne / annie / mimi ( siblings only )
GENDER: cis female
PRONOUNS: she/her
BIRTHDAY: december 20, 1995
AGE: 29
HEIGHT: 5'5"
SEXUALITY: bisexual
OCCUPATION: adoption counsellor at dune animal rescue
LIVING: oasis harbor, oasis heights #2c
BORN: paris, france
TIME IN PALM VIEW: four years
DETAILS
POSITIVE TRAITS: maternal, conscientious, resourceful, responsible.
NEUTRAL TRAITS: sarcastic, protective, sceptical, exhausted, dry.
NEGATIVE TRAITS: hot-headed, opinionated, critical, difficult, blunt.
LIKES: animals, gardening, keychains, lighting candles, starry nights.
DISLIKES: being far out on the water, hugs from strangers, mess, skirts.
HISTORY
TW PARENTIFICATION
Two should have been enough. Twins, each named after a parent they'll barely ever know, then three more, adopted into an empty, cold home.
Maria discovers responsibility at far too young an age. The presence of nannies only makes her more determined to learn everything herself — how best to get paint out of clothing, how to make pancakes exactly how Atlas likes them, how best to calm each sibling when tensions run high. She doesn't realise until it's too late that she'd only given their parents more reason to pull back, expectations even heavier on her shoulders that between themselves, their children could do it all on their own.
Watching Marco move out during culinary school had made her bitter. Only eleven, yet she knew so much of what he shouldered would soon become hers. It should have made her appreciate him more, what he'd done for them, but at such an age, the only thing she can ever think of is the empty space behind his bedroom door. He's so close still, yet Maria counts every centimetre, knows it by heart.
That distance between herself and her siblings only seems to grow greater when Clark starts his art degree, Maria enrolled in business school. She'd never had the bravery Clark did, to do what he loved instead of what they expected of them. Four years later, he's free as a bird and Maria's fighting through over a decade of burn out to graduate and start figuring out where to go next.
It's small, the store she eventually purchases to sell custom prints and gifts. She decorates it herself, to save a little on builders and show her parents she can do it by herself ( as if they're watching ), yet within two years of conception, the business closes, buried under not a single month in profit.
With her tail between her legs, she flees to Palmview for a fresh start. A business degree is more than enough to get her countless short-lived jobs as she desperately searches for something she can find at least a little pride in. It all kind of falls into place when an opening pops up at the rescue she'd been volunteering at — an adoption counsellor, and who would know better how to nurture a makeshift family than Maria?
And with each sibling steadily finding their way to Palmview over the years, maybe she can figure out how to nurture her own again, too.
TRIVIA
She attributes it to growing up with three brothers and only one sister, but Maria's style leans much more into loose comfort and a 'tomboy' vibe. On the rare occasions she's been required to wear a dress over the years, she has always spent the entire time fidgeting and complaining — much to her parents' dismay.
