"so, i gotta ask you somethin'..." moose announces his presence to the table bearing a plastic thing of hot chili cheese fries, sauce all over his thumb that he licks off indelicately before plopping the plate in front of the other. he gives them a discerning look, like he's debating whether or not to proceed. he decides against his better judgment, anyway: "you heard about about mrs. vance kicking her husband out of the house naked last night 'cause she found out he was cheating on her with the intern, right? you didn't tell anybody that you got that info from me, did you? 'cause now he's real pissed at me and won't buy those tickets for that steely dan tribute band he had me get."
would you believe us if we said that wasn't really ALFONSO HERRERA? well, it isn't .ᐟ.ᐟ that's ANDRES FRANCISCO SANTOS, a proud resident of pinehaven for the last 42 YEARS. you can find them working over at PINEHAVEN AUTO & MORE as an OWNER/MECHANIC. they're 42, but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're STUBBORN, AGGRESSIVE, AND CLOSED-MINDED, but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more LOYAL, PROTECTIVE, AND DETERMINED . if we had to pick one song to describe HIM, it would be TEXAS BY LO PRO. see ya 'round, SANTOS .ᐟ.ᐟ
BIOGRAPHY
andrés defines himself in very old school definitions of masculinity: as the protector and the provider of his family. whether some siblings choose to recognize it or not.
with his younger siblings being so much younger (7 and 12 years), he never had the close TV-perfect relationship. but he could do his best to make sure they weren't bullied at school. and to protect them from the knowledge of the hardships of their parents.
ever since he was a kid, andrés had been working at their family auto shop, knowing it would be his one day. but it was only in high school when he learned how fraught his inheritance was. how close to bankruptcy the shop was.
as he came to realize how dire the financial situation was, andrés went to work. literally and figuratively. he would take any small jobs, legal or not, to get some extra money. to keep food on the table, to keep the business afloat, and to make sure his younger siblings could do whatever sports teams or have whatever present they wanted under the christmas tree.
once he clocked into the job of family provider, he never really clocked out. sure, it wasn't until his 30's that he actually came to own the shop, but he had been in line for so much longer, handling the day-to-day and night-to-night operations.
he still supports his parents when they need more money.
he did actually manage to graduate high school. it's a requirement he gave his daughter. as is college. he always wants better for his family. especially his daughter.
andrés accepts the distance that his secrecy and protection has put between himself and his siblings. in some ways, it is a success. they will never need to know how bad it was. they will never need to know what he had to do. and the fact that xavier was able to get the shop closer to on the straight and narrow and they had not once again fallen into bankruptcy meant that andrés had gotten the shop back in a good place.
even with the resentment, he will always show up for his family. he did it all for them. he does it all for them.
NOAH GRAYSON JEREMY ALLEN WHITE? a proud resident of pinehaven for the last 2 YEARS. you can find them working over at LOULOU'S DINER as a LINE COOK. they're 34 YEARS OLD but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're RESERVED, PRAGMATIC, EXTREMELY SELF CRITICAL, but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more HONEST, STRONG WILLED, RATIONAL. if we had to pick one song to describe HE/HIM, it would be WHO ARE YOU, REALLY? BY MIKKY EKKO. see ya 'round, NOAH .ᐟ.ᐟ ☆ connections & pinterest
GENERAL
dob & star sign: september 14th, virgo ( 34 currently )
nickname(s): gray ( really only used by close friends )
ethnicity & languages: caucasian. english, italian, spanish & french ( culinary technical ). he views language the same way he views a knife; like a tool. if a language doesn't help him get a dish out faster or source a better ingredient, he won't waste time learning the grammar. but he is a silent master of understanding more than speaking. he'll stand in a crowded market listening to vendors speak in other languages & while he can't speak back, he can read the tone & the quality of the product perfectly
medical chart: comminuted fracture, left metacarpal; a boxer’s fracture sustained during an altercation at age 16. it didn't heal perfectly because he didn't want to stay in the cast so he has a slight permanent thickening of the knuckle. intermittent explosive disorder; the clinical diagnosis for his impulsive outbursts of rage that are disproportionate to the situation & the primary focus of his court ordered anger management. social anxiety disorder; significant physiological distress in social settings, including heart palpitations & tremors. generalized anxiety disorders; he suffers from anxiety attacks when he feels out of control or crowded, but they are quiet. he doesn't hyperventilate loudly, he simply freezes & stops speaking entirely
distinguishing marks: multiple partial thickness burns; his forearms are a roadmap of his career, scattered scars from oil splatters & oven racks. he treats them with apathy, seeing them as the price of admission to a kitchen. laceration scars; numerous small, white scars on his fingers from rookie mistakes during his early years & high pressure shifts in manhattan. a thin, vertical eyebrow notch through his left brow from a fight in juvie
education: high school diploma. associate of occupational studies in culinary arts. servsafe food protection manager certification. new york city food protection certificate. alcohol training awareness program certification. non degrees; advanced saucier apprenticeship, food science self study
family: mother & father ( still married; ezra & lydia grayson ), 3 older siblings, 1 sister & 2 brothers ( mason, david & quinn grayson ), ex brother in law ( gavin )
pet(s): none
CHARACTERISTICS & QUIRKS
favorite color(s): navy, copper & gunmetal
favorite music & artists: traditional blues, soft rock & adult contemporary. 90s east coast hip hop & classical
piercing(s) or tattoo(s): single ear piercing, surgical steel hoop in left ear. all black & gray, most fine line or technical. two full sleeves & a back piece following a strict aesthetic of industrial noir; most intricate, technical diagrams of industrial engines, botanical cross sections of his favorite rare ingredients & butcher diagrams of exotic animals. a few street level grit style pieces from his time in prison; blurred numbers, geometric shapes with distressed edges. other notable pieces; mise en place marks on side of left forearm & botanical etchings like sprigs of rosemary & sage
style: blue collar brooklynite style. materials over labels; prioritizing utility, dark colors & high quality textures. well worn, heavy weight black cotton tees or charcoal henleys with sleeves pushed up to elbows. high end, heavy duty waxed canvas or dark denim apron ( most expensive thing he wears frfr ). solid black, non slip leather boots like dark martens. oversized, vintage leather biker jacket or distress black denim jackets with hoodies underneath. dark, slim fit cargo pants or jeans. messy & slightly overgrown hair, usually tucked under a beanie or pulled back with a headband while he's working
special skills: precision skills; surgical butchery for breaking down carcasses, maillard specialist in understanding the chemistry between heat & protein, mirco knife work so consistent it looks machine cut. sensory & cognitive skills; he can identify individual components in complex sauces with startling accuracy, mental mapping for the ticket rail ( ie orders ) & bizarre ingredient knowledge for uncommon ingredients. low pain tolerance & lack of heat sensitivity; he can pick up a hot plate or flip a piece of protein with his bare hands without flinching. social de escalation; he has mastered the art of being so unreactive that people usually give up trying to debate him. mechanical aptitude; he can fix a leaking walk in cooler or a clogged grease trap
hobbies: extreme knife maintenance, he owns a collection of high grit japanese whetstones & he can spend hours in total silence sharpening them. urban foraging & market scouting; on his rare days off back in the city, he'd used to take long solitary walks through industrial areas or overgrown brooklyn lots to find edible weeds, wild garlic or mushrooms ( obviously living near a forest now he's having the time of his life ). fermenting addiction; sourdough starters, jars of kimchi, kombucha scobys & experimental misos. guerrilla gardening, he has a small, meticulously organized collection of herbs & peppers on his balcony
habits: the technician rituals; the three finger grip when holding random objects, the same he would use to hold a chef’s knife. station sanitation; when he enters a room, any room, he unconsciously scans for clutter. if he’s at a friend’s house or a bar, he might start squaring up coasters or wiping down a stray water ring without even realizing he's doing it. jaw clenching; when he’s deep in thought or feeling self critical, his jaw sets & his expression becomes unintentionally hostile. but he’s not angry, he’s just processing. ingredient sniffing; before he eats anything, or even when he’s just picking up a piece of produce at a market, he brings it to his nose. crowd edging; when he’s in a public space, he will always stand with his back to a wall or near an exit. avoidant eye contact; he’ll look at your hands or your shoes instead of your eyes
fears or phobias: chaos & contamination; this is his most functional phobia, bordering on ocd. he cannot relax if there is an unwashed dish in the sink or if his knives aren't in their specific order. he fears that if he lets one small thing slip, the rest of his life will follow. slight scopophobia ( fear of being watched ); he hates being the center of attention
character parallels: Carmy Berzatto ( The Bear ), Luke Danes ( Gilmore Girls ), Mike Ehrmantraut ( Breaking Bad ), The Driver ( Drive ), Logan ( X-Men )
likes: precision tools, deep textures, quiet hours, honest food, watching cooking shows, industrial logic, solitary spaces, physical competence, bitter & acidic profiles. the scent of rain on asphalt, heavy bottomed cookware, fermentation bubbles, cold steel, empty subway cars & first snowfall
dislikes: pretentiousness, forced networking, being in the spotlight, compromised tools, loss of control, being touched without a warning, slow walkers, disorganized kitchens, wasted ingredients
LORE
the air in south brooklyn didn’t smell like the sea; it smelled of diesel, hot asphalt, and the yeasty, scorched exhale of industrial bakeries. noah grayson was born into that humidity, the oopsie baby of the family arriving nearly a decade after his brothers and six years after his sister. he was the runt in a house of giants, a quiet afterthought in a home where the adults were already living lives he couldn't yet understand. while his brothers followed their father toward the docks, noah retreated. he found the only room in the apartment where the noise of the world dimmed; the kitchen.
it was there, standing on a milk crate beside his mother and grandmother, that he learned a language more honest than english. he didn't just watch them; he absorbed them. he learned the geometry of a perfect dice, the alchemy of salt and fat, and the violent, cleansing roar of a blue gas flame. while the neighborhood kids were screaming on the blacktop, noah was a silent fixture by the stove, mastering the craft that would eventually become his only sanctuary...and his greatest curse.
noah grew up as a study in contradictions. in the back of a classroom, he was a ghost; reserved, awkward, and profoundly reluctant to bridge the gap between himself and the rest of the world. but that silence was a thin veil. beneath it hummed a vicious, hair trigger temper. he was the kid who never raised his hand but would put a bully through a drywall if he caught them picking on the weak. the principal’s office became his second home, the only place he ever landed for the sin of caring too much and hitting too hard.
the world finally cracked open when he was sixteen. when the family discovered that his sister's husband was an abusive, unfaithful coward, noah didn’t wait for his brothers to hold a council. his temper didn’t just flare; it detonated. he found the man and systematically dismantled him, landing strikes with the same technical precision he would one day used on a prep table. it was his first serious charge, a few months in juvie, and the indelible ink of a criminal record that would follow him like a shadow.
despite the stigma, his talent was a undeniable thing. he clawed his way into a prestigious culinary school, excelling through a work ethic that bordered on pathological. he was a one trick pony, and the trick was perfection. he eventually landed a coveted spot at one of manhattan’s elite high end restaurants, but the professional world wasn't prepared for the brooklyn grit beneath his whites. his head chef, a man intimidated by the raw, terrifying skill noah possessed, rode him until the air in the kitchen turned electric. during one final, massive confrontation, things went from 0 to 100. noah got physical, the chef pressed charges, and the state of new york took three years of his life.
coming home was worse than being away. brooklyn felt smaller, the air tighter. mandated anger management classes and a probation officer were his new shadows. the violent felon label shuttered the heavy oak doors of the city's elite kitchens, forcing him into grease slicked dives where the only thing that mattered was if the eggs were up on time. exhausted by the constant rejection and the mounting, suffocating anxiety that new york demanded of him, noah got approval from his probation officer and finally packed his knives.
the transition to pinehaven, washington, was a study in sensory deprivation. he traded the screech of the g train and the stench of hot garbage for the oppressive, muffled silence of the pines and the scent of damp earth. he landed at loulou’s, a local staple that didn't care about his past as long as he could hold down the breakfast rush. to the regulars, he was just the new guy with the sleeves of ink and the attitude, a silent operator they didn't quite know how to talk to. noah didn't mind. in the humid, cramped belly of loulou’s, he found a fragile peace.
presently, noah treats a diner burger with the same religious obsession he once gave to a tasting menu. he is haunted by the sear, the fat content, and the perfect timing of a ticket. he is known by the waitstaff for the blank stare he gives when a customer sends something back, a look that says you are an idiot, even if his mouth remains shut. the stakes are lower here, but the standard remains the same.
outside the diner, noah lives a quiet, humble life, spending his off hours watching cooking shows or browsing the local markets. he is still embarrassingly bad at social interactions; the aggressive friendliness of a small town triggering his anxiety more than the cold anonymity of brooklyn ever did. but for the first time, he isn't looking over his shoulder. he’s just a man with a set of razor sharp knives and a grill that needs scraping. in pinehaven, he’s hoping the relentless rain might finally be enough to keep his fuse from catching again.
would you believe us if we said that wasn't really MAIA REFICCO? well, it isn't .ᐟ.ᐟ that's EVE SERRANO, a proud resident of pinehaven for the last TWENTY-THREE YEARS (RECENTLY RETURNED). you can find them working over as an MICROINFLUENCER. they're 25, but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're DISHONEST, INSECURE, MATERIALISTIC, but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more CONFIDENT, DILIGENT, RESILIENT. if we had to pick one song to describe HER, it would be YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL BY MARINA. see ya 'round, EVE .ᐟ.ᐟ
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶 ⸻ 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 .
𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲. eve serrano
𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀. cis woman, she/her
𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆. august 20
𝗮𝗴𝗲. 25
𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. bisexual
𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻. pinehaven, wa
𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. microinfluencer
𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 & 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘀. victor serrano (father), noemi serrano (mother)
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗶 ⸻ 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 .
𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺. maia reficco
𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 5'1"
𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀. brown
𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿. dark brown
𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. two on each earlobe
𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗼𝘀. none
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗶𝗶 ⸻ 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 .
𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹𝘀. the facade
𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲. eveserrano
𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀. confident, diligent, dishonest, insecure, materialistic, resilient
𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀. shopping, traveling, doing make up
𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀. attention, creating content, trying new eatery places, listening to music
𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀. losing followers, feeling like she's boring, cooking, baking, reading, oysters
𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀. words of affirmation
𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀. needles, heights
𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀. TO BE ADDED
𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀. TO BE ADDED
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘃 ⸻ 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘴 .
𝗽𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁. TO BE ADDED
𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃 ⸻ 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 .
eve serrano and her family had hopes and dreams of living a quiet, peaceful life. coming from a middle class family, they always had a roof over their heads and food on the table yet it wasn't enough. having dreams of living in the spotlight, she always felt like it was out of reach. deep down, she was insecure. always thinking she was too dull and uninteresting for everyone. living in this town didn't make life anymore thrilling either. life didn't stay that way for long though. she was able to make friends in high school and they were the type who seemed like they had it all. rather than being her true self, she grew to be dishonest and spouted lies about her life. it didn't stop there either. from high school to college to present time, she pretends to be something she's not. it's how she's a social media influencer at the age of twenty-five. she's known for her lifestyle and fashion, but not everything shown on screen is hers. she tends to borrow and/or steal from family, friends, relatives, and anyone she's able to.
would you believe us if we said that wasn't really ARCHIE RENAUX? well, it isn't .ᐟ.ᐟ that's JULIAN JHAVERI, a proud resident of pinehaven for the last 3 MONTHS. you can find them working over at PINEHAVEN AUTOS & MORE as a PANEL PAINTER. they're 27, but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're CONDESCENDING, A WORKAHOLIC & COCKY, but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more CONSCIENTIOUS, AMBITIOUS & HARD WORKING. if we had to pick one song to describe HIM, it would be EYELESS BY SLIPKNOT. see ya 'round, JULES .ᐟ.ᐟ
would you believe us if we said that wasn't really MINNIE MILLS? well, it isn't .ᐟ.ᐟ that's ELEANOR DAE, a proud resident of pinehaven for the last 6 MONTHS. you can find them working over at EMBER & PINE as a/an WAITRESS. they're 24 , but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're STUBBORN, REACTIVE, IMPULSIVE , but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more LOYAL, CHARISMATIC, FREE-SPIRITED. if we had to pick one song to describe HER, it would be KILBY GIRL BY BACKSEAT LOVERS. see ya 'round, NELLY .ᐟ.ᐟ
General Info
BIRTH NAME: Eleanor Dae
NICKNAMES: Nelly; Nell
AGE: 24
DATE OF BIRTH: May 1st
GENDER: Cis Female
PLACE OF BIRTH: Pinehaven, Washington
ETHNICITY: Korean America
PRONOUNS: She/Her
ORIENTATION: Bisexual
EDUCATION: High School Diploma, Tried Community College (dropped out after a semester), Tried Cosmetology School (dropped out)
STYLE
Messy-cool. Nelly’s style looks like she got dressed five minutes before leaving the house but somehow still pulls it off. Vintage band tees, worn leather jackets, ripped denim, chunky boots, layered rings. She mixes thrift store finds with statement pieces Prefers gold jewelry.
MYERS BRIGGS
ESFP – The Entertainer
Thrives on experience and stimulation. Impulsive and emotionally driven. Magnetic and socially bold. Avoids long-term planning. Feels deeply but hates being pinned down emotionally
POSITIVE TRAITS
Loyal to the people she loves. Charismatic and socially magnetic. Fearlessly authentic. Adaptable in situations. Emotionally perceptive (even if she pretends not to be). Passionate and expressive
NEGATIVE TRAITS
Impulsive and reckless. Avoids responsibility when it feels suffocating. Defensive when criticized. Can self-sabotage relationships. Struggles with commitment. Prideful and stubborn. Hides vulnerability behind humor or sarcasm
QUIRKS
Changes her hair whenever she’s going through something. Constantly fidgets with rings or jewelry when nervous. Uses sarcasm or jokes when conversations get emotional. Always has music playing somewhere (headphones, speaker, car). Collects random vintage items from thrift stores. Has a habit of disappearing when overwhelmed, then showing up later like nothing happened. Calls people affectionate but mildly insulting nicknames
BIO
Nelly didn’t just grow up in Pinehaven; she spent two decades trying to outrun it. While her sisters found comfort in the town’s quiet rhythms and their family’s Korean heritage, Nelly treated her hometown like a waiting room for a life she hadn't started yet. She was the sister who came home at 3:00 AM with neon-dyed hair and a fresh set of excuses, constantly testing the bounds of her family's patience. At twenty years old there was her breaking point. It was closer to what some would consider an explosion. A simple argument about being a "sensible" adult turned nuclear when a comment about her lack of discipline finally broke her. Nelly was driven by a mix of a bruised ego, impulsiveness, and the desperate need for autonomy. She spent an hour shoving her life into a single duffel bag before leaving without a word. It was impulsive and reckless. But it was the decision she could stomach at the time. Nelly was convinced that the Dae family and Pinehaven itself were suffocating her as a person and needed to leave. She spent the next few years chasing a version of herself that only existed in movies. Without much thought. landed in New York City. She was drawn to the fast pace, the bright lights, and the ability to reinvent herself. That’s where she met Julian. He was a magnetic, fast-talking musician who seemed to have the very soul of the city. For a long time, Nelly was convinced she’d finally found her person. She threw herself into their relationship with a reckless intensity, molding her entire identity around their life together. It was three years in when everything changed. It wasn't just a breakup; it was a total demolition. Julian had been cheating for over a year. Suddenly, the "freedom" Nelly had fought so hard for felt a lot like being stranded. She spent weeks drifting through New York, broke and realizing that in her rush to find herself, she’d actually ended up completely lost. In the end, Evie was the only bridge left standing, and after a tear-filled phone call, Evie had convinced her to come home. Now, Nelly is back in Pinehaven, trying to figure out how to be a "local" again while still being her.
would you believe us if we said that wasn't really TOM HOLLAND? well, it isn't .ᐟ.ᐟ that's CHARLESTON KING, a proud resident of pinehaven for the last 2 WEEKS. you can find them working over at TABLETOP PLAYGROUND as a CASHIER AND GAME-MASTER. they're 30, but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're SECRETIVE, STUBBORN, and DISHONEST, but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more CHARMING, HARDWORKING, and ALTRUISTIC. if we had to pick one song to describe HE/HIM, it would be AM I ALRIGHT BY ALY & AJ. see ya 'round, CHARLIE .ᐟ.ᐟ
FULL NAME: charleston everett king
NICKNAME: charlie, rex, ck
AGE: thirty
BIRTHDAY: july 1st
ZODIAC: cancer
SEXUALITY: closeted / bicurious*
FACECLAIM: tom holland
*charlie has had a few experiences with other men, enough to know that he is genuinely attracted to them, but he is still considered bicurious because he believes he is attracted to women as well. he hasn't acted on the attraction, and isn't sure if it's more than just an appreciation for beauty and finding it easier to be friends with women than men, but he doesn't want to completely close himself off to the idea of falling for or being with a woman either.
tw: mentions of suicide, depression, alcoholism, religious trauma and homophobia
charlie was no stranger to small towns. star, south carolina, was as small as they got in his opinion. everyone knew everyone, your neighbors felt more like extended family than strangers living next door, and nothing went unnoticed.
at least that's what he had always thought.
growing up the rules were simple. dinner with his parents every night by six pm sharp; homework needed to be done by eight pm on school nights; they went to the catholic church's seven am sunday service every sunday, no excuses; always say yes sir and yes ma'am; respect your elders; don't talk back; make his parent's proud; be good.
charlie clung to those rules as if they were the bible themself, especially after his mother died.
she had been his best friend. she was a font of light in his, and everyone else's, life. one night he was lounging on the couch with her, her soft pink manicured nails carding through his hair while they watched wheel of fortune, and the next she was just gone.
in small towns everyone was supposed to know everything. there weren't supposed to be any secrets, everyone was supposed to be too involved-- too much of a community-- for that and yet now they wanted him to believe that his mother-- the kindest, funniest, brightest person in his life; his only source of warmth-- was that depressed and no one noticed? no one at all?
after she was buried, the light in him dimmed so much that his father began to worry; everyone did.
he wore his mother's gold chain everywhere, carrying the dainty cross his father had saved up to buy her for years, but he wouldn't actually talk about her. not to his father. not to their priest. not to any of the counselors they sent him too. it was almost as if he believed not talking about her being gone, not addressing it at all, would keep it from being true.
unfortunately that's not how it works.
he turned to drinking, when no one was looking, to dull the aching in his chest. he pulled away from church, refusing to believe in a god or any kind of higher power that would be so cruel to take his mother from him for no reason. he pulled away from his friends. he pulled away from his father.
it was hardly fair but charlie couldn't bring himself to look at the man with anything other than hatred. he hated himself too. if he couldn't forgive himself for not seeing that his mom wasn't okay then how was he supposed to forgive his father?
fueled by the alcohol that was often in his system, the pair of them began to fight more and more. about his mom. about charlie's grades. about what the temperature was outside. nothing was safe from the anger burning away inside of him.
it all came to a head when charlie's father came home one night and not only found him drunk on the living room couch but being pinned there by some kid from a college a few towns over; a male. the words that were exchanged between them that night were not things that could be easily forgiven; or easily forgotten.
things were never the same after that, he and his father couldn't stand to look at each other let alone be in the same room together, so it was only a matter of time before charlie left.
he's been wandering ever since.
floating from the couches of friends he made online to the couches of complete strangers; to sleeping in the back of his van at state parks or in well lit grocery store parking lots. he wasn't sure where he was going, or what he was looking for, but he wasn't going to stop until he found it.
--and then he found pinehaven.
he was just supposed to stop off for gas and pass through but something about the close knit community, the way everyone seemed to know everyone, reminded him of home.
would you believe us if we said that wasn't really DAMIAN HARDUNG? well, it isn't .ᐟ.ᐟ that's MATTHIAS VOSS, a proud resident of pinehaven for the last 2 YEARS. you can find them working over at LOULOU'S DINER as a EMPLOYEE. they're 24, but they hardly look that old! it must be the washington weather that keeps them looking so young .ᐟ.ᐟ word around the town is that they're SELF-INDULGENT, IMPULSIVE, STUBBORN, but we think that's silly. we feel like they're much more CHARISMATIC, RESILIENT, LOYAL. if we had to pick one song to describe him, it would be WHITE KEYS by DOMINIC FIKE.. see ya 'round, matt
basics:
🝯 name: matthias voss
🝯 nickname(s): matt
🝯 age: 24 years old
🝯 birthday: december 28, 1998
🝯 star sign: capricorn
🝯ethnicity: german
🝯 nationality: american
🝯 sexuality: heterosexual
🝯 status: single
🝯 personality type: istp
backstory:
matthias was born in los angeles, california. he was born to a single mother and has two older sisters. he grew up in los angeles for all of his life, and his family owned a bakery business that passed down to his mother. he would frequently run the store with his mother to chip in, and he grew to love the art of baking. he holds a close relationship with both his sisters and his mother. he doesn’t know who his father is, nor does he care to find him. he is very protective of his family and carries a bit of his family with him everywhere he goes, either in pictures or jewelry. he learned from his mother how to make light of tough situations, and how to bear through them. she showed him how to be strong, and he became independent at a young age.
as the youngest sibling, once he was sent off to university, he didn’t want to leave his family behind, but his mom insisted they would be okay. he chose to major in psychology, because he wanted to truly understand people. once he was there, he joined a fraternity because he wanted to find a sense of belonging and “family”. from being reclusive and really only doing things that wouldn’t cause trouble to him and his family, he found himself immersed in nightlife. he would frequent parties almost every weekend, meeting new people and having a couple flings on the side. however, he made it imperative not to abandon his studies and made sure to keep a balance in between. he moved to pinehaven once he graduated from university, and has been living there for about 2 years. he wanted to calm down from all of the partying and to actually focus on his future. his love for cooking and baking led him to loulou’s diner as a waiter, despite wanting to also pursue a career in psychology. it kept him afloat and he honed his culinary skills.
personality:
matthias learned mostly from his mother, and how she treated him and his siblings along with the customers at the bakery. she was warm, inviting, and left an impression on each person at the bakery. she was radiant, carried so much on her back, but held it together. she held a brave face in front of her children, which encouraged matthias to stay strong. he wanted to be just like her, and he wanted to make her proud. he treats everyone he meets the way he would want to be treated, even if they wrong him. he tries to keep a positive outlook on life, and find solutions to whatever life throws his way. some might call him delusional due to this and his stubborn nature. when he runs into conflict he can’t get out of, he tends to try and “fix” it, without actually addressing the issue and tries to brush it off. despite having all this knowledge from his psychology classes, he struggles with some issues internally, especially with his love life. he’s never seen his mother settle down with anyone, because she’s too busy running the bakery and caring for her children, so he doesn’t know what love should look like or how he should approach it. he often clashes with his flings, that’s why they never develop into something deeper. he finds himself reverting back into clubbing whenever things get tough, instead of dealing with his emotions.