who: open starter @pinehavenstarters
what: edge of downtown Pinehaven
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Rhea walked along the sidewalk in downtown Pinehaven. It was snowier than she had anticipated, but she couldn't stand another minute cooped up inside. The weather had never been an issue is Los Angeles, duh, it was known for it's steady 70 degrees and sunny, which was Rhea's favorite part. She had never been accustomed to the cold, growing up in the south— she was perfectly contempt wearing a sweater in 80 degrees. But the cold wasn't even the issue at the moment. She mostly just felt cooped up. She hated feeling stagnant and the weather most definitely made her feel stuck. So naturally, she went for a walk.
Most of the shops were closed. She was crazy for going outside at all, but at least she wasn't driving. Just stupidly walking. She looked up, realizing how far from the main path she had drifted, just walking to clear her head. The snow was fresh, covering most of her view into the tree line, but her eyes swiftly darted down to the fresh foot prints disappearing into the trees. Someone was just here...
She stood staring into the opening between the pine trees, knowing full well she would be making a huge mistake if she stepped any further toward the forest. She hadn't ever been the one to wander, but here she was, peering down the path. Through the thick snowfall, a figure began to move toward her. She turned, ready to bolt back toward town when she promptly slipped on an icy root. "Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" she shouted, anxiously attempting to get up from the ice and slipping again. The sight was all too dramatic, but she had seen one too many horror movies and true crime documentaries to assume anything but the worst.
✶ AGE: 32
✶ PRONOUNS: she/her
✶ FAMILY: Solstice - younger sister, other siblings
✶ PINEHAVEN RESIDENT FOR: one week
✶ OCCUPATION: "Game Enthusiast"/Front of House Staff at Tabletop Playground
✶ CONNECTIONS: Solstice - sister, Wavy - best friend/roommate
✶ pinterest ✶
[ BIO ]
Growing up in New Orleans, Rhea had a very vibrant childhood. Every year she would sit on the steps of her family home and watch the parades go by. Colorful umbrellas passing and drums banging. Rhea enjoyed the parades for reasons her siblings didn't. For one, she liked controlled chaos. Unpredictability that comes with some pattern. Like how a parade can be so whimsical even though everyone is just marching in the same direction down the same path. New memories, same course.
Rhea always felt like the most practical sibling out of the bunch. When her parents died, she felt like she was the only one able to sit still long enough to help with the funeral arrangements. Everyone else was…struggling. And it wasn't like she wasn't struggling she just kind of imploded instead of exploded. Things seemed the same mostly, just empty. But she understood there was work to do and that feelings had to be set aside sometimes. So she pushed them aside…it's better to feel nothing at all than to hurt. So she pretended things were great.
It wasn't until she moved to LA that she allowed herself to fully crash out. With the help of some friends, of course. She was able to fall in with a new crowd while keeping true to herself. Wavy was the one who helped her come out of her shell more. She hadn't been quiet necessarily, but more reserved in her formative years. She was finally able to start shedding that.
Wavy was someone that she could live through. That's how it started at least. Rhea had a hard time putting herself out there, she had a big personality but no one had wanted to dig deep enough to find it, so she mostly kept to herself. It wasn't until Wavy that she actually had someone who wanted to know her and all of the stupid things that crossed her mind. Wavy didn't care if Rhea was quiet at first, honestly Rhea wasn't sure if Wavy even knew Rhea hadn't said much of anything. Wavy had enough to say for the both of them, but they fell into an easy rhythm. Rhea no longer felt like she had to hide herself to be liked. It wasn't until months later that Rhea finally realized that she was feeling something for Wavy. Up until then she wasn't even sure she liked anyone. No one had been interesting enough for Rhea to care. But there was Wavy, stirring up something new within her. They started….whatever it was they were doing and Rhea has been trying not to read too far into it ever since. It felt easier not to name it.
Moving to LA, she didn't really have a dream like most other people did. She didn't dream of being an actor or writer necessarily, but she had always enjoyed movies and props. On road trips, she always insisted on stopping at random memorabilia museums. Falling in with aspiring actors and comedians, she found work as a PA. It was a really cool experience to get to live on set for a while and check out of life outside of the set.
Rhea continued working random jobs between PA gigs and began to move up the Production Assistant ladder. She didn't expect to find anything worthwhile in the industry, but soon she began thinking about exploring Company Management. She would still be running around most of the day, but it would be more about focusing on the happiness of the cast and crew rather than playing bitch for the director.
When Wavy decided to go searching for her brother, Rhea originally had planned to stay home and hold down the fort while she was gone, but as soon as she mentioned Pinehaven, Rhea perked up. Solstice, her little sister, lived on a commune in Pinehaven. Rhea had kept in close contact with her, but she hadn't actually seen her in years. Things were just always…busy. More like painful, but she didn't like to admit it. She and Sol had a good bond, but their relationship didn't exist in a bubble. It came with a lot of grief that just…still hadn't been fully processed. But if Wavy was ready to face a part of her past, Rhea felt like it was as good a time as ever to do the same. She packed a bag and they went on their way.
Rhea wouldn't exactly say she disapproved of Sol's lifestyle and newfound community, but she definitely didn't understand it. In Rhea's opinion, it wasn't sustainable to just check out of society. At least that's how Rhea saw it. Almost mistaking it for a mental breakdown or a cry for help. But it seemed like Sol was doing okay. Better than she had seen her in a long time. And now Rhea's starting to think maybe she's onto something.
