Zo’s dad, Thoms, is an intergalactic bounty hunter. He was a pretty good father when Zo was a baby, but an attempt to catch a criminal went wrong and the criminal escaped and went on to kill hundreds before he was caught. After that, Thoms got obsessive about bounty hunting and family came second.
The family moved a lot because of Thoms’ job. He was paranoid about his enemies and insisted on moving all the time.
Zo’s mom, Selene, got fed up with Thoms all the time for not spending enough time with the family. Whenever they would argue about it, Thoms would take Zo and her brothers on trips to different planets. Pretty much every time he would drop them off somewhere with some money and then go chase after a criminal (the real reason he was on the planet).
Aza despised those trips and would regularly complain about them but Zo thought they were kind of interesting. She liked going to different planets, even the sketchy ones. West idolized their dad and always wanted to see the bad guy.
Aza studied piloting and biology at ZU and did incredibly well in school. He wanted to get out of his parents’ house as quickly as he could.
He goes missing about a year and a half into his piloting career. His disappearance sends the family off the rails. Thoms was on the road to alcoholism already and losing his son didn’t help. Selene started popping pills and West dropped out of ZU to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a bounty hunter.
Zo makes an effort to keep them from completely falling apart, but really, she’s unimpressed by her family’s reaction to Aza’s disappearance. Several times she’s considered cutting all contact with her family.
Not that her reaction to the disappearance is healthy. She obsessively looks for signs and clues as to wear he might be.
Zo had a very weird childhood because of her dad. Lots of moves, sometimes living in a space ship, learning how to hold her own on skeevy planets.
space child, get your head in the stars: a mixtape for zo and claire
for @loganscanons
moonchild - m83
one way trip to the sun - ditch
to the stars - tyler bates
cosmic love - florence + the machine
starwaves - m83
zo wonders how she let claire convince her to come out on such a chilly night. the sounds of a christmas eve party echoed from across the wide field and the bright lights practically rivaled the shining stars above.
“here.” claire offers, passing a small cup of hot chocolate to zo. zo takes it without hesitation, enjoying the warmth that spread to her fingers and hands.
“tell me again, why we’re out here freezing on christmas eve night? if you say to ‘wait for santa’...” zo says.
“to wait for santa.” claire replies cheekily. “no.” she laughs at the face zo makes at her, leaning against her friend. “there’s a meteor shower tonight. could you imagine a better way to ring in christmas?”
“i can imagine a less geekier way.” zo comments smoothly, smiling at the pout claire makes. “but i can’t imagine anyone else to ring it than with you. merry christmas, cc.”
Who wakes the other one up with kisses: Seb and Zo always cuddles up to him when he does
Who is the morning person/night person: they both have weird sleep schedules it depends on the day/night
Who is the romantic one: probably Seb
Who is the more cuddly one: they’re both cuddly but in the beginning of their relationship, Zo is
Who cooks: they love cooking together but Seb cooks more frequently
Favorite nonsexual activity: stargazing! and cooking/baking together
Their favorite place to be together: anywhere but like bed and the kitchen a lot
Any traditions: Seb brings coffee every time they study together
Their “song”: I’m really not sure why but I thought of Ellie Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s Your Song
What they do for each other on holidays: Zo will visit Seb’s mom with him during winter holidays but Zo doesn’t get super into holidays in general. Even for anniversaries they’re content to just do whatever
Where did they go for their honeymoon: a planet or moon that neither of them have been to and has friendly aliens and plenty to explore
Where did they first meet: ZU
Any pets: Zo isn’t a huge pet person but I feel like at some point they’re adopted by a cat it’s not their choice the cat decides
What do they fight over: safety and sleep
Do they go on vacations, if so where: yeah Zo is used to traveling so she travels around a lot and when they start dating Zo takes Seb with her
Who kills the bugs: Zo
Who hogs the sheets: both of them
Who hates mornings: Seb doesn’t hate them but he doesn’t love them
Who’s cranky before they had their coffee: Zo isn’t cranky but she’s not responsive until she’s had coffee or tea
Who’s doesn’t like their mother in law: I don’t think Seb dislikes Zo’s mom but she’s not one of his favorite people
Who drives: Seb pilots obvs but on earth he’s also the one to drive
Who gets horny in awkward public places: both of them but Zo acts on it she’ll pull him somewhere private
Who had a scene phase: idk if either of them do but imagining Seb having a scene phase cracks me up
Who wore braces: maybe both of them?
Who got bullied: both of them probably but Zo’s brother swiftly took care of that for her
Who is louder?: Seb naturally but Zo will be loud just for him
Who is more experimental?: Zo
Who takes more risks? Seb takes reasonable risks but Zo takes risks that stress Seb out
Do they fuck or make love?: definitely both
Lights on or off?: depends on where they are if they’re somewhere they aren’t gonna get caught, the have the lights on
Who is more likely to be caught masturbating?: honestly both of them
Who is more likely to suggest a threesome?: Zo for sure
Has either stolen the other’s underwear?: Zo and Seb would complain more but she looks cute wearing just his underwear
Who comes first?: Seb usually
Who is better at oral and who prefers it?: Zo is really good at it and she really likes being on the giving end
Who is more submissive?: I don’t know if I’d say Seb is more submissive but Zo is usually directing whatever they’re doing
Who usually initiates things?: they both do
Who is more sensitive?: Seb and Zo thinks it’s cute
Who has the most patience?: depends on what’s requiring patience in bed it’s probably Zo bc Seb gets all flustered
Which kinks do they share?: there really aren’t many things Zo is against doing so she’s happy to participate in any kink Seb has
Zo and Seb take a trip to a very sketchy port city because Zo wants some plants. Featuring a gross alien with a vendetta and a plant-monkey.
Today was as good a day as any to embark on the errand Zo had been putting off for weeks. The trip didn’t scare her; that’s not why she’d put it off. Visits to the port planet never went as smoothly as she would’ve liked, so she avoided the trip for as long as she could. Sighing, she slung her bag over her back and went to let Sebastian know where she was headed.
“Hey, Bazzy?” Zo called.
Seb was sitting on the couch, working on some assignment for class. The news was on in the background, too low to really hear; it emitted an inconsistent buzz of voices as news anchors delivered their reports. Seb looked up when Zo entered the room.
“Hey,” he said. When he saw her attire, he frowned. Wind protectant jump suit, cargo-type jacket, sturdy boots, a lightweight backpack. Her hair was braided tightly against her head. “Where are you headed?” he asked.
“Bymatur,” Zo said, leaning against the doorframe.
“The sketchy little port planet?” Seb asked, eyes widening.
“Yep,” Zo said.
“Why the hell would you go there?” he was incredulous.
Stories from Bymatur were entertaining, bordering on unbelievable. Tales from friends of a friend of a friend about giant space monsters, cruel and torturous aliens, black market deals, stories that spread like wildfire. They were fun stories to hear, but they sent a clear message: Don’t go to Bymatur if you know what’s good for you.
“It’s the cheapest place to get intergalactic plants,” Zo said. “Which I need for my research project.”
“Do you get them legally?” he asked.
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “Mostly,” she said.
“How can something be mostly legal? It’s either legal or its not,” Seb said.
“I haven’t had a problem yet,” she said.
“Just because you haven’t been caught, doesn’t mean its legal,” he said.
Zo shrugged and asked, “Do you wanna come with me?”
Seb hesitated. His mother would have a heart attack if she knew he’d even considered going to Bymatur. Stories about near death experiences on the port planet nudged him, prodded him with reason and logic, trying to talk him out of going. But, Zo had clearly gone many times before. She’d never told outlandish stories about the planet. She hadn’t even mentioned she’d been there. How bad could it be? And when would he ever have the chance to go again?
“Okay,” he said. “Let me get ready.”
Read the rest on AO3! Cause it’s too long for tumblr.
4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?
When they’re really young, Will tries to see good in people. It’s not until someone Will considered a mentor is arrested for some pretty bad crimes that Will loses all faith in adults. After that, they’re always looking for signs of corruption in adults and it takes a lot for them to trust anyone who’s older than twenty.
10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?
Riley loves a wide variety of clothing styles and fashions but they tend to lean toward outfits that show a bit more skin. They wear a lot of layers and/or accessories so really they’re wearing more clothing but also showing more skin.
17. What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?
Tammy had a toy laptop that her parents got her when she was five. There wasn’t much to do on the toy laptop except play a few games and work on typing skills but she carried to toy around everywhere.
22. What does your character like in other people?
Zo prefers people who are comfortable hanging out in silence. She appreciates anyone who will sit in the same room as her while they each do their own thing. She wants company but she doesn’t necessarily want to talk.
Our muses drink hotchocolate and cuddle next to the fire place
Zo used a fire poker to adjust a log in the fire place,causing the small orange flame to roar to life. The flames crackled, warmingher face and she sat there for a moment, enjoying the warmth. She then got upto grab the biggest, fluffiest blanket she and Seb owned, along with a couplepillows. As she was getting comfortable in the enormous arm chair, Seb shuffledinto the room with two steaming holiday mugs.
“Here you go,” he said, handing Zo the blue mug with thesnowman on it. She took it in both hands, warming her cold fingers.
Seb squeezed in beside her, which wasn’t difficult becausethe arm chair was so wide it might as well be a small loveseat. Zo readjusted,draping her legs over his thighs and snuggling up against him. He put one armaround her and held his hot cocoa in the other.
“Do you think your mom is going to like her Christmas gift?”Zo asked.
“Are you kidding?” Seb said. “We’ll be fulfilling her everydream. She’s been bugging me about grandchildren since we got married.”
Zo smiled giddily, wiggling her toes in her Christmas socks.Like the past few years, she and Seb would be spending the holidays withSebastian’s mom. She’d gotten over her nerves about his family some years ago,but this year was different. This year they’d be announcing that Zo waspregnant. She was just starting to show, and was a little nervous that Seb’smom might be able to tell before they got a chance to give her the gift: at-shirt that read “World’s Greatest Grandma.” It had been hard enough to keepit a secret this long.
“Really, Zo,” Seb said, kissing the top of her head. “She’llbe so, so, so happy.”
“Next Christmas, we’ll have a little baby,” Zo said, lookingdown at her tummy. Her smile was bittersweet, “I just wish my family would beexcited about it.”
“They might be,” Seb said, rubbing her arm comfortingly. “Wedon’t know until we tell them.”
“I hope so,” she said, taking a sip of cocoa. The steamfogged up the lenses of her glasses and the heat of the drink warmed her wholebody.
“I’m excited,” Seb said quietly, nuzzling her.
“Me too,” Zo smiled.
Our muses make agingerbread house
As Orion turned his back to restock some shelves, Logansnatched up a piece of taffy, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth. Thecandy stuck to her teeth, making it difficult to chew.
Making a face, she said, “Thith thtuff ith tho thticky.” Thecandy distorted her words, giving her a lisp she didn’t naturally have. “Itcould be glue!”
Graham gasped dramatically, startling Logan as she tried tounstick the taffy from her teeth. “That gives me a great idea!” Graham said,eyes bright and wide.
“Oh, boy,” Vaughn said from behind the counter, soundingtired.
“We should make gingerbread houses!” Graham said. “We’re ina candy store! What better place to make such a delicious, festive treat? We haveall the ingredients right here.”
“I’m pretty sure we have gingerbread making kits,” Orionsaid, glancing around the store. “Somewhere…”
Vaughn had straightened up, suddenly looking interested.Anything involving candy could get his attention. “That’s not such a bad idea,”he said.
“That’s what I said,” Graham said. “It’s a great idea. Hey, Orion. I bet me andLogan can make a better gingerbread house than you and Vaughn.”
“You don’t want Vaughn on your team?” Orion asked, seeming alittle surprised.
“No, he’ll eat all the candy,” Graham said. “What do yousay, Logan?”
“Orion and Vaughn are going down!” She said, bouncingexcitedly.
And so a few minutes later, they had the gingerbread kitsspread out on the counter, along with an assortment of candies for decorating.Logan and Graham had foregone the instructions that came with the kit, givingit half a glance before tossing it to the ground. While Orion and Vaughnexpertly and carefully iced the walls and roof together, Logan and Grahammanaged to get frosting everywhere but the gingerbread.
“Didn’t we have m&m’s?” Orion asked, sifting throughtheir collection of candies.
“Did we?” Vaughn asked, sounding not in the least bitinnocent. Orion gave him a look.
“I told you he’d eat all the candy,” Graham said, stickinggumdrops to the caving in house.
Vaughn and Orion’s house looked like a legitimate house,standing up straight with a nice frosting door and two frosting windows. Vaughnhad even included shingles on the roof and Orion was currently giving the housea beautiful landscape with green gumdrops. Logan and Graham’s house, on theother hand, had three walls, none of which stood straight. The fourth wall hadcaved in and the roof was catawampus.
“At least our house is standing,” Vaughn said, unwrapping apiece of taffy.
“Hey!” Logan snapped. “Our house has character!”
“Yeah,” Graham said. “He’s a little ugly, but he’s got agreat personality.”
Our muses meet underthe mistletoe
Rhyder looked above him as Rodrigue and Charlotte snickered,feeling his face go hot. He wasn’t sure who thought it would be a good idea toput up some mistletoe, but whoever it was, he wanted to give them a swift kickin the pants. Jude happened to also be standing under the retched plant, whichmeant one thing.
“Oh, c’mon,” Rhyder said. He wondered if his face looked asred as it felt. “This is lame.”
“It’s just a kiss, bruh,” Jude said, sounding not at allbothered by their current predicament.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” Charlotte chanted.
Before Rhyder could even protest more, Jude leaned over andgave his friend a chaste kiss on the lips. Rhyder pulled back in surprise buthis shock was drowned out by Charlotte and Rodrigue’s laughter. He laughedalong, too, though it was half-hearted and he wasn’t sure it was convincing.His stomach turned. That felt wrong.
—–
Looking up at the ceiling, Rhyder nudged Jude’s arm. Theywere at a holiday party together, holding red solo cups full of eggnog that wasdefinitely spiked. Jude looked over at his friend, before following his gazeup.
He laughed, “Whoa, déjà vu!”
“My thought exactly,” Rhyder laughed. “A déjà vu of what?Ten years ago?”
“Somethin’ like tha’,” Jude said.
Above their heads hung a small cluster of mistletoe, sure tocapture inattentive party-goers. Last time they’d been in this situation,Rhyder had thought anything remotely “gay” was sinful. Now, he was out to Judeand a few other close friends as bisexual. He was still a bit uncomfortablewith that part of himself, but things had sure change.
Looking at his longtime friend, Rhyder bent his head downand gave him a short kiss (though it was definitely longer than the last onethey’d shared, if only by a second).
“Merry Christmas, dude,” Rhyder said.
“Merry Christmas,” Jude repeated with a grin, knocking hiscup against Rhyder’s.
Zo has an art student aesthetic. Dyed hair, messy partial buns, sorta looks like she just woke up but manages to look really put together.
She owns so many rompers and pairs of overalls.
Her clothes can fit the art student aesthetic too but she doesn’t wear anything that could possibly get in her way. Not many billowy outfits.
Cute hats, necklaces, and bracelets.
Lots of clothes from secondhand stores and thrift stores
She has a lot of tattoos. Almost to the point where she has a sleeve even though she never planned on having a sleeve. She just keeps adding tattoos.
Her make-up is usually a smudged, touched-up version of yesterday’s make-up
To fit the art student aesthetic, she does really like painting and drawing. She majors in environmental sciences and minors in architecture and spends a lot of time drawing and doodling buildings and nature.
Loves the rain. Going for a walk or a run in the rain sounds ideal to her. It makes her feel more connected to the world.
She also loves star-gazing. She doesn’t get much sleep because night time is more enjoyable for her than day time and she likes being awake at night.
She has a few cacti and succulents as well as a little windowsill garden.
As a teenager, she worked at a flower shop
Zo never takes any dance classes but her favorite way to unwind is to do silly dances and dance around her dorm room to music
Even though Zo is a bit of a loner and avoids getting close to people, she doesn’t have anxiety about how people view her or anything. She’s apologetically herself. She’ll say goofy things or dance when she’s listening to music without worrying that people will judge her.
