it had been a rather slow evening so far at crimson & clover. but, that how it seemed to be whenever savannah was scheduled to work a weeknight shift. only seeing a couple strangler regulars come in and leave rather quick, she was itching for a rush ... or at least someone interesting to chat it up with.
when her next customer took a seat at the almost empty bar, she sighed as wiped down the table with a rag. "look, the last three songs that have been played on the touch tunes have been ... questionable. if you play the next song and it's actually decent, your first round is on me."
the crimson & clover had been one of the first places she visited when she first came to mirabella all those years ago. to this day, it remained a popular spot with both visitors and locals. since moving here though, divya found she frequented this place less. she supposed it was because she knew it would always be here, but after several clockwork visits to on the rocks, she wanted to switch things up. she has to admit — she hates when a bar is empty. it makes her feel like she shouldn’t be here on a random wednesday.
divya’s half-convinced she should leave, until the bartender calls her attention. her face sours, and then, she laughs. “i have a feeling you and i have startlingly different tastes in music,” she comments, wringing her hands together. “but i do love a challenge,” rising to her feet, she saunters towards the jukebox, flash cards of suggestions popping in her head. a hand rests at her hip, another at the side of the machine, flipping through the options. “aha!” her voice sounding in victory; she queues up the song, and turns back to the blonde behind the bar. within moments, the opening percussion of ‘cherry pie’ sounds through the speakers as she settles back onto the stool. “i watched bring it on today. sue me.”
eliza cast a wary eye around the room as she gathered her short hair into a small ponytail. "this isn't gonna be the type of thing where they crank up the heat till we're all sweaty and slippery, is it?" she asked, squinting to make out the temperature on a nearby thermostat. "'cause i might not know a lot about yoga, but i'm pretty sure it's meant to be relaxing. i hope you realize just how much faith i'm placing in you, div."
“babes.” deliberately rolling her eyes, divya settles into a seated, cross-legged position before casting a side-long look in eliza’s direction. she can’t help but laugh, albeit momentarily because somebody two yoga mats away from her, cuts her a look. instead of apologising, she throws a face in response and flips them off. her head shakes, attention returning to her friend, “what was i saying? oh. right. babes. you’re in a recently renovated, climate-controlled studio where the room is set at a brisk 72 degrees.” adjusting her posture, she transitions her current stance into a cobra pose, but not without turning her head so she can meet eliza’s gaze, “trust me, if this were hot yoga, you’d see a lot more... skin.”
"Coming right up, Div," Collin replied, reaching behind him to grab the tequila with one hand as he tapped out the jalapeno poppers order into the bars ipad. He mixed up the tequila, orange juice and grenadine, serving it in a highball glass. He garnished with an orange slice and two cherries since it already came with one and she'd said with a cherry on top. Which was Collin's quiet way of being kind after a long day. "Here you go," He said, sliding it across the bar. "Poppers will be out in a few." Leaning his side against the backside of the bar again, he asked, "Late night at work? Some big story?" He only asked because it was the middle of the week, and the 5 o'clock drinkers had already come and gone. Though, he supposed, in Divya's line of work, breaking entertainment news could come at anytime. But Collin also hadn't had a conversation in over an hour, and he needed something to make the next hour go by quicker.
“my hero,” she praises, before snagging a cherry off its stem with her teeth, as she lightly swirls the straw around the glass. after a quick acknowledgement in collin’s direction, divya draws out a satisfied moan the moment that first wave of sweet and citrus hits the back of her throat. yeah, that’s the stuff. this was exactly what she needed. not that she’s had a long day, but just because. sometimes a girl deserved a just because drink. fingers lightly dig into the edge of the bar, and she considers collin; which she does often — consider people. that might be the journalist in her, assessing… analysing… but then, she shakes her head, giving a singular clap of her hands. “no, actually!” she exclaims rather boisterously, “i needed to change up my routine for one night, and where better than right here with you, mr. persaud? plus, you make a fantastic tequila sunrise.”
Birdie laughed and shrugged her shoulders. Craft supplies were basically spilling out of her bag at all times. She was like a walking Michaels. Like, literally, neighbors had come to her first sometimes instead of taking the ferry into the city just to visit the craft store. It came with the territory of working with a bunch of small children! "We're going to play Jeopardy this week as, like, a final fun game to send them off into summer and test them on what they've learned this year and... well... they need prizes, don't they!" Birdie reached forward to grab a blue pipe cleaner ribbon that she'd twisted together and used glitter paint on. She held it against her chest and beamed. "Everyone is getting a first place ribbon, because obviously they're all winners in my eyes... cute, right?" Luckily, her class was small, so she only had a few more of these ribbons to make before she was done.
ideally, one day, divya hopes to have children. and in that future, somewhere far… far down the road, those children have a teacher like birdie. she’s heard the horror stories; in fact, she’s so caught up in teachertok that she knows there are teachers who are nightmares, so birdie? birdie is a breath of fresh air — an apt reminder that there are good teachers out there. she smiles, in a way that says: holy fuck, that’s a lot of effort and i’m fucking impressed but i would never be caught dead doing this shit. divya wonders if birdie got all that in one look.
“you are bloody amazing, you know that? i have so much respect for teachers — well…” there’s a beat, a nonchalant shrug, then she clicks her tongue. “teachers like you. you know, the ones who actually care about their students.” she takes a slow sip from her coffee, eyeing the blue ribbon with a cocked brow, then leans forward, “so, do you come up with these ideas on your own? or were you searching craft ideas on tiktok and youtube?”
✦ open starter for @mirabellastarts -- CAPPING AT 2 (0/2)
✦ 🚐 | THRIFT SHOPPING at CHERRY STREET FLEA AND THRIFT
"Okay, hear me out." Capri started, putting her phone down on the table nearest her and lifting up a metal bird cage as she focused on it for a moment. She had to admit it wasn't in the best shape; very rusty and the paint had chipped off of it to the point it probably wasn't worth more than five dollars in her opinion, especially considering the latch on the door was also broken so it couldn't be used as an actual bird cage. However, Capri had always loved repurposing objects, and currently her mind was racing. "What would you use this for?" she paused. "Because I feel like it would make a really cool decorative piece with some fake florals or maybe even -" she paused. "But I'm not really looking for a reason to buy more stuff, so, having a different purpose for this would be fun."
thrifting was absolutely always off the cards for divya — she liked things brand new and shiny. the only reason… the only reason she is here, is because she had made a promise to herself at the beginning of the year to try new things. and this, while not necessarily exciting, was something new. she just so happened to be on her way to a nearby boutique when something shiny drew her attention. predictably, she had to find out what it was. turns out, it was the glare coming off an ornate mirror. then, something else caught her eye, and soon she had fallen down the thrifting rabbit hole.
she never expected to find a vintage burberry trench coat hanging on some rusty rack at the back of a thrift store, but she would gladly be proven wrong if it happened a second time this morning. beige material slung over her forearm, hair tucked behind her ears, divya granted herself a brief reprieve from scouring the racks for another designer treasure; which is how and why she ended up discussing a metal bird cage with a complete stranger. smiling politely, slightly amused, she rests her hip against the edge of the table, then gapes momentarily before she laughs. “nothing. i would use that for nothing. i have no purpose for a bird cage, whatsoever.”
open to: anyone !
location: watercolors on the boardwalk
@mirabellastarts
whenever she could, tessa made it a habit to support community events, even ones that she hadn't helped organize and was required to show up to. while it was both good for networking and finding sources of inspiration, she loved feeling a part of mirabella. the rush of seeing old friends and meeting new acquaintances and sometimes finding new hobbies to explore all equally attractive. although tessa doubted that this hobby would end up making the list, nose wrinkling with a tinge of frustration as she studied her 'artwork'. a splash of colors dotted her paper - attempts at blooms that maybe weren't quite distinguishable even though tessa had done her best to listen to the instructions. her eyes squinted as she considered her painting, tilting it slightly to see if a different angle might be better before turning to her neighbor. "can you tell what this is? i feel like i might be verging into abstract art, and that's being generous." while she'd dabbled in acrylics and aided in graphic design for event posters and invitations, she hadn't quite figured out how to deal with the more fluid, malleable medium of watercolors. it wasn't quite the relaxing event she'd hoped for, even as she'd done her best to quell her perfectionist tendencies and leave the painting as it was rather than trying to fix it. "how's yours turning out? are you having more luck?"
guess who had some cockamamie idea that they were going to paint a masterpiece of the sunset over valencia cove? well, who, none other than the idiot holding the paint brush, bristles working overtime on a canvas of a watercolour that looked nothing like the image she had envisioned in her head? there’s an exasperated sound that tumbles from parted lips — some weird hybrid crossover between a sigh and a groan. there’s a squint of her eyes, the paint brush hovering over her artwork a little too long that an undisturbed blob of blue begins to gather. then tremble. then drip rather perfunctorily down the painting.
she never said she was an artist. in fact, she had made it a point to avoid all visual art after it was no longer a mandatory school subject. which begs the question: why the fuck was she even here? she knew better, and yet, she was convinced she’d create her magnum opus. in the middle of a watercolour lesson. on a random wednesday. on the boardwalk. yeah, she was an idiot. her usual rigid posture slips, and her shoulders sag, head shaking vigorously. “this would be a lot more fun if there was drinking involved. you know, watercolours and wine on the boardwalk would have been so much better.”
Open to anyone, feel free to assume a prior relationship!
Collin should've already been home by this time of night, but his bartender called out and there was no one else to replace him. So, he was behind the bar until closing. On the Rocks was relatively empty this close to last call, but there were a few stragglers enjoying their meal or nursing a beer while they watched the game. Collin was leaning against the bar, his gaze on one of the televisions when someone took up one of the stools at the bar. "Hey," He said, turning his attention towards them. "How's it going? What can I get you?"
divya had two options — crack open a bottle of very expensive wine in her very beautiful beachside home by her very self or buy herself a semi-expensive glass of something surrounded by people who were too busy focusing on the finals to even spare a look in her direction. obviously, she decided on the latter. she needed to be surrounded by unbridled energy and the undeniable stench of sweat from passionate basketball fans; she could breathe fresh air any time. when she settles on a stool, she doesn’t place her bag on the suspiciously sticky bar, and instead, on the stool beside her, tugging it close to keep it in her line of sight. “evening jeeves — tequila sunrise. and a serving of jalapeno poppers. pretty please, with a cherry on top.”
Birdie's usual organized chaos was scattered around her, taking up half a leather couch and a table at the local coffee shop. School was nearly out, but there were still a few things she needed to do for her class of first graders. She wanted to send them off to second grade on a high and make sure they remembered how much fun they had in her class. Birdie liked working in public because she'd usually see someone she could talk to, and Birdie loved talking to people. She never minded sharing her space, even if someone didn't want to chat, so when she saw someone approach from the corner of her eye, she looked up with a smile. "Oh, hi," Birdie quickly grabbed up her colorful papers and things to make room. "Please, join me!" She smiled widely. "Ignore the chaos, I'm like a colorful tornado blowing through..."
foot tapping, a brisk draft channels through the small opening in the door, and the hairs on divya's arms stand up. she tries not to shiver, and when her name is called, she immediately reaches for the cup of coffee like it’s a lifeline. because it is. she’s running on less than five hours of sleep thanks to her new gig moonlighting for the today show once a week, and she’s pretty sure she needs to sit down before collapsing from sheer exhaustion. pitfalls of being awake since four in the morning, she supposed!
the coffee shop is unsurprisingly busy, her eyes working overtime to secure a singular seat for herself when she spots birdie. her approach isn’t subtle at all, and before the first grade teacher can finish speaking, divya’s already flopped herself onto the armchair. a grateful sigh, the unceremonious drop of her tote bag onto the floor, and low, satisfied hum. she lulls her head sideways, warmth in her expression when she meets birdie’s gaze, “there are… a lot of crafting supplies on this coffee table, birdie. care to explain what lesson plan requires… pipe cleaners?”
khadija found that early morning farmers market runs always made her feel more human. she spent so much time at the tide building, or at her desk, and so getting out and breathing fresh salty-sea water air made her remember how alive she was. there a lot of things about mirabella that khadija could complain about, living here all of her life, she has a grievance or two, but weekend farmers markets were such a sweet spot. she's got a tote bag that is far too big for her thrown over her shoulder, and there's already far too many punnets of blueberries in it, her favorite of all the berries. she's standing in front of a selection of breads, mouth already watering, when she let's out a theatatrical huff of breath "okay, i can't decide, garlic and rosemary or sun-dried tomato and mozzrella? this is life or death, as you can see."
she kinda hates the farmers markets. well… not the markets themselves, but rather the parking situation. with her car parked on some weird, downward dip past a small forest of trees, divya is hoping by the grace of vishnu that the rain holds out and she won’t be attempting to rescue her cloud blue volvo from a mini mudslide.
while still partial to the los feliz farmers markets, mirabella’s was starting to grow on her — especially with its almost never-ending supply of citrus-flavoured options. just last week, she tried a grapefruit matcha. she had her doubts, but it worked. condensation gathered in her palm where she was nursing a coconut vanilla latté, taking a rather generous sip as dark eyes, hidden behind shades, surveyed the display of baked goodness.
then, shrugging a dainty lift of her shoulders, spared a side side glance at khadija, and without missing a beat, “sun-dried tomato and mozzarella; or both. yeah, great idea, brain. get both.”
☀︎ no way is that divya goswami .ᐟ rumor has it she's 30, born on november 14th, a true scorpio .ᐟ seems like she's been in mirabella for nine months, working as an entertainment reporter. i’ve seen her around valencia cove lately; she's notoriously known for being compulsive & indulgent but some people have seen them being affluent & cosmopolitan when the island is quiet and the ferries stop running .ᐟ if you ask me, she reminds me a lot of unfinished outfits until the perfect shoes are on her feet, camera ready smile even when nobody is looking, lingering fragrance of par frédéric malle after leaving the room, just keep an eye on her & see if her true colours shine through .ᐟ
general details
full name: divya goswami
nickname(s): div, vivi
age: 30
date of birth: november 14, 1995
place of birth: surrey, england
current location: mirabella, california
residential area: valencia cove
gender: cis-female
pronouns: she/her
sexual orientation: bisexual
romantic orientation: biromantic
religion: raised in a hindu household, but holds no major religious affiliations
occupation: entertainment reporter, tv personality
personality
label(s): the eyes and ears, the independent woman, the wanderer
positive traits: affluent, articulate, cosmopolitan, intuitive, passionate
negative traits: compulsive, hedonistic, indulgent, over-analytical, recalcitrant
likes: emotional support water bottle, running at the break of dawn as the sun rises, her suede le 5 à 7, citrus fruit lightly sprinkled with sea salt, her 10-step skincare routine
dislikes: perpetual victim mentality, having to repeat herself, calling football ‘soccer’, people who can’t admit they’re wrong, name-dropping
astrology: scorpio
personality type: enfj
moral alignment: neutral good
introduction
born on november 14, 1995, to pranav and nilani goswami, divya was a cherished only child raised in a warm, loving home. a natural academic, athlete, and creative, she excelled in school — though not without conflict. at seventeen, she fell for her future husband, sparking tension with her parents who feared he'd derail her studies. she proved them wrong, earning a place at the university of cambridge.
only eighteen when they wed, despite her parents' objections. married life revealed what she'd been too young to see: he was immature, self-absorbed, and holding her back. two weeks after graduating, she filed for divorce and set her sights on california.
stateside, her striking looks, english accent, and magnetic presence opened doors quickly. she joined e! online's social media team, rapidly transitioning to on-screen talent with content reaching millions across youtube, instagram, twitter, and beyond. red carpet appearances at the oscars, grammys, and golden globes followed, along with viral celebrity interviews.
today, divya co-hosts talk shows, guests on podcasts, and narrates audiobooks — ambitious, polished, and only just getting started.
read full biography here.
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